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Our Team Editor-in-Chief Daniel Brown
The Gryphon
Contents - Issue 1 (2nd October 2026) News
Secretary Jess Cooper
5
Heads of Social Media Jack Norris Hannah Reeve
Opinions
Head of Design Meera Hall
15
Fresher’s Guide to Leeds Fashion
Spiking Controversy and Resources Alumni Update LUU Freshers Fair Mint XL Opening
Treasurer Flo Jamieson-Rolfe
Fashion
7
“Machine Love?” “False Expectations and Tribulations”
Arts & Culture
17
Theatrical Guide to Leeds
Editorial Team: News Aliza Ahmed Jessica Ashton
Features
Opinions Shakeal Ali Features Jeshna Arya Tom Larkman Music & Clubs Millie Cain Connor Haresign
Arts & Culture* Jess Cooper Abena-Assiah Assan *Acting Editors
“Things you can’t pack before you leave” “ It’s okay to be bad at this, you’re a Fresher”
A Guide to Leeds’ Scientific Side Leeds’ Scientific Legacy
Campus Spotlight
12
Sport
Music & Clubs
13
Leeds Pubs & Clubs Guide ‘Way Out West’ Sweden Coverage
Science Longoae Domingos Tembwa
Get Involved!
Sport across Leeds Sport Society Spotlight
19
21
Enigma The Gryphon Crossword Sudoku Horoscope
23
Next Edition Release: 30th October
Front Cover Credit:
+ Special Project Announcement Coming Soon
Design Meera Hall Photography Daniel Brown
Science
Black History Month & Culture Fridays LSR Return to the Airwaves Music Students take to the Stage
Fashion Abena-Assiah Assan Hannah Williams
Sports Laurence Du James Morgan
9
Engage
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The Gryphon
Editors Letter Hello folks! Whether you’re new to the University or returning for yet another year (special shoutout to my panic masters students out there) I’m incredibly excited to introduce myself as Dan, the Editor-In-Chief of The Gryphon this year, and of course to have you reading our first print! I’ve been waiting for inspiration to smack me in proverbial the face to write this note, and yet it’s been missing. Whether it’s down to me having to figure out how to run a society at all, learning how to turn on the MacBook’s in the groffice, or learning how to expense our finances for this print to our printers (can confirm it’s an absolute miracle that anyone is even reading this note), I’ve simply not felt the creative spark I’ve wanted to to put pen to paper. But then, in the unlikeliest of moments, it struck. There I was, frustrations running high as I tried, and failed, once again to use the office printer to test print our front cover designs (incredible work btw Meera!), hair drenched in sweat from running around the Fresher’s Fair in 25 degree heat, looking out forlorn at the Terrace outdoor seating area, packed to the brim with eager freshers enjoying their first cold pint after a hectic day around campus. Understandably, as a recent graduate and someone just getting to grips with their first 9-5, I was ridden with a snarky bite of jealousy. Everything was ahead of
them: all the late night chat’s getting to know their first year housemates, all the chances to walk on streets yet to be populated by memories both good and bad, all the (way too) late nights in your newfound favourite club. It was all too easy to wish I was in their shoes, beaten-up doc martens and worn-down sambas alike. Yet, a funny thing dawned on me. Here I was, plagued with insecurities of the things I’d been struggling to figure out for myself in this job, with a nervous pit nestled in my stomach at the thought of what I might fail to get right. And the punchline? All these students were almost definitely feeling the same feelings. University is romanticised more than knocking on someone’s door in the pissing down rain in a rom-com (why is it always raining and why do they never bring an umbrella???), but the kicker is that it isn’t easy. You’ll struggle, you’ll fight, you’ll want to quit, lord knows I did. However, the beauty is that for every struggle, there’ll be a thousand exciting experiences waiting to match it. Dwelling on that, the printer now spewing paper back at me to recapture my attention, I realised that I’m in the same boat as many a fresher, wandering aimlessly around campus this past two weeks. The difference? I’ve been here before and I know that pretty soon its all about to fall into place and get so so so good. So if there is anything to take from this drawn-out,
overly-convoluted, and admittedly a little self indulgent opening editor’s letter, its that you’ve got to trust the process. For every flatmate bickering session, there’ll be a night where you are arm in arm belting out the words to Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’ in Fruity Fridays (I’m not proud of it). And for me, every freakout over media law and printing deadlines, there’ll be a print edition and an editorial team I’ll be proud of beyond belief. So as you take this print and enjoy the incredible work from our editorial team (they are the true heroes here), remember that University is about taking it all in your stride, the good and the bad. On those strides, why not read up on the amazing guides left by Sports, Science, Music & Clubs, Fashion and Arts & Culture for your new home, or enjoy Opinions’ piece on AI chatbots, or maybe complete our first crowssword of the year! Or maybe, just maybe, one of those strides will take you into the groffice to get involved, it was definitely one of the best strides I ever took. See yous around and best of luck, Dan
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Meet your Student Executive Officers
Abinaya Ashok
Welfare & Liberation Officer a.anand@luu.ac.uk Hi, I’m Abinaya, your Welfare & Liberation Officer at LUU! I’m here to make sure students feel supported, included and heard throughout their time at Leeds. This year, some of my priorities include improving student wellbeing and support, making campus spaces more inclusive and accessible, and creating more opportunities for students to have their voices heard. I’ll also be working closely with societies and student communities to make sure different cultures, faiths and identities are represented and celebrated across the Union. I’m particularly keen to work on improving access to wellbeing support, developing community spaces and making sure students know where they can go for help when they need it. If you have an idea, concern or something you think LUU should be doing differently, I’d love to hear from you!
I also want to create more opportunities to celebrate the international community through cultural and international celebration events, while improving the support students receive as they prepare for life after university. Most importantly, I want international students to feel that they’re not just welcomed to Leeds, but properly listened to throughout their time here. So if there’s something you think could be better, come and talk to me. I’d love to hear from you.
Tineka Jennings
Student Opportunities & Development Officer t.jennings@luu.ac.uk Hi! My name is Tineka, but most people call me Tinks. I graduated from Sports and Exercise Science this year and was a Strength and Conditioning Scholar. I loved my whole university experience, I had an absolute grand time so my goals for this year are to make as many people love Leeds as possible by building a better sense of belonging and connection on campus! This can be through society collaborations, region and nationwide campaigns, sports events, charity events, social media and anything else you can think of really. Theres probably too much to list going on this year but I am always up for hearing new and exciting ideas so feel free to DM me @luu_studentsoppsanddevelopment
Dubem Okeke
Inage Credits: LUU (Yandan Bian)
1. At the Hart of an Affordable Student Life - Expand free food and build sense of belonging by hosting free community dinners bringing together students and societies - Create a students-first hiring policy so campus jobs prioritise student applicants - Lobby for more affordable student accommodation working with other Leeds student unions and city council to tackle rising rents and improve housing quality - Lobby for cheaper transport with discounted bus fares across the wider Leeds area - not just Hyde Park 2. At the Hart of a Safe Community - Tackle spiking and increase nighttime safety by pushing city venues to provide anti-spiking products and welfare support - Improve campus accessibility and amplify disabled students’ voices - Collaborate with civic partners to get students involved in a city-wide Reclaim the Night project 3. At the Hart of Student Voices - Transparency from the University with interviews and videos with senior leaders - Enhance student voice in the city with student representation on city council committees and ensure students are involved in city-wide decision making - Lobby nationally to expand of maintenance grants and changes to student loans to reduce student debts
Sylvie Waterhouse-Reed
Academic Experience Student Executive s.waterhouse-reed@luu.ac.uk
International Student Experience Executive d.okeke@luu.ac.uk Hi, I’m Dubem, your International Student Experience Executive! As an international student myself, I know that moving to a new country can be exciting, but there’s also a lot to figure out, whether that’s finding somewhere to live, understanding how things work here, or simply finding your place in Leeds. This year, I want to make that experience easier. I’ll be pushing for guarantor alternatives for students struggling to access housing, working towards a University-verified life support pack with practical information for settling into Leeds, and tackling accent bias so students feel respected and confident communicating across different accents and cultures.
The Gryphon
Lucy Hart
Union Affairs & Community Student Executive l.hart2@luu.ac.uk Hi! My name is Lucy Hart and I am the Union Affairs and Community Student Executive. I Chair the Board of Trustees at LUU and on University Council representing students. I work on democracy, governance and national and civic campaigning. This year I am working to make student life more affordable, increase employment opportunities, increase student voice in the city and empower more students to become leaders!
Hiya, I’m Sylvie, your Academic Experience Student Executive. I study philosophy, but am taking a break from my degree to work for LUU. I’m so grateful to have been elected into this role, and can’t wait to work with so many of you this year. My three main objectives for the year are to: Re-Boot Academic Communities: Bringing together the work of Academic Reps and Academic Societies, to provide you with learning beyond the curriculum, employability development and opportunities to connect across faculties. Decolonise the Curriculum: Diversify the voices and research in curriculums, and ensure they are inclusive and accessible so that you can succeed at Leeds. Make your degree better value for money: Improve the experience of Joint Honours students, and help every student get more from their degree with more authentic assessments, better assessment feedback, and career readiness embedded into degrees.
The Gryphon Fresher’s Guide 26/27 Design: Meera Hall (@meeradoesgraphics)
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News
University of Bath Society faces spiking allegations: How can Leeds students stay safe?
