Notes from Abroad: Fresher’s Edition

Frankie Pinchard on 4 October 2023

Welcome (back) to Leeds! Whether you live 30 or 300 miles away, there is plenty to explore. 

I arrived in Leeds as a fresher straight after the Pandemic, my plans to go travelling having been cancelled. I was desperate to start exploring having realised that I only had six months of university a year. At the start of 2022, my flatmate and I decided to escape our student halls and take a spontaneous trip to Rome booking cheap last-minute flights and booking two hostel beds. We were so fresh out of covid restrictions, that we were flying the week PCR tests to Italy, France and Spain were cancelled. We had 48hours in total in the city and were determined to do everything. This was actually was a lot easier and cheaper in February without the infamous Roman crowds.

With Manchester airport only a 90-minute train from Leeds (and more free time on your hands as a Fresher) there are many opportunities to travel! The shoulder season which stretches from September through October in Europe is a period of off-season travel: which means cheaper flights and less tourists! It’s the perfect time to visit places in Southern Europe which are too hot in the height of summer. Destinations might include: Tirana, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon or Milan. In Spain, Italy, Greece and the Balkans the summer stretches into September and early October, making them perfect destinations to get some extra sun before heading into a cold winter in the North of England… 

And yet, if planes are not your thing or you’re an exchange student looking to explore the UK. Do not fear! There are plenty of places in England and Scotland close by to visit. Join the Leeds Hiking Society and explore the many National Parks close by, such as the beautiful Yorkshire Dales or closer yet, Ilkley Moors. If nature does not excite you and you prefer big cities, take the train or bus to Liverpool or Manchester. Both cities have excellent restaurants, museums, clubs and shopping centres. If it’s a beach you’re after, then you’re in luck! Head to Formby, just north of Liverpool, for miles of sand, sea and beautiful woodland or get the train to Scarborough: one of the most famous beaches in England! The water might be freezing but the fish and chips are great!

My name is Frankie and two months ago I moved to Copenhagen to start my studies in History and Danish. I wanted to study somewhere I’d never been before and where the culture was completely different to the UK. (I’ll come back to that later…) Not only have I learnt loads about Denmark so far, but my friends come from all over the globe, from Brazil to Japan! In fact, many of my friends from Leeds have also chosen to study abroad which has given me an extra excuse to visit new places! In fact, I’m on my way to Norway now to visit that same flatmate! See you soon Jess! 

This year, I will be writing this column Notes From Abroad about all things study-abroad/cheap/young/fun and affordable travelling!!!! 

Ways to Support International Women’s Day 2023

Lottie Passmore on 8 March 2023

Even if you aren’t aware now, you will be on 8th March when your entire Instagram feed consists of the following:

  1. Groups of girlfriends on a night out
  2. Celebrity women, probably Beyoncé, perhaps the Kardashians
  3. Someone’s mother doing amateur modelling in the 80s

All will be unified by something resembling “my women #IWD”. Once upon a time, International Women’s Day became nothing more than an opportunity to show your otherwise apathetic followers that you too are a girl-power loving, feminist queen. For one day a year, if you don’t post anything with the eponymous IWD hashtag, you are a woman hater and may as well join an Andrew Tate fan club. With the stakes this high, chances are you will come across a post of a girl you know full well to have famously and consistently slandered her friends, now aligning herself with the upper echelons of feminism. Herein lies the fallibility of ‘clicktivism’ and why a hashtag does not make you a supporter of International Women’s Day. Instead, you can show your support all year round and avoid becoming victim to an, albeit annual, micro internet trend.

Despite the above, there is obviously no problem with honouring your friends online, IF you are going to love them on the other 364 days as well. University can be a tricky time for comparison, when others are getting internships and job offers, and you seem to be faced with rejection after rejection. Excitement for them can sometimes be overshadowed by your own disappointment but it is really important, both for them and for the longevity of your friendship, if you can give them the praise they deserve. Equally, when you’re enshrined in success, don’t forget about those that are not having the best luck.

If we consider feminism to be the raising of women to reach an equilibrium with men, then it is essential that women are bolstering one another along the way. Not putting other women down to elevate yourself and being nice to your friends are things we should be doing every day, regardless of whether you are posting about it. The International Women’s Day campaign theme for 2023 is #EmbraceEquity, a hashtag with an impact. This year there is a push towards equity for inclusivity amongst all genders, with an emphasis on the fact that feminism that isn’t intersectional, isn’t feminism.

LGBTQ+ women are subjected to a double burden of sexism and sexual-orientation discrimination. A 2021 University study, conducted by Stonewall, showed that nine out of ten LGBTQ+ students have a positive or neutral Uni experience. As a reader of The Gryphon, the likelihood is that, in one way or another, you contribute to Leeds student culture. Think of your words and actions as the microbiome of the university environment and continue to make a conscious effort to make everyone’s Uni experience the best it can be; be vigilant, call out offensive jokes, challenge stereotypes and confront bias. Although LGBTQ+ experiences tend to be far improved than they once were, there is still a long way to go, so if you are wondering whether we still need International Women’s Day, the answer is YES. And if your annoying male housemate asks, “when’s international men’s day?” you can tell him it is the 19th November.