The university confession page LeedsFess is hoping to help students in Leeds find lockdown love with a new matchmaking quiz.

LeedsLaughLove, which was announced on Valentine’s Day, involves a series of personality and what-if questions that are designed to help lonely students find their perfect match. It is unlike online dating apps as it uses an algorithm to pair participants with a match based solely on their core values, eliminating any choice in the process.

The quiz asks participants to react to statements such as ‘Corbyn would have dealt with Covid by now’, ‘Too many students have come back this term’ and ‘It is weird for a third year to date a fresher.’

It also poses scenarios like the following: ‘You have been offered a job with a £1m annual salary, but you will have a 14-hour workday for the next five years’ and ‘Your match insists on a pre-date Tarot reading to make sure you are compatible.’

The idea of a campus matchmaking quiz was first developed in 2017 by students at Stanford University and has since been modified by students at Oxford University to create their own Oxford Marriage Pact, which is the algorithm being used by LeedsFess.

The students at Stanford created the original quiz to test whether students could find more meaningful connections by breaking the paradox of choice presented by apps like Tinder, which can give users a limitless array of matches, and instead just giving people one match based on their core values. 

The original Stanford quiz, which was shared using a few email lists and group chats, became a viral phenomenon on campus and received over 4,000 responses – over half the undergraduate population. 

LeedsFess said they created LeedsLaughLove to raise money for charity and to provide some entertainment for students stuck at home in the third national lockdown. “We know everyone is busy cracking on with second-semester work and we wanted to provide some stress relief in the way of a cheeky matchmaker.”

LeedsLaughLove is raising money for the mental health charity Mind, which has supported people with mental health problems throughout the pandemic. LeedsFess says that for £3, participants will receive three matches instead of one.

The quiz closes to submissions on 20th February. It has so far received over 1400 submissions and raised over £1100 for charity.

The Education secretary has revealed plans to change the university admissions system, so that applicants are offered places based on their actual exam results rather than predicted grades. 

Gavin Williamson said the overhaul is being considered to “remove the unfairness” of inaccurate predicted grades which he says damages the opportunities of high achievers from disadvantaged backgrounds.   

Under the current system, applicants apply to universities before January using grades predicted by their teachers and accept any offers they have received in June. In August, results are released and applicants who failed to meet the terms of their offer enter clearing to find another course. 

The proposals, however, would give students longer to make their university choices and offers would only be made once the university has received an applicant’s grades in August. Universities would have a one-week window before “offer day”, and students a one-week window afterwards to respond, followed by a clearing process for applicants without a place. 

UCAS data for 2019 shows 79% of 18-year-olds in the UK accepted to university with at least 3 A levels had their grades over-predicted, whereas 8% were under-predicted. 

High achieving students from low-income households are most likely to have their grades under-predicted, with research from UCL’s Institute of Education showing almost a quarter of that group had their results underpredicted between 2013 and 2015. 

In a statement, the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: 

“We should celebrate the fact that we are seeing record numbers of disadvantaged students going to university, but the current admissions system is letting down the brightest pupils from the most disadvantaged backgrounds. By using predicted grades it is limiting the aspirations of students before they know what they can achieve. 

We need to radically change a system which breeds low aspiration and unfairness. That is why we are exploring how best to transform the admission process to one which can propel young people into the most promising opportunities for them within higher education.”

The government is also looking into banning the use of unconditional offers, which the Department for Education described as a “damaging practice” that encourages applicants to accept a place at a university which might not be in their best interest.

Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, said: “The current system is based on inaccurately predicted results and leads to those from less affluent backgrounds losing out. Allowing students to apply after they receive their results will help level the playing field and put a stop to the chaotic clearing scramble.”

The Sutton Trust commissioned a poll last month which found that two-thirds of this year’s university entrants are in favour of removing predicted grades from university admissions. Applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds said they would have been more likely to have applied to more selective universities if they had known their final results. 

Josh Bate, an International Relations student, said he thought the change would make the application process fairer. “It’s a good thing because universities won’t be able to discriminate against students based on social factors […] admission to university will only be based on how well you have done”

Photo credit: Charles Robertson/Alamy

The “perfect storm” of a Covid-19 lockdown coupled with freezing temperatures could lead to a rise of rat infestations in Leeds this winter, pest control experts have warned.

The warning comes as it is believed that rats have already bred out of control over the summer, with one pest control company reporting an increase of sightings by 140% over previous years.

Jenny Rathbone, from Pest.co.uk, said: “We are facing a challenging winter with potentially ‘perfect storm’ conditions as the bad news of more lockdowns seems inevitable, rats are breeding like crazy in quiet streets and closed commercial properties and the fear is they will come into homes looking for food when the cold hits” 

With poor trading conditions as well as tighter Covid-19 restrictions forcing Leeds businesses to close, Rathbone says rats “who would have made home close to businesses with careless food waste practises” are now looking further afield. 