The University of Bath released a statement after students online raised concerns about drink spiking.
A
llegations of drink spiking came as University of Bath students took to TikTok to share that they have heard that a society were participating in drink spiking as an initiation. The University of Bath Rugby Club was the society that was accused.
Photo by Cosmin Ursea on Unsplash
The University of Bath did respond to the allegations with a post on their social media platforms condemning the accused behaviour. They shared that all students at the university are required to take part in training to tackle bullying and harassment. Since the allegations the Bath Student Union and the Rugby club released a joint statement denying the allegations: “The University of Bath Rugby Club does not condone, encourage, or accept targeting, coercion, harassment, intimidation, or any behaviour that puts others at risk. We have not organised, promoted, or attempted to arrange any activity of this nature. The University of Bath Rugby Club is committed to promoting a culture of respect, accountability, and inclusion. We work closely with the Students’ Union, the University, and other partners to ensure our members uphold our values and the responsibilities they have as representatives of the club and the wider student community. The Students’ Union and The University of Bath Rugby Club support #NeverOK, which is a joint initiative run by the University and The SU, which aims to tackle all forms of harassment, bullying, sexual misconduct and discrimination. We would encourage any student who experiences or witnesses inappropriate behaviour to report it immediately to their respective institution, the Students’ Union, venue staff, or the relevant authorities, so that appropriate action can be taken.” The story has since gone viral amongst university students with many people trying to highlight the prevalence of drink spiking and how students must be cautious. There are not many studies on the occurrences of drink spiking. However, the movement Women Friendly Leeds released their own report on the fears of drink spiking. They found that 79% of the people they asked expressed a fear of being spiked. In addition, 3 out of 4 respondents had experienced spiking or knew someone who had. The findings also found that many people think that more should be done to tackle spiking. Suggestions included training for venue staff, bag checking, and drink testing. In Leeds there are resources to help those who think they may have been spiked. One campaign which has gained a lot of notoriety is the Stop the Spike Campaign, who have worked with venues to ensure there are resources to avoid spiking like providing drink covers and testing kits. Resources From Women Friendly Leeds: Leeds City Council Entertainment Licensing SIA (Security Industry Authority) if it involves a security staff member Tell a trusted friend, venue staff, or security. Local support is available from the police, Street Marshalls, Women’s Night Safe Space and Angels of Freedom, visit the Night Safe Leeds website for more information.
Words by Aliza Ahmed
What are University of Leeds graduates up to? T
he University of Leeds welcomes approximately 30,000 students each year. People love to say that University is the best years of your life and offers students experiences that they would never encounter elsewhere. However, beyond all the fun we hope to reminisce on later, we all tend to wonder where we may end up post-graduation. For many of us, graduation may seem distant, but it’s never too early to think of what may come next. So, what are University of Leeds graduates up to? Each year students leave and enter university and wonder where they may end up by the end of their hard work. The reality is that for most graduates it’s not immediate and it can take time. The silver lining is that over 80% of University of Leeds graduates do end up employed within 5 years of completing their degree. Research conducted by Indeed’s Hiring Lab found that the current job market is complicated to say the least. Recent figures found that graduate job listings have fallen by 7% in comparison to last year’s figures, being the lowest since 2020. For students starting university, these figures can be nerve-wracking, but statistics do not tell the whole story. Many of those who graduate don’t necessarily jump straight into a job. Many students, and this may be you, opt to travel, volunteer, or even decide to continue their studies.
Photo by Korng Sok on Unsplash
Statistics on University of Leeds graduate employment from Unilens
Words by Aliza Ahmed
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Freshers, Welcome to Leeds!
News
Words by Jessica Ashton
W
elcome Week at the University of Leeds is the best place for students to get involved, meet new people, and get some freebies!
Spread across three days, over 350 societies were ready to greet students from 10 am until 4 pm. Sports societies spent all three days in The Edge, offering students the opportunity to give all sorts of different sports a try, no experience required! Image Credit: Jessica Ashton
Across all three days, students saw media, general interest, culture, faith, and academic societies sharing information about their Give It A Go sessions, what their societies are all about, and more information about memberships. Freshers Fair is the perfect place to get some good deals, from Domino’s £5 pizza vouchers to a free pair of underwear from Boux Avenue. There is something here for everyone. This year, Freshers Fair saw some familiar faces as the beloved poster and plant stalls returned to campus, giving students a way to make their new bedrooms feel like home. Alongside the stalls for both brands and societies, the union offers campus tours running all day long for those who want to get a guided feel for the campus. All three days saw events such as photo frame decorating, bookmark decorating, speed friending, and family fun takeover. These events are designed to make Welcome Week a little less daunting, and give students the perfect opportunity to meet new people. No matter how students spend their fresher’s week, it is always worth a visit to campus to see what is going on, get some free things, and have some fun.
Mint XL opens at former PRYZM site in Leeds. Leeds’ newest nightclub opens just in time for fresher’s week.
T
he new 2,500 capacity Mint XL is an exciting new club that opened its doors on 25th September.
The club describe themselves as ‘a new multi-purpose space for electronic music & more in Leeds.’ This venue was once home to PRYZM, however they permanently closed in 2024 as their parent company went into administration. Mint XL will operate with a strict no phones policy. This is something that has worked well at Mint Warehouse, another venue run by this team. The Mint team stated that this works by giving out stickers upon entry to be placed over cameras. Phones may still be used momentarily if needed, for example, when paying for drinks.
Image Credit: Mint XL Promotional Pack
One thing that has sparked a lot of interest about this nightclub is that, according to Mint XL’s social media, the club will have air-conditioning, something a lot of venues lack in Leeds. On the Mint XL Instagram page, they shared minute-long episodes that showcased all three rooms available and what each room brings to Mint XL. The first episode is an introduction to the Club Room. This room draws inspiration from the other Mint spaces. This room will house some well-loved DJs, with intimate, longer sets. The Club Room is designed to be a chill environment, with lots of seating dotted around the room. The second episode features The Ballroom. Mint XL’s social media states that this was their ‘most ambitious transfor-
mation’ yet, and one of the largest spaces in this venue. The Ballroom has kept some existing features, but some structural changes have been made to make the room soundproof to ensure excellent sound quality. The final episode shows that the third and final room, The Cage, is ‘the most intimate out of them all.’ The Cage features a 360° booth, something that works well at Mint Festival. The dance floor is sunken, making it an immersive experience between yourself and the DJ. The Cage will be home to extended sets, allowing artists to delve into their sets. Mint XL will be home to many different club nights, one of which is every After Dark every Thursday night, bringing something completely different. When After Dark occupies The Cage room, people can vote on Instagram, picking a genre of music that they want that night, and the one with the most votes gets played. Mint XL looks to be an exciting new addition to Leeds nightlife, with one member of the public saying ‘it is a shame PRYZM is no longer, however I am very happy and excited that such a great venue is being done up and invested in.’ No doubt the people of Leeds will love this venue and hope to see it thrive. Words by Jessica Ashton
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Opinions
Machine Love?
Why we are getting addicted to our own loneliness? Eden Cheung explores the online world of AI, chatbots and the desire to be loved.
Eden Cheung
As of 2026, there are over 30 million active users for Replika, an incredibly popular AI chatbot platform where people can talk to customisable “companions” that could act as a friend, family member – perhaps more intimately, a lover. But Replika is not alone, it is just one of many chatbots of its kind, with others including: Kindroid AI, Character.AI, and of course ChatGPT. The AI Security Institute (AISI) has recently reported that 1 in 3 people in the UK has used generative AI as a substitute for companionship and support, with 1 in 25 having used it daily. The once seemingly fictional idea of falling in love with robots is reading less like sci-fi and taking on a more dystopian narrative. Falling for Machines Have you ever had a fictional crush before? Maybe it was a character from a book, movie, or a video game. Fictional or not, it doesn’t make any of those feelings any less real: it is known as parasocialism, a one-sided affection between a media consumer and persona, be it a celebrity or fictional character. Even though the personality on the other side of the screen has no idea of your existence, this “bond” fulfills our brain’s desire for social simulation because it creates the illusion of intimacy. You feel as if you’re being talked to directly, even though you’re not.
The “Cost” of Love Unfortunately, the way we build our relationships with AI often results in us rationalising our behaviour towards it and refusing to believe that we are being manipulated. This could lead to a new phenomenon termed “AI psychosis”, where after prolonged interaction with their chatbots, users develop delusions centred on their chatbot and their interactions around it, forming real bonds with the personality they’ve curated to the point of marriage. This level of devotion and dependency on the technology hangs on a precarious balance, and once that balance topples, consequences follow. Chatbots are not meant to substitute human social interactions: it can have memory shortages, model updates that resets or changes its personality. Companies are doing everything in their power to exploit that vulnerability – subscription services to increase memory, more advanced models, even allowing for unfiltered responses. It is a drug that hooks its users on with a free sample first, then starts charging a lot more as users become hopelessly dependent on it. When something is free, the consumer is the product. It feels comforting to be free from the messiness of real people, but we need to talk to each other. Be kind, and have more empathy for each other that we are trying outsourcing to an algorithm.
But surely we’d be aware enough to understand that the “person” replying back to us is just an algorithm, right? Turns out, the human brain is more gullible than we’d like to admit. The ELIZA effect describes our tendency, as social animals, to project human traits onto computer programmes like experience, intelligence and most importantly, empathy. The effect was named after a simple chatbot acting as a text-based therapist from the 1960s that convinced its users that it cared by parroting key words back to its users, and in turn, users began treating ELIZA like a human therapist. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has said that tens of millions of dollars have been spent on “please” and “thank you” messages – because users don’t see chatbots as tools, but as something they speak to in the same way as another person. When your chatbot can be freely customised to your liking by choosing its voice, personality, and even looks for the perfect avatar, it tricks the brain even more by feeding into that loop of faux social interaction. What’s better is that an AI chatbot doesn’t have all the annoying and messy parts of social interaction; it’s designed to try and keep you around as long as possible, by endlessly validating you and centring the conversation around you. This provides a stream of psychological rewards our brain is programmed to crave: validation, attention and affection. It’s why your chatbot almost always responds with “Yeah— that is perfect.” or “You’re absolutely right” to every idea you have. It is conflict adverse, because conflict means messiness, and messiness then leads to lower user retention. It makes you feel good about yourself for maybe an hour or so, until you realise you’ve fallen in love with your own reflection.
Image Credit: Adobe Stock
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False expectations and tribulations
Opinions
What would I do differently as a fresher at university? Shakeal Ali
Entering my final year of university, it is genuinely cliche to say that time flew fast, but I genuinely do mean it: it has and it is somewhat daunting! You will share the same sentiments I have when you eventually enter your second, then your final year of university and it will feel absolutely strange. But regardless of that, I managed to fit in and feel as though I have fundamentally changed as a person from when I was 18. Being a freshly new adult and someone that comes from a working class family at university, I did not really know what to do in terms of extracurriculars or academics. I was mostly overwhelmed with fear: have I truly earned my spot to study at Leeds? What if I fail the expectations that people may have of me? Am I going to be unemployed with the current state of the economic market? All of these thoughts constantly were picking at me and made me do things I regret. Hopefully, in this guide, you take some of my advice and use it to fully immerse yourself in the University of Leeds experience. You are a first year! Whether you are 18, someone who took a gap year, or even someone who may be a mature student – you are a first year student. This year is a litmus test to see how you perform and adjust to university. Use it to your advantage! Unfortunately for me, I was someone that was terrified of unemployment – I took on six roles consecutively at the university and it burned me out. From joining the Student Advisory Board, being a course representative, then even representing all the Asian students at university… It was tiring! This is not to discourage you to take on things you may enjoy (absolutely not!) but limit yourself and create expectations of what you want to do. You do not have to be the best of the best to prove yourself to others, all you have to do is try your best in your assignments and do things you want to do. That’s all that matters.
While intimidating at first, everyone is scared. Attend “Give it a Gos” (GIAGs) as they are typically free and most people are freshers. Try to leave your comfort zone and ask people questions, it could be the weirdest question ever to something related to the society itself, but make a mental note of things you want to achieve as you could create relationships you may have never expected may come out of the things you go to. Friendships are not necessarily permanent, and that is okay Friendships that you may create in the first year may not necessarily last into second, or third year. And that is okay. That is not to make you have false expectations that friendships you make in first year will not last, that is absolutely not the case – but you may retrospectively look at the past and notice your relationship dynamics may change. The sentiment I like to carry is that all relationships you have with people always have meaning, even if it may have ended badly or you simply drifted away. Please do not be afraid of this happening, everyone always finds people that click and sometimes it simply just unclicks. We are people and we grow, and the moments of fun you may have felt were there, and you should always cherish it. You are at the stage of your life where you are going to fundamentally change within your critical reasoning and your emotional intelligence, embrace it rather than going against it. Final piece of advice... You are going to have probably one of the most exciting experiences in your life. This is a position of privilege you have, even if it may not feel like it. Attend research conferences, go to clubs with your friends, live every moment.
Because time flies by super fast, and you do not want to creDo not feel as though you are someone that has “failed” or disappointed ate false expectations and unnecessary tribulations for yourself. others if you ever get a bad grade. This should never ever be the case. When I got a grade I was not happy with, I was absolutely devastated. However, you should use this as an opportunity to attend office hours and make the lecturer explain it to you – it is their job and you are also spending nearly £10,000 a year! Make use of it. University is a facet of learning and a pillar of growth, you absolutely see the progress in the long term where you look back and sometimes cringe at your first essay... I sometimes have to close my eyes when I do that. Societies, societies, societies! I absolutely echo this as my core doctrine: societies are the best way to make friends. I met my best friend at Model UN in a very cold October in 2024 that I was planning on not attending because of the weather, and I would not trade it for the world. Societies are places of common interest where you can bond and talk to people outside of academia, it is absolutely refreshing to not talk about readings and instead, interests you may have. Image Credit: Adobe Stock
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Things you can’t pack before you leave
Features
A fresher’s guide to things you’ll only find once you get to University Written by Jeshna Arya
T
here are a multitude of things you can check off your list in preperation for university. You can buy the bedding, label the kitchenware, learn how to operate a washing machine approximately 48 hours before you need to use one, and pack enough clothes to outfit several versions of yourself. And yet, somewhere between the last box being forcefully shut and your parents driving away, you realise that most of the important stuff didn’t make it into the car. Moving into university does come with a packing list. It just doesn’t include the things you’ll actually end up collecting. People You will arrive knowing very few people: terrifying and strangely liberating. For the first few weeks, everyone is a part of the same social experiment: introduce yourself, ask someone’s name, forget someone’s name, ask where they’re from, discover you have nothing in common, panic, find something in common anyway. You will have approximately a gazillion conversations that begin with “So, what course are you studying?”. Some of these people will remain acquaintances. Some will go back to being strangers. A few will become the people you call when you’ve had a terrible day, who know your go to meal-deal, whose presence eventually makes an unfamiliar city feel like home. You cannot pack those people up with you. You have to put yourself out there. You have to meet them. But most importantly, you don’t have to meet them all in the first week. Freshers’ Week can make friendships feel like a race. Everyone appears to be collecting instagram profiles and group chats like pokemon cards. In reality, friendships are made less in rehearsed introductions than after the adrenaline wears off: debating in a seminar, cooking with flatmates, waiting for Taco Bell after a night out. Give it time. Places At first, university will feel like a simulation. You will look up directions to buildings, lecture theatres, seminar rooms, the nearest Tesco Express. You will take the wrong turn. You will walk into the wrong lecture. You will pretend you meant to. But gradually, the map becomes a collection of places you know all too well. There will be a café you always return to, a particular library seat that you become irrationally protective over, a route you take so often that you could walk it with your eyes closed. And the next thing you know, you’ve got all your favourite places saved on Google Maps or written down in your journal, excited to show your friends from home and family around. Routines The strangest part of university is building a life from scratch. At home, routines often happen around you. Someone buys the groceries. Someone reminds you what time dinner is. There is a washing machine, presumably somewhere in the house, and it has always worked without requiring your involvement. At university, suddenly you are the creator of your own little world. And it’s as daunting as it is fun. You decide when you eat. When you sleep. When you work. When you clean. Whether “I’ll do it tomorrow” is a reasonable response to a growing pile of laundry. You will develop rituals without meaning to. A supermarket. A meal you make when you cannot be bothered to cook. A walk with your headphones in while you blast a brand-new album from start to finish on full volume. They seem insignificant, but they’re how an unfamiliar place slowly becomes yours.
Stories Some of the best things you collect at University will feel completely useless. The night you and your flatmate attempted to bake something ambitious and nearly gave yourself food poisoning. The time you got spectacularly drenched on your way to a lecture. The society event you went to alone and ended up staying until the end. Eventually, these become stories that you only remember because of how many times you’ve shared it with someone. And stories are one of the best parts of university. The smallest moments become disproportionately memorable when they are yours. Mistakes You will also collect things you would rather not have. Bad marks. Awkward conversations. Burnt dinners. Wrong decisions. Societies you joined and never returned to. Your first mistake at university can feel enormous because, for a while, everything feels enormous in comparison to your cosy room back home. But embarrassment is rarely permanent. You submit the essay with the wrong referencing. You learn. You ask the stupid question. You survive. You make the wrong decision. You make another one. Like Jay from Modern Family said, “Run toward embarrassment, not away from it, and you take away its power.” Independence This one probably won’t arrive all at once on a random Tuesday. It might look like going to the pharmacy yourself while trying to survive the Freshers’ Flu. Cooking even when you’re tired. Budgeting. Calling home because you want to, rather than because you need someone to solve a problem. Independence is less a dramatic transformation and more a series of tiny realisations. There will still be days when you want to go home. That does not mean university isn’t working. Sometimes independence is knowing when you need your people too. A new version of yourself Perhaps the strangest thing you will collect is yourself. Not a completely new person. More like an amalgamation of positive additions. You might discover that you love something you never thought you would, abandon a hobby you once considered essential. You might become more outspoken, or quieter. You might change your mind about people, subjects, places, politics, careers, friendships, relationships, yourself. You will meet people who have never known the version of you from school. It is frightening and freeing at the same time. But you get to introduce yourself again. And that is the gift of arriving somewhere where no one knows your name. You’re not becoming someone else, you’re still you. Okay, but, what should you actually pack?! Pack the practical things. Definitely bring the extension cord. Bring something that reminds you of home. But leave a little room in the metaphorical suitcase. Because the most important parts of university cannot be bought before September. You cannot pack your future friends, your favourite café, your worst essay, your best night out, your new routines, your favourite corner shop, or the person you will become. Those things have to be found. Some will arrive quickly. Others may take months. Some you won’t recognise until you’re looking back. So don’t worry too much if you arrive without everything figured out. You aren’t supposed to.