The issue has been exacerbated by an unusually dry summer and autumn cold snap causing the ground to harden, making it difficult for rats to burrow. Rathbone says as a result rats are seeking easier shelter, including in outbuildings, attics and quiet areas between walls and floors.

Leeds City Council figures show that between 2017 to 2019 there were 86 rat call-outs to the council’s pest control service in the student areas of Woodhouse, Hyde Park and Headingley. 

Lydia Violeta, a student vlogger at the University of Leeds, revealed to her 217,000 YouTube subscribers that her Leeds student house had been infested by rodents. In a video uploaded on 10th October, Violeta said that her housemate had found droppings in their kitchen cupboards as well as holes in a loaf of bread. 

The issue has become so widespread in Leeds that one letting agent believes a ‘rat levy’ should be introduced to tackle the issue. Luke Gidney, managing director of LetLeeds, told Yorkshire Evening Post that there is a serious rat issue in Hyde Park. “We often see rats brazenly walking around the street in Hyde Park and surrounding areas.” He said he has contacted other local property agents to “create some joined-up thinking” and that they are liaising with Leeds City Council.

How to keep rats out of homes

Rathbone says “we typically see a 50% increase in reports of rat problems in Leeds going into the winter months, but we are staffing up this year for even more, and from what we see it’s going to be a busy few months”. She advises people living in the city to take proactive measures before the winter to prevent an infestation. These measures include:

• Clearing cupboards – Empty unused cupboards of bags, clothes, rags and keep them clean
• Securing all food sources – Make sure food is not left out, tidy away any open food sources and keep worktops and floors clean of crumbs
• Blocking up holes – Fill any gaps in brickwork, shed doors and any holes on external walls of properties including cellars and garages
• Preparing traps – by leaving out rat traps you can pre-empt any future infestation, however it is better to bait with official rat poison than leaving food scraps out

The students’ union help website advises students with a rat infestation in their home to immediately contact their landlord.

“They should arrange for someone to come round (this should happen within 24 to 48 hours) or ask you to contact Leeds City Council Pest Control.” The landlord is required to cover the cost for removal unless the rats were attracted to the property because of “overflowing bins, food scraps or fleas from pets”.

Image: Josh Elgin

Ministers have come under pressure this week to guarantee university students will not be forced to stay on campuses over the winter break.

Oliver Dowden, the Culture Secretary, told Sky News: “I very much want students to be able to go home at Christmas, and if we all pull together and observe these new rules […] then we will be able to get to a point where that should be possible.” 

Dowden’s comments come as thousands of students in the UK are self-isolating, following a rise of cases in universities. The University of Leeds has revealed so far six of its students have received positive test results. However, the real figure is expected to be higher as not all cases are likely to have been reported to the university.

Labour has urged the government to promise students can return home. The shadow education secretary Kate Green wrote to the education secretary, Gavin Williamson calling on him to “ensure that every student has access to testing to allow a safe journey home”.https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?creatorScreenName=TheGryphonLeeds&dnt=true&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X3NwYWNlX2NhcmQiOnsiYnVja2V0Ijoib2ZmIiwidmVyc2lvbiI6bnVsbH19&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1310188140456443904&lang=en-gb&origin=https%3A%2F%2Farchive.thegryphon.co.uk%2F2020%2F10%2F03%2Fstudents-will-go-home-for-christmas-says-education-secretary%2F&sessionId=2b6bf200edf2723461d87c36baec5fc36927e288&siteScreenName=TheGryphonLeeds&theme=light&widgetsVersion=0a8eea3%3A1643743420422&width=550px

The Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, hopes the government won’t have to tell students to stay on campus over Christmas. Even so, he said he couldn’t rule it out. “The important thing is in the short-term, students, once they’ve gone to university, should stay at university so as not to spread the disease.”

In Scotland, specific guidance for students has been released stating “if you are able to you should remain in your student accommodation and not visit family at home. As you have formed a new household within your student accommodation, this means that you cannot stay overnight at another household.” Though it acknowledges, “there will be circumstances where it may not be possible for you to remain in student accommodation.” 

The First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that the rules will be reviewed every three weeks. She stated that it will be an “absolute priority”for her government to get a position where the rules can be relaxed over the winter break. So far, specific guidance for students has not been published in the rest of the UK. Though it is expected that the advice will be similar.

The prospect of having to stay on campus over the winter break may come as less of a blow to international students, who are often unable to go back home over the holidays even in normal circumstances. 

The University of Leeds offers support for those staying on campus called ‘Christmas in Leeds‘. It gives students and postgraduate researchers in Leeds, “the chance to meet others, experience Christmas traditions and find out about help and support.” 