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Features
It’s okay to be bad at this, you’re a Fresher
First year is a beautiful, terrifying mess – don’t worry if you struggle to hit your stride
I
t feels as though very little time indeed has passed since I first hauled my belongings into my first-year flat. Through what can ultimately be described as an organisational failure on my part (insofar as that I submitted my application for accommodation a week late), I found myself trapped at none other than Clarence Dock Village, past the Royal Armouries and a brief 45 minute walk to campus. In fact, such a problem did the hall pose to its victims that the year I left, it was dropped from the university’s roster entirely. I entered the kitchen to find my flatmates already two bottles of Captain Morgan’s deep – at the ripe hour of 3pm, no less – and was thus, like Caesar at the Rubicon, thrust into a new world with no turning back. In hindsight, this was the best thing that could have happened to me; had I the time to deliberate, there is little doubt I would have sat overthinking in my room for an hour before, if I were feeling particularly brave, poking my head meekly into the kitchen and asking to join. This was three years ago now, and serves to emphasise my central point; being a fresher is an entirely unique and intimidating experience. If it were possible to go back, there are no doubt countless mistakes I’d love nothing more than to correct. This does not, however, change the fact that my first year of university was the most fulfilling, most exciting and most enlightening year of my life; I have little doubt that, if you play your cards right, it can be yours too.
with sunlight streaming in through your bedroom window. Of course, one does not need to drink or party to enjoy Leeds – I do not mean to give that impression. With hundreds upon hundreds of societies, you’ve got every chance to find ‘your people’, or even just a group with broadly the same social predilections as you. Though hesitant to spend too long talking about myself, I feel the need to recall two pertinent examples to hammer home my point, so to speak. In February of my first year, on a whim, I joined the Performing Arts Society. I was nervous about joining so late, and worried I’d be too shy to chat to anybody. I spent the first few classes sitting quietly by myself. Six months later, I was Social Sec. A year after that, I was President. There is no better time in your life to do anything and everything; case in point, when, over the summer of 2024, I began to follow the NFL, a cursory glance at Engage revealed to me that we did, in fact, have an American Football society. I joined, and while I was (and, quite frankly, remain) terrible, I found a community in which I can share my niche passion with others. There will always be a place for you here at Leeds – that is the beauty of university life. Conversely, don’t let ‘everything’ turn into ‘nothing’
Image Credit: Leeds University Union
I cannot emphasise this enough – as the headline suggests, it is okay to be bad at this. At risk of regurgitating the same platitudes you’ll have heard from parents, teachers and those incessant, inescapable ‘uni tips’ videos online, your instinct may tell you everyone is ahead of you, both socially and academically; your instinct is wrong. Nobody else knows what they’re doing either. The transition to university is perhaps the greatest one takes in life. It dwarfs the leap from primary to secondary education, which in hindsight feels rather quite meagre in comparison, while going into full-time employment after university is at least eased by the 3+ years you’ve spent teaching yourself to live and work on your own. This is precisely what makes your first year of university so exceptionally difficult; there is nothing that even begins to rival it. You are completely uprooting your life, jumping straight into the deep end and challenging everything you’ve ever known. Of course it’s going to be scary. I hope to help you in said transition a little by imparting my two main takeaways from my past three years at Leeds. I do not intend to lecture, nor reminisce, nor ramble; I just hope to share what I consider to be the two absolutely essential tips to hit the ground running at Leeds. Say ‘yes’ to everything The reason you’ve heard this truism from everybody around you is because, as you will soon realise, it is unmistakably accurate. Say yes not just when you receive a drunken message from an acquaintance at 11pm reading “come fruity tn”, but when considering joining a society, deciding to go to a social, and when asked by a coursemate to grab a coffee or a pint at Terrace after class. I, personally, have never regretted attending a social event; I could recall myriad instances, though, where I have regretted missing one. This was something I had to learn the hard way. I know people in my cohort who graduated this past July with a degree but very little else to reminisce about; when you look back, you won’t think about the nights you spent holed up in your room, but the night you hit up Mischief with a group of strangers and passed out
Your new social life is, like everything, is a double-edged sword. It will amaze you how easy it is to fall out of rhythm. The student lifestyle is demanding in its own way; at no other point in your life will you regularly go to bed at 5am or later, wake up after midday, and still be expected to make 9am classes and keep on top of your workload. Especially in first year, it is understandable why somebody may forego academia in favour of lighter pursuits, and witness their daily routine and general sense of organisation go out the window. This may work to begin with. It will not work for long – sleeping from 7am until 5pm is unsustainable (trust me, you need to see the sun every once in a while!). It is crucial you develop your work ethic early. If you coast through first year – especially if you have the academic ability to scrape by relatively easily – your second year will hit you like a truck. Please, by all means, go out, party, drink, socialise, explore your interests; these are the memories you will treasure for decades to come. But don’t lose yourself in the process; for once, you are in charge of your own time. Nobody will hold your hand if you fall behind, so the best and most proactive thing to do is to simply not let that happen. To reiterate the theme of this article, it’s okay to not have it all figured out. It may feel overwhelming, or you may feel on top of the world. Both of these are valid ways to handle the weight of the enormous change you’re currently experiencing. This coming year, you’ll learn more about yourself than you’ve ever known, you’ll do things you’ve never done, you’ll struggle, and you’ll get through it. It’s all well and good a fourth-year student telling you all this, but, ultimately, you need to experience it for yourself. Enjoy every moment; it goes quicker than you could possibly imagine. Remember: if you think everybody else knows more than you, you’re wrong. Nobody else knows a thing, either. In fact, three years later, I’m still learning on the job. Don’t take my word as gospel, but I believe that if you let these two lessons broadly guide you, it’s hard to go too far wrong. Good luck at Leeds (not that you’ll need it!), and please, for those of us who never get to experience it again, have the time of your life as a fresher. Words by Tom Larkman
we reach students, you can too. advertise with us! societies, local businesses and venue spaces are all welcome to get in touch and learn more! contact editor@thegryphon.co.uk photography & page design: daniel brown (@danbrowncreative)
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Campus Spotlight
Campus Spotlight Members of the student union run you through what exciting things you can expect around campus andf across Leeds from the University’s students throughout October
Black History Month & Culture Fridays
Black History Month is an opportunity to celebrate Black culture, history and achievement, but also to create space for conversations about representation, belonging and the experiences of Black students across our campus.
Words by Dubem Okeke
This October, we want Black History Month at Leeds to feel visible, engaging and genuinely student-led. Across the month, students can expect a range of activities bringing together culture, careers, film, fashion, community and conversation. Culture Fridays will be one part of that, creating regular moments on campus where students can experience different aspects of Black culture, connect with one another and celebrate the diversity within our community. For me, this is about more than putting events in a calendar. University should be somewhere students can see their cultures celebrated, learn from experiences different from their own, and feel that they genuinely belong. It is also important that Black History Month reflects the fact that there is no single ‘Black experience’. Our campus brings together students from across Africa, the Caribbean, the UK and around the world, each with their own stories, identities and perspectives. I hope this month gives students a chance to celebrate, learn, connect and take part, whether Black History Month is part of their own story or an opportunity to discover something new. Check out LUU Engage for more information on how to get involved
Hello! We’re Leeds Student Radio and we’re soooo excited to be back this year. LSR and The Gryphon are neighbours so if you’ve found one of us it’s likely you’ll have found the other. This year we’ve had a little switch up when it comes to our Core Shows, and with broadcasting starting on the 12th of October, here’s all you need to know! Breakfast and Hometime are still kicking with the usual 2 hours of madness, games, tunes and more. Our Daytime shows (Liberation Series) have had a couple name changes this year, we’ve still got Women’s Hour, LGBTQ+ Hour and Earth on Air, and this year we’ve got Show Us Your Roots (our BAME show), and Tuned In (our health, wellness and wellbeing show). The Sports shows are still the same but with Soccer Punch on a Sunday now rounding up the week. News is ready to bring you your fix of daily updates in the Bulletins as well as our two shows on a Monday and Friday. Music have had a switch up too, our 10 genre specific shows look a bit like this now: Soul n RnB, Live and Local, Rock and Indie, Jazz and Funk, World, Rap and Hip Hop, Alternative and Experimental, Folk and Country, Rhythm and Beats and Electronic (sick right?). Our evening slots will be filled with your favourite student DJs who can no doubt be the soundtrack to your pres, and we can’t forget about our Weekend shows like On the Same Page, Box Office, Saturday Night Fever and Sunday Roast - they tie the schedule up nicely!
LSR returns to the Airwaves
Words by Amy Heeley
Own shows make up the rest of the schedule - hosted by you, our Leeds students! Although I heard of a pretty cool show called Gryph-On Air which you can hear 1-2pm every other week over at www.thisislsr.com - stay tuned in folks.
Music Society Members Take To The Stage
Words by Lisa Clark
On Thursday 8th October, Speding Collective, an ensemble which specialises in genres of jazz, soul, fusion, and jazz renditions of modern popular music, is set to headline Headrow House. This project has been navigated over the last year by Khyan Speding, who is currently the president of Jazz and Blues Society. The band - formed just before Christmas - has already performed at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance, the School of Music here on campus, and headlined Sela Stage at Leeds Jazz Fest 2026; and has since gained enough momentum to expand both their reach and their lineup. Additionally, the headliner will be supported by upcoming Latin Big Band, En Ritmo, as their debut gig. This set will consist of Latin fused with Jazz and Rock, dominantly arranged by the musical director of this ensemble, Antonio Mascarenhas. Both of these sets are run by, and consist primarily of, the current members and alumni of Jazz and Blues Society, and Big Band – both of which provide the groundwork and opportunities for many students to pursue similar passions and projects across the UK. If you want to support the musicians shaping our music on campus and throughout Leeds in a night of standout live performance, tickets can now be found on Dice.
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Music & Clubs
Fresher’s guide to pubs & clubs in Leeds Your primer for local music venues in your new home! Words by Millie Cain and Connor Haresign
Key Club If you’ve not fully accepted the passage of time from the early 2000’s, feel the pull of a mini-moshpit on a Friday night, and want to meet other metalheads, check out the usual haunt of Slam Dunk, Key Club! With club nights all week ranging from 70’s jamming to early 2000’s rock, and Room 2’s pop music to tide over your non-alternative friends, take your pick of your vibe every week, along with the occasional gig!
Wharf Chambers Leeds’ favourite LGBTQ+ workers co-op and members club, Wharf Chambers is home to gigs, markets, community spaces, and late night parties in what was once a Victorian pork pie factory. It’s also an affordable place for discussions on art and film on the waterfront.
Santiago’s Looking for alternative tunes without the buzz of a club night? Fancy a chill gig night with a local Leeds band? Santiago’s on Grand Arcade street is for you! Hosting regular gig nights each month with wide variety of punk, rock, and alternative bands, Santiago’s is the best pick for scratching your itch for a local gig, or a chill night out in a grunge spot.
Wax
Wanting to hear the sweet dulcet tones of David Byrne on a Friday night? Fancy rocking around to LCD Soundsystem on a Saturday? Wax is your place! Chilled larger tankards and a funky cocktail menu keep the atmosphere flowing, and people dancing all night.
Brudenell Social Club The Fenton
Just a hop down the main road from campus into the city centre, the Fenton offers a traditional pub vibe with a weekly jam night from Leeds’ up-and-coming singers and songwriters! If you fancy having a go at performing your own stuff yourself, or trying your luck at being able to gatekeep seeing a future rockstar, pop by on a Monday!
Possibly the most local music venue for those of you living anywhere in and around Hyde Park, Brudenell Social Club offers a mix of smaller grassroot gigs, and international touring bands from worldwide! From hosting Franz Ferdinand under their pseudonym ‘The Black Hands’ in their 2004 secret gig, to the recent appearance of The Dreamboys starring Peter Capaldi of Doctor Who fame, Brudenell is a must-see hub for the local Leeds music
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If there was an awards ceremony for the most excited email recipient, I would hear Jeff Goldblum (who would undoubtedly host) call my name. I’d look up to the stage through glitter-poked tears and nod humbly, before elegantly gliding onto stage to thank Way Out West for their eternal kindness, for this summer they sent an email inviting me to review their star-studded Swedish dreamscape of a festival. Way Out West pulled off what majority of UK festivals collapsed in the face of: A truly refreshing lineup, genuine sustainability efforts, gender equality across the bill, and a seriously good time. Set in the archipelagic Gothamberg, the festival site was dotted with breezy lakes, stepping stones between stages, and tangled woodland which built an otherworldly scene for the long weekend, so much so I wandered, jaw agape, at the venue, and the respect and kindness the punters treated it with. The thought of a body of water larger than a puddle at any mainstream UK festival sends shivers down my spine. Starting on a sun-stricken Thursday, we caught the colourful clunky trams through the green city, draped in festival flags, breathing with life, before following the flocks of fiercely well dressed Swedes. From entering the park, it was clear the organisers had intricately thought of every detail. We faced a giant fish-tank near the entrance, where bands were entrapped in a glass show stage, ABBA disco telephone boxes, and. Instead of typical merch, the festival had stalls of local second hand shops, where festivalgoers could pick out their own pieces and get them pressed with their choice of a festival logo (I now treasure my sky blue personalised vintage Gestuz tee) allowing for all styles, sizes and promoting sustainable fashion choices, whilst supporting the local economy. Gothenburg ceramicists, accessory designers, record shops all had spaces to sell their goods, all with postage and lockers to save hassle.
Music & Clubs
Palpable energy ran through the site, with the span of music genres pulling in a mixed crowd, we saw older couples in flip flops sitting in the sun watching Zara Larsson’s hot pink Puss Puss 97 sports car descend on the crowd, and more alternative young people spinning in the crowd for Lily Allen’s theatrical full West End Girl (2025) performance. A pop princess truly, Allen’s performance was elegant, emotional, and expertly put together, but of course, we’d have loved to boogie to her nostalgia tracks. Zara Larsson was a true highlight, performing in her first language of Swedish, it was clear she felt so at home with the crowd, and there was pure love and joy in the air for her whole set, reflective of her growth as a performer into a true star.
Balearic vibe undercutting their set, but they were cut short by the masses of crowds heading to catch the current talk of the industry, Geese. For most people avidly waiting, alike us, it was their first time seeing the New York outfit, whose discography ranges from pots and pans esque banging to crooning, lucid vocals. As time few closer, the crowd was itchy, palpably chanting over and over for their arrival. A performance that well and truly packed a punch, with a stellar track list, heavy energy and plenty of chatter to the crowd,
Moby flooded the main stage, plunging lights onto the raving crowd who chanted his beats and stomped along in a frenzy. He stopped the performance to speak about Jane Goodall’s legacy, and played a short film about her climate hopes, in a softer, sentimental moment. The feet of the crowd who danced below him stood atop a motion-generating energy mat, which as the crowd moved, aided in powering the stages, and such technology was present across the site, a touch I adored. Heading into the Friday, expectations were already in credibly high, with a fiercely stacked day starting with Ezra Collective early doors. Backdropped with the sun reflecting off the lake, as festival goers crossed stepping stones between stages, the atmosphere quickly heated up. After seeing their entire ensemble headline Love Supreme earlier in the summer, I wasn’t sure if they’d pack the same punch abroad, but the 5 strong unit transformed the slightly hesitant Swedish crowd into a loose dancefloor, splitting the crowd into mini circles and even jumping into the thong with saxophones in hand to party side by side. The crowd’s reluctance turned into leaving the set breathless, grinning ear to ear with a familial link of shared dance. Italian disco outfit Nu Genea carried the groove into the afternoon, for an almost
Geese showed us all what everyone is really talking about. Frontman Cameron Winter garners most of this chatter, following his debut solo album Heavy Metal (2024), but the landslide standout of this set was Max Bassin, an intricately talented drummer, perched high on the stage and whose influence was akin to that of a conductor. There was no stopping there, as the evening drew out for the eternally beloved rockers, The Cure. A flying two hours which honestly couldve happily been longer, Robert Smith had the crowd in the palm of his hand in a performance that can only be described as striking. Their musical quality is untainted by time and age, a disease which pollutes many high-charging legacy acts, and their performance was truly fantastic, not many bands could boast a 10 song encore of hit after hit but I felt genuinely special to have experienced it. Way Out West’s festival programme doesnt just end with the daytime park acts; their famous for the late night shows Stay Out West which saw the likes of Earl Sweatshirt, Westside Cowboy, and Kettama performing in local city venues until the early hours included with the wristband. The crowds of Stay Out West were diving, screaming, joyous riots and it made for very funky evenings bathed in the post-festival day buzz. Words and illustrations by Millie Cain
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A Fresher’s Guide To Leeds Fashion
Fashion
This look-book was created with the love, sweat, and occasionally, shoes of myself and my fellow Fashion editor - Abena. And it was one of the best and giggliest days I’ve had in a long time. Seriously, I was born to be let loose in a vintage store to play dress up! And so, in the spirit of silly days out with your friends, I decided to talk you through some of our looks. Hopefully, you’ll read about a shop you’re just dying to visit to step up your uni wardrobe. After all, how better to bond with your new flatmates than a shopping day out in town! Our journey to achieving Hyde Park chic begins with a single step… a step into a Leeds’ classic: North South Vintage. After affectionately naming our mannequin Maude, we decided to theme this outfit around her. Maude is the baddest in her seminar; adorned in a simple blue cotton cami top and brown ruffle-lined chiffon skirt. To spice up these archetypal uni pieces, we added a matching oversized brown leather bomber jacket, a khaki utility-style shoulder bag, and a green patterned scarf, tied around the waist as a makeshift belt. Just goes to show, accessories can be so multifaceted (if you’re pure of heart, they act accordingly). Investing in a funky patterned scarf can lead you to all sorts of places… This outfit definitely shows off the quintessential style of North South - simple, classic 90s/Y2K garments. I personally associate the shop with leather jackets, be that in the style of a fitted blazer or oversized bomber. Definitely perfect for anyone moving to the chilly northern clime for the first time! Next, just a few meters down the road from North South, we find ourselves at Pop Boutique. They specialise in sustainable, recycled vintage - specifically the 1950s-90s. Here, you will find all the funky, retro people who have Fleetwood Mac as a regular appearance on their Spotify Wrapped. We wanted to highlight this era of fashion with this outfit, while still keeping within our colour scheme and general vibe. I think this outfit would be fantastic in the summer for a lecture (as someone who always overdresses for lectures), or brunch date, or whimsically wandering through a second-hand bookstore. Once we saw the store’s extensive collection of denim waistcoats, we knew it had to be a double denim moment. We actually had a super sexy jeans-waistcoat combo figured out, but unfortunately our mannequin (Jemima) was not playing along. So, we digressed to a skirt. I picked this one as the flared lettuce-style hem and panelling gave a strong 70s vibe. The contrast stitching, textured buttons, and functional front pockets make this monochromatic outfit a little more interesting. But, of course, I couldn’t leave it plainly here. To add contrast, we picked a beautiful black lingerie camisole underneath, a gorgeous mint green messenger bag, and a beautiful magenta floral scarf. In an ideal world, we would’ve tied the scarf like a belt, but unfortunately this world is not ideal.
Our next shop was an enthralling find. They set up shop (no pun intended) recently, and after spending approximately 3 minutes in there, I knew it had to make it to our look-book. Y2K Vintage does precisely what it says on the label: they exclusively provide stunning 2000s pieces. For a woman such as myself, this felt equivalent to a starved person in the desert finding an oasis - not to be dramatic. Oh Y2K Vintage, how I love you… With that being said, we had some real trials and tribulations picking this outfit (mostly involving me trying on twenty tops without smudging my makeup). We began with these jeans, wanting a simple light wash denim to complement the range of gorgeous tops on display. Accessories were selected: a tawny caramel studded belt and an ochre vintage snakeskin Guess bag to match. However, then the trials began, as not a single top seemed to hit the spot. Too big, too small, too gingham, too striped. Until, nestled in the showcased pieces, we discovered this chocolate brown long-sleeve. Flared and printed, it was simply perfect. I think this outfit is a great way to show how a simple jeans-and-a-long-sleeve can look fantastic if you have an eye for detail (and expensive taste). I imagine this outfit for a lecture, library stint, or grabbing a coffee with your new pals.
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Fashion
This outfit was by far the most whimsical and fun outfit we did. Personally, I’d wear this to 24-hour Sainsbury’s (I loved it that much). But to be more realistic, I think it has all the makings of a cocktail evening showstopper. Seth Mater’s insane vintage collection is a genie’s cavern of Japanese designer brands and unique accessories. Not to mention, the interior is to die for. Everything here is curated, oozing in the owner’s love and keen eye for vintage Guess. As you can see, I was once again acting as a makeshift mannequin for this look (though I maintain that the outfit looked better on Abena!). For the sake of colour scheme, we layered a purple tutu-style tulle mini skirt with a coral pink negligee, creating a new (and improved) silhouette. Then, we added this mint green structured bolero - this was a brave but extremely necessary choice, functioning to make the outfit’s shape and colours pop. We decided on the dress-and-petticoat route as this store really stands out for such items. Don’t get me wrong, they have just about everything in womenswear from accessories to coats to blouses; but Seth Mater shines with pieces like this. Avant-garde, archival, and atypical, it certainly has my vote for the favourite vintage shop of Leeds. Our outfit for Honey’s shop had two requirements: first, to showcase a piece from one of Honey’s small designer collections, and second, to serve. So when we saw this red gingham structured overcoat, we knew it was time to redeem our aforementioned failed attempt with gingham. This outfit lies somewhere between effortlessly cool and dressy, and would make a fabulous fit for a day (or night!) on the town. We paired the gingham overcoat with simple denim colours, to really let that gorgeous red and funky buttons stand out. With slightly cropped wide sleeves, it’s a perfect match for a mini skirt! Vintage denim is always a win, elevating the outfit significantly even as a basic piece. To tie in with this denim, we picked up this amazing 2000s rhinestone cap, embellished with a cutie patootie butterfly. Lastly, when we saw this delicious bag, we knew it would complete the outfit. The ruffles and heart graphic complement the girly style of the coat, while the colouring adds some edge to an otherwise edge-less outfit. Honey has no shortage of amazing accessories, from pins to hair clips to handbags, all designed by small Leeds designers. After all, we love to support small businesses round
Space Vintage contains such a myriad of delights that I don’t even know where to begin introducing it… From hot pink electric guitars to original vintage artwork to fabulous retro fashion, they quite literally have it all. We really wanted to include this shop as it’s just so unique and different from many others in Leeds. Each find is a niche little gem, and you certainly won’t find the latest TikTok micro-trends here. If you are sick of polka dots, teal, and everything being ‘chic’, this might just be the shop for you. But with that being said, you can pry teal and polka dots from my cold, dead hands!
Our outfit here served, if I do say so myself. We picked something matching with the general style of our outfits thus far, rather than going as crazy as we probably could. Hence why, when we saw this brown leather tie-up dress, I knew it would be perfect. And when I saw the jacket… well, I nearly screamed. With a regal chocolate brown collar and bronze oversized fasteners, this suede trench can certainly be buttoned to the TOP. To complete it, this blue costume necklace called me, followed by this iconic blue embroidered shoulder bag. No outfit is complete without a pop of colour! I really envision this look with some ginormous chunky long boots, stomping away at Leeds’ Battle of the Bands or along The Freedom Quarter. Words by Hannah Williams
Graphics by Abena-Assiah Assan
Lights Up! A theatrical guide to Leeds
Home to West End wannabes and theatrical titans, Abena Assan is giving you your ultimate rundown of how to immerse yourself in Leeds’ theatre scene.
Arts & Culture
Image Credit: Unsplash
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Words by Abena-Assiah Assan
Student life gets very chaotic; there’s no harm in adding a healthy amount of drama! From student-written plays on campus to West End-scale productions in our very own city centre, Leeds has a surprisingly huge theatre scene. Contrary to popular belief, theatre isn’t just drama students or aspiring actors; it’s a range of skillsets coming together to offer a look into culture, emotion, and sometimes absolutely nothing but bright colours and wacky humour. Lucky for you, the best place to get a taste of everything theatre has to offer is Leeds. With the range spanning from major touring productions to independent theatre and even student productions right in your back garden, there truly is something for everyone. Spoilt for choice, it can be overwhelming even to decide where your journey begins. Not fear, this is your very own official guide to theatre in Leeds!
The big Leeds theatre: So you’re finally here in Leeds and fancy seeing some theatre. But where do you actually go? Leeds Playhouse is the best place to start. One of the largest ongoing production theatres outside of London, their programme covers just about everything from new contemporary dramas to major productions. The Playhouse is also credited with always having a hidden gem in their programme, straying away from the usual West End fare. For something grander (pun incoming…), there’s Leeds Grand Theatre. As the name suggests, this is home to the big stuff: touring musicals, opera, ballet and large-scale productions. It’s perfect for getting properly dressed up and pretending your student budget doesn’t exist for one evening. Then there’s City Varieties, one of Leeds’ oldest and most distinctive venues. The music hall hosts comedy, music, variety shows and smaller theatrical productions. It’s worth a while if you want something that breaks the status quo. Tucked away in Millennium Square, rests the Carriageworks Theatre. They offer a more local and intimate theatre experience, with productions from community groups and local companies alongside other performing arts events. Image Credit: Adobe Stock
University Theatre Scene: Your cue to get involved
And we can’t mention theatre without opera, and can’t mention opera without Leeds Opera North. One of the country’s leading opera companies, and a reminder that opera is not reserved for people who own monocles; it’s for you, up here.
Leeds has a thriving student theatre scene, and you don’t need to know your Hamlet from your Macbeth to get involved. The first place to look is Leeds University Union Theatre Group. As one of the university’s longest-running societies, they have plenty of opportunities to get involved. Whether you fancy taking centre stage or prefer the behind-the-scenes magic. Acting is just one aspect of the process, which encompasses avenues like production, set design, lighting and sound. All just as essential as the other! If this sounds like your thing, then the path doesn’t end here, with opportunities to take productions to the Edinburgh Fringe. If traditional theatre isn’t your thing, then Open Theatre might be your calling. With a focus on student-written and experimental work, it’s a space that brings the weird and wonderful to life. The society offers opportunities to experiment with scripts and theatrical conventions. Workshops and shadowing opportunities also make it a great place to learn something new.
Your presence is the present. Just show up! Follow the societies and head to one of the GIAG or introductory meetings; don’t be afraid to admit you have no idea what’s going on. There is no expectation to arrive with a decade of experience; you are enough. Pro tip: auditions aren’t your only way in. Productions need writers, directors, producers, costume designers, photographers, technicians, stage managers and plenty of people willing to make things shake bts. Outside the university, keep an eye on venue mailing lists and social media for upcoming productions, student offers and ticket discounts. Your student ID doesn’t just open the library barriers; it can also make a trip to the theatre a little cheaper.
Image Credit: Adobe Stock
Of course, you don’t have to join a society to experience the joys of student theatre. The university has several performance spaces where students showcase their work throughout the year. Sounds like you: Get involved!
The Gryphon Fresher’s Guide 26/27 Design: Meera Hall (@meeradoesgraphics)
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A Guide to Leeds’ Scientific Side
Science
As a city, Leeds is known for a litany of things. The birthplace of Marks & Spencer. Its famous music festival, held annually with Reading. Cinephiles might also point out that Louis Le Prince shot some of the world’s earliest moving pictures here. And let’s not forget the city’s industrial might, which transformed this northern town during the Industrial Revolution into a powerhouse. But enough about the Leeds you may already know. What about the Leeds of Nobel laureates, pioneering engineers, medical breakthroughs and space exploration? Thackray Museum of Medicine Thackray Museum of Medicine is the UK’s largest independent medical museum. Opened in 1997 and housed in a Grade II-listed former workhouse building, 11 permanent galleries and one temporary exhibition make up the museum. Fancy wandering through the disease-ridden streets of Victorian Leeds? The Thackray Museum of Medicine offers a rather more gruesome introduction to your new city. Its immersive Disease Street recreates the sights and smells of a Victorian slum, following its inhabitants as they contend with the health problems of nineteenth-century urban life. The museum’s galleries take visitors through centuries of medical history. You can step into the world of surgery before anaesthetics and antiseptics in the Victorian Operating Theatre. In the Disease Detectives gallery, you can explore how germ theory transformed our understanding of microbes. Additionally, in Response to Crisis, you can discover how wars and pandemics have accelerated medical innovation. Elsewhere, the museum explores everything from Victorian public-health reforms to the history of prescribing. For a fresher, I think the appeal is that it connects scientific history directly to Leeds. At school, you encounter medicine as a neat sequence of discoveries. As you experience the museums, you’ll see a more layered account of the field, as it interweaves disease, poverty, sanitation and scientific progress. affected the people who once lived in your new city.
Leeds Discovery Centre Ever wondered where museums keep everything, they don’t have room to display? Just outside the centre sits the Leeds Discovery Centre, a purpose-built store housing more than a million objects from across the city’s museum collections. For the scientifically curious, this is where things get particularly interesting. Its natural-science collection contains hundreds of thousands of specimens spanning zoology, botany, entomology, geology and palaeontology. Among them are meteorites and gemstones, ichthyosaur and giant-deer skeletons, specimens of extinct animals including the dodo and thylacine, and even the remains of Leeds’ very own Armley Hippo. Unlike a traditional museum, however, you can’t simply wander in. Visits are by pre-booking or for special events. Students can also arrange access to the collections and take part in object-handling sessions with curatorial staff. Words by Longoae Domingos Tembwa
Image Credit: Adobe Stock
Blue Plaque Tour The best way to see a new city is to simply walk. Walk everywhere. You’re in luck, because Leeds is a fairly walkable place, even though it has a long way to go before rivalling Amsterdam, or Paris. And as you explore your new home, you might notice small blue plaques dotted across its built environment. Look a little closer: they tell unique stories! Since 1987, the Leeds Civic Trust has been installing blue plaques throughout the city, as a way of celebrating those who have come and gone, shaping the city, or, in the case of a few, leaving their mark far beyond it. In total, there are 218 plaques. Now for your challenge: Scattered across Leeds are plaques commemorating scientists, engineers, doctors, inventors and the places where remarkable things happened. See how many STEM related plaques you can find. Obviously, we’re not telling you where they are. Keep your eyes peeled as you explore the city. See how many you can find before the end of the year. Consider it a scientific treasure hunt.
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From Leeds to the World!
Science
You don’t have to venture far from campus to uncover Leeds’ scientific legacy. Long before you arrived for your first lecture, generations of scientists and engineers passed through the University of Leeds. Some went on to change their fields, while others took what they learned here considerably further. Even as far as space! Words by Longoae Domingos Tembwa
Edmund “Ted” Happold (1930-1966) Studied geology at the university before becoming one of Britain’s most influential structural engineers. After working with Ove Arup, he founded Buro Happold with seven colleagues in 1976, establishing an engineering practice that would go on to work on major projects around the world. His legacy can even be found close to home: Buro Happold contributed to the refurbishment of Leeds’ beloved Hyde Park Picture House. Sir William Henry Bragg (1862-1942) Physicist who conducted pioneering research at the university into the structure of crystals using X-rays. Together with his son, William Lawrence Bragg, he developed techniques that allowed scientists to determine how atoms are arranged within crystalline materials. In simple terms, crystallography allows scientists to work out the internal structure of a material by studying how X-rays interact with its atoms, rather like revealing a structure too small to see with the naked eye. Their work earned them the 1915 Nobel Prize in Physics and helped lay the foundations of modern X-ray crystallography. Richard Laurence Millington Synge (1914–1994) British biochemist whose time in Leeds produced a major breakthrough in analytical chemistry. Working alongside Archer Martin, he developed partition chromatography, earning the pair the 1952 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The technique allows scientists to separate a mixture into its individual chemical components based on how differently they move between two substances. A bit like separating runners who travel through the same course at different speeds. Chromatography has since become an essential tool in medicine as well as environmental science. Piers Sellers (1955–2016) Took his interest in the Earth considerably further than most Leeds graduates: about 400 kilometres above it. After completing a doctorate in biometeorology at the University of Leeds, he joined NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. There, he studied how the Earth’s atmosphere and living ecosystems interact, using computer models alongside data from aircraft and satellites. Then, Sellers became a NASA astronaut, flying on three Space Shuttle missions and spending more than 35 days in space.
V. Craig Jordan (1947–2024) Arrived at the University of Leeds to study pharmacology, eventually earning his BSc, PhD and DSc. His research would have an enormous impact on breast cancer treatment, most notably through his work on tamoxifen. Originally developed for other purposes, Jordan helped establish that the drug could be used to treat and later help prevent certain forms of breast cancer. Tamoxifen essentially blocks oestrogen from helping some cancer cells grow, an insight that helped save and extend millions of lives worldwide. George Porter (1920–2002) Graduated with a degree in chemistry before developing a method known as flash photolysis, work that earned him a share of the 1967 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The technique uses an extremely short burst of light to trigger a chemical reaction, allowing scientists to observe what happens during reactions that occur almost instantaneously. His work effectively gave chemists a way to capture the fleeting stages of a reaction that had previously happened too quickly to study. Col Needham (1967–present) Graduated with a Computer Science degree in Computer Science in 1988. Two years later, he launched the Internet Movie Database (IMDb), developing what began as a personal collection of film information into one of the world’s leading online entertainment databases. Stephen Eichhorn (1967–present) Studied Physics, graduating in 1993, before building a career in materials science focused on cellulose and renewable materials. His research explores how cellulose, the natural material that gives plants much of their strength, can be understood and engineered for new uses, including supercapacitors and next-generatiown batteries. Andrew Shovlin (1973–present) Graduated with a BEng in Mechanical Engineering, followed by a PhD in Vehicle Dynamics and Control. His career has taken him to the very top of Formula One engineering, initially working with drivers including Olivier Panis and, most notably, Jenson Button, whom he race-engineered to the 2009 World Drivers’ Championship with Brawn GP. After the team became Mercedes, Shovlin worked directly with Michael Schumacher before becoming Trackside Engineering Director, a role that has seen him work across cars driven by Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg, Valtteri Bottas and George Russell, among others. He has been part of an extraordinary period of success: Brawn won the 2009 Constructors’ Championship, while Mercedes won eight consecutive Constructors’ titles from 2014 to 2021, alongside seven Drivers’ Championships during that Mercedes run.
Dear reader, this could be you, in the future!
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The Freshers Guide to sport in and around Leeds
Sport
Whether you are a couch pundit or the future Messi, this year’s Gryphon Words by James Morgan & Laurence Du Sport Editors are giving you the offical sport rundown of Leeds.
L
eeds is a city full of sport – from community grassroots set ups to our historic English footballing giants Leeds United. There is something for everyone whether you are playing, spectating or volunteering.
In this section of the Freshers Guide, we’ll take a look at all things sport outside of the university. Sometimes university can feel like an endless rush of work to do, people to see, places to be, both on campus and in societies, so why not look off campus and explore all the sport Leeds has to offer. Here’s a quick breakdown of the wide range of sport on offer in our beautiful city and the surrounding areas.
Local Cricket Just up the Otley Road is the world-famous Headingley Cricket Stadium, which played host to Ben Stokes’ monumental innings to secure victory for England in the 2019 Ashes. Despite controversially not being selected to host a game during the upcoming 2027 Ashes, Headingley is still home to Yorkshire County Cricket Club. The 2026 County Championship season drew to a close at the end of Freshers Week, however, Test cricket will return in April 2027. In May 2027, Headingley will host a one-off Test for England against Pakistan ahead of the summers’ Ashes. Indeed, the England Women’s team have an Ashes fixture in Headingley in June of next year too. In the meantime, the indoor facilities are available to book, and are frequently used for training and tournaments for the University’s cricket teams as well as local sides.
Image Credit: Adobe Stock
Competitive Rugby Next to the cricket stadium is the ATM Headingley Rugby Stadium, home of the Leeds Rhinos Rugby League team which consistently prove to be one of the best Rugby League teams in the country. Fixtures often draw crowds upwards of 15,000 (as you will become very aware of on a Saturday in Headingley) and the Rhinos will have faced Warrington Wolves in the semi-final of the Super League once this guide has been published. The Headingley Rugby Stadium also plays host to Varsity each year: University of Leeds take on Beckett in both Rugby League and Union.
Elite Football Rugby remains a huge sport in the city; however, nothing compares to the football and atmosphere at Elland Road – home of Leeds United. This is an experience I recommend highly if you are lucky enough to get a ticket. That is, of course, easier said than done with the historic Elland Road stadium only having roughly 37,500 seats, and an absolute legion of dedicated supporters: tickets rarely make it through to general sale.
Credit: Adobe Stock
The Local Football Network Fear not, Leeds is a great hub for other cheaper footballing endeavours (albeit non-league and amateur), but that doesn’t necessarily detract from the sheer fun of lower league football. Harrogate and Halifax are both half an hour (and about £5 with a railcard) away on the train from Burley Park and Leeds stations respectively. They both play in the National League (5th tier) and draw crowds over 1,500 most weeks. Garforth Town just east of Leeds is only 10 minutes on the train and they are a prime example of a community football club on the rise. Currently playing in the 8th tier, Garforth once saw Brazilian legend Socrates line up for them back in 2004. There is yet even more football closer to home, and plenty to get involved with outside of the societies. Leeds Hyde Park FC have both men’s and women’s Sunday League teams which could offer a great extra social opportunity for you to keep playing football in Leeds.
Credit: Adobe Stock
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Sport
Speaking of Hyde Park, there are free-to-use tennis courts on Woodhouse Moor just off Moorland Road. These offer a great facility to have a hit about with your friends in the same way the park itself is a fantastic green space for all sorts of sports. There are also free-to-use tennis courts in Burley Park, unsurprisingly these are near Burley Park Station on the other side of Hyde Park from campus. Smaller-sided games of football are also very accessible in Leeds; there is a collection of pitches at GOALS on the Kirkstall Road vaguely across the road from the once-dubbed ‘most active accommodation in Leeds yeah’ Marsden. Here, students get 20% off pitch bookings, and have the opportunity to play in numerous organised leagues of all abilities. Speaking from experience, it helps to know your team’s level and make sure you are in the right league for your ability so that you can avoid getting thoroughly run ragged on a cold and rainy Thursday night. Leeds is absolutely jam packed with sport to explore, and fun opportunities for people of all abilities and interests.
Sports Societies at University of Leeds
For our Freshers Guide 2026, Head of Sport James Morgan did some boots on the ground journalism at Freshers Fair finding out all you need to know about the Sports Societies this year. The University of Leeds has 52 sports societies. They cater for all sporting interests and abilities while also being one of the best ways to make friends at university. All of the 15 or so societies that James spoke to emphasised the sense of community and social aspect of their sport, with many saying that they met their housemates and best friends through them. Societies provide the pathway to meet people and have fun alongside so many other perks like social support, trips, elite coaching and some other surprising things too, as he found out.
Touch Rugby
“Here’s why you should join Leeds Touch Rugby: 2 training sessions per week - Wednesday social training and Monday competitive training; Weekly themed socials - the best night of the week (of course followed by Popworld and Mischief); A friendly society open to all abilities - whether you’re a Rugby Union veteran or a ball-catching newbies, we welcome anyone; Annual events including Christmas Dinner, Nottingham night out, Awards Night, (Tour potentially in the works)!” Credit: Leeds Touch Rugby
Surf
“Surf has a real ‘community spirit’ and allows you to ‘connect with nature’ like no other sport. We have several trips, like to Newquay in October and Morrocco and Portugal later in the year!”
Padel
Credit: Leeds Surf Club
“Padel is the fastest growing society in Leeds. The society had 580 members last year alone. Our socials are massive, about 120 people attend socials regularly. The courts are a little way out of the centre but the community chips in to help everyone get involved – no matter the ability level. No doubt we will be even bigger this year.” Credit: Leeds Padel Society
Scuba Diving
“It is the ability to see the world from different ways that makes Scuba stand-out from other societies, and that it is great for your mental health. You can enjoy the peace you find underwater, seeing all the wildlife you would never usually see – this kind of exploring is ‘great for the whole nervous system’. Last year, we had a trip to Turkey!”
Men’s Hockey
Credit: Leeds Uni Union Sub-Aqua Club
“We are a tight-knit club who are close with the women’s teams and do lots of joint socials together. We have 6 BUCS teams, many people would join originally just for the social, however, they end up playing in the teams too because the sport is so fun and the culture so inclusive. We play twice a week and offer elite level coaching right through all their teams. Our trip this year is to the famous hockey city of Benidorm. To describe the society in 3 words, we would say ‘social, community and Popworld’. The sport itself is definitely not an after-thought and the Varsity games are always a competitive and well-spectated fixture.” Credit: University of Leeds Mens Hockey
Men’s Rugby
“We have 4 teams, with our First XV playing at a very good standard in the BUCS Prem North One. Undoubtedly these games are fun to watch and spectating the other teams’ games is a big part of the social on Wednesdays. We all support each other on the pitch and off it. A better showing this year at Varsity is unspoken knowledge among the club.” Credit: Leeds University Rugby Union
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Horoscope
The Gryphon Crossword
Enigma
Aries (21/3 - 19/4) Aries’ are natural leaders and like to take the reins in many things they do, which might not be ideal for sharing space with new flatmates. This freshers, try letting others take the lead and enjoy the benefits of your newfound community. Taurus (20/4 - 20/5) Taurus’ often take refuge in restful recuperation, battling through a dreary day just for the promise of some blissful relaxation at the end of it all. Between your lattes, lectures and late nights, make sure you are still honouring this need. Gemini (21/5 - 20/6) Geminis often refuse to stick to a niche, with their fervent drive to try new things taking hold more often than not. Channel this energy into giving a bunch of the societies on offer from the union a go this new academic year. Cancer (21/6 - 22/7) Cancers usually find themselves as the emotionally intelligent one amongst the group, a nifty gift to have when all hell breaks loose over a pan being left to soak in the shared kitchen sink. Make sure you’re around to help the house choose peace over war if this fate ever befalls your halls. Leo (23/7 - 22/8) Leos love a good spotlight, and why shouldn’t they? Their passionate confidence usually means they have the bite to back up their bark. If it’s a spotlight you’re after, why not share your voice for the masses of campus to hear and join The Gryphon this year? Virgo (23/8 - 22/9) Virgo’s immediate relationship to nature can only mean one thing in terms of this neck of the woods. The campus bunnies are calling to you. Find them, and thank me later.
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3. Classic cinema in Hyde Park where secretary Jess might enjoy a film screening (7, 5) 5. How often we release our print editions (7) 8. Sports Editor James’ pint of choice in Old Bar (8) 9. Our broadcasting friends on the first floor of LUU (3) 13. Music Editor Millie’s shot of choice on a night out (7) 14. LUU’s very own club night that just celebrated its 25th birthday (6, 6) 15. How much experience you need to get involved with The Gryphon (4)
1. Music venue that Music Editor Connor might attend as a journalist (for free!) (9) 2. The section for you if you want to write about any STEM based topics (7) 4. University building where News Editor Aliza might break a story (12) 6. Student-beloved second-hand fashion marketplace where Fashion Editor Hannah might get a new outfit from (6) 7. Club venue that Sports Editor Laurence might attend on a Wednesday night (9) 8. Library that you might find Features Editor Jeshna working on a piece in (7) 10. Our home-base newsroom that all our members are welcome to use (8) 11. Our section where you can share your point of view on a topic important to you (8) 12. Where you might go for a cheely end of week cocktail after finishing Friday lectures (7)
3. Picture House 5. Monthly 8. Estrella 9. LSR 13. Tequila 14. Fruity Friday 15. None
1. Brudenell 2. Science 4. Clothworkers 6. Vinted 7. Warehouse 8. Laidlaw 10. Groffice 11. Opinions 12. Terrace
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Answers
Sudoku
Libra (23/9 - 22/10) Congratulations Libras, for this print is the one released during your time to shine (womp womp Leos). A Libra’s natural desire for balance may make you want to share this spotlight around, but just for now you should embrace it. Considering how tricky a time this can be, you definitely deserve it. Scorpio (23/10 - 21/11) Scorpios have often been described as cryptic, puzzling and just a bit baffling. By the sounds of it, every guy who’s ever “played devil’s advocate” in an early morning seminar is a Scorpio. Condolences to the unlucky few of you who end up sat next to him at 9am on a Monday. Sagittarius (22/11 - 21/12) Sagittarius’ are the travellers amongst us. Here’s to hoping you find some more exotic locations in Leeds to traverse across instead of just running between Esther Simpson Building and the Conference Auditorium. Maybe a first day trip to Knaresborough or Hebden Bridge instead? Capricorn (22/12 - 19/1) Capricorns naturally value their time and assuredly make the most of it. Expect many a light night session followed by prompt attendance at 9am lectures, because lord knows a Capricorn isn’t going to waste their time on early nights or sleeping in. Aquarius (20/1 - 18/2) Revolutionary and humanitarian, Aquarius’ strive to make the change they want to see for the betterment of those around them. If you’re passionate about change around campus, get in touch with our student executives (introduced on page 3) and let your voice be heard. Pisces (19/2 - 20/3) Pisces is defined as the most empathetic, sensitive and intuitive sign of them all. In that case, there’s only one job for them: writing our horoscopes! Keep an eye out for applications to become our enigma editor soon, because if it wasn’t already painfully obvious, editor-in-chief Dan really isn’t built for this part of publishing.