A message on the website says: “Please note, because of the ongoing situation surrounding Coronavirus (COVID-19), the activities we offer may be different to usual.”

Some students are already preparing for the possibility of having to celebrate Christmas on campus. 

Olivia Davies, an International Relations and Arabic student, said the policy would have a “terrible impact” on the mental health of students. She says that with the stresses of exams and seasonal depression, going home for the holidays “is a period of relief for many students”. 

Kyle Blythe, 18, a French and German student, says he understands why it might be necessary for the government to tell students to stay on campus but says his “family are completely against me staying”. “If it comes down to it then we would all have to accept it and try and make this year as magical as it normally is”. 

Kate Schneider, 21, an Asia Pacific Studies and Japanese student, says she “wouldn’t be opposed to the idea as my family isn’t always together and we don’t do a large celebration. I’m sure [Christmas] would be bigger with my flatmates.” “We get along well so we would probably cook a big meal together, get a tree and watch Christmas movies.”

Photo credit: University of Leeds

It has long been expected that the first week of this semester would be different, but the ‘rule of six’, a 10pm curfew for pubs, as well as the continued closure of nightclubs, meant that freshers’ week was virtually unrecognisable, with nearly all events taking place online. The Gryphon asked freshers what the week was like and how they are feeling as the term begins.

Leeds University Union hosted a series of events throughout the week, with interactive cooking classes, a virtual escape room and an online freshers’ fair among the events on offer. There were also a limited number of events on campus, including an outdoor cinema run in collaboration with Hyde Park Picture House, though the focus of the week was online.

Daniel Marchegiani, a Computer Science and Maths student, however, said that there is little enthusiasm among freshers for these events. “On the [Facebook event page] it says one person is going and it’s just the administrator who’s hosting the event”. And Rosaleen Sheehan, a Psychology student, said “I don’t think anyone’s thinking I want to go back into my room and go to an online party”.

Odette Dierkx, a Graphic Design student, was one of the few who did participate. She joined a meeting organised by the art society and although she would have found it “easier speaking in person”, Dierkx says she was grateful for the opportunity to meet people outside her flat.

Sheehan lives in a house on campus with 15 other students, though some of the rooms are still empty. The ‘rule of six’ had made going out as a group awkward. Her house was forced to split into smaller groups, and even then they struggled to get into pubs and bars in the city as many were at full capacity. 

A ban on students visiting other households, which was initially a university policy, but became the law following the tightening of restrictions locally, has made for a difficult conversation in some flats. Alexandra Giesbrecht, a Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Thought student, said that some of the people she lived with wanted to invite guests over but the flat “discussed it and decided against it”. Another student, who asked to remain anonymous, said he felt like he was living “in a prison” as one of his flatmates had said that they would report anyone in the house who breaks the rules to the university.

In an email sent to students last week, the University said: “whilst living in University accommodation you are required to comply with social or physical distancing and other guidance aimed at preventing the spread of Covid-19”. “Please don’t invite visitors or overnight guests into your room or into the household that you share with flatmates because if you do, that will put others at risk of infection and we won’t be able to ignore your actions.” 

Fines of up to £100 are being imposed for every breach of the rules, with repeat offenders at risk of being evicted from their accommodation or expelled.

Ava Heeney, an English Literature student, said she was fined £50 for not practising social distancing outside her accommodation. “We weren’t expecting it. We didn’t get a warning […] they just surrounded us and said we are taking your details”.

After major outbreaks of Covid-19 were reported by universities in Scotland (where the academic year started earlier than English institutions) and following a statement by the University and College Union which expressed concerns about the safety of staff and students on campus , the university announced on the 25th September that planned face-to-face teaching for courses where students don’t have to be on campus would now take place online. The Vice-Chancellor said in an email to students that they will get more “online teaching than you might have expected even a few weeks ago”.

The prospect of indefinite online teaching worries Sheehan. “I really don’t do well online. I learn best being in the same room and talking with my teacher. It’s not my cup of tea”. Marchegiani was also concerned about whether he would cope with an entirely online schedule but thought that the quality of teaching would still be high. Jasper Rowell, 18, a Robotics and Electronics student said he preferred online teaching. “It’s easier […] I can stay at home and eat whatever I want”.

LUU has advised students who may be worried about the change to speak with their school or academic personal tutor if they need support with their studies, or to use the union’s help and support service (https://www.luu.org.uk/help-support/) if they are struggling with other aspects of university life. The university also offers free, professional and confidential counselling sessions.

All of the students we spoke to said that although they thought freshers’ week was necessary, they didn’t think the lack of a proper experience would affect them. Dierkx was confident that “there’s going to be more time to meet people and form friendships later”. 

Image credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty