By Iraz Akkus and Chenoa Colaco
Throughout the academic year, several students have reported seeing rodents in LSE buildings, including but not limited to the Centre Building, the Old Building and the LSE Student’s Union Building.
While many students have expressed health and safety concerns over the rodents, others have a more positive outlook. “I love the rats, they’ve become my friends,” one student tells The Beaver. “I look forward to seeing them every day”.
Kieran Hurwood, Opinion Editor at The Beaver, stated that the “rats were prolific” within the Media Centre in the Students’ Union building. In fact, the general consensus in the Media Centre was one of support and community with the rats.
An editor of The Beaver who wished to remain anonymous questioned the alleged “discrimination against the rats”, arguing “who are we to judge these rats, they’re probably just as depressed as the Econ students who haven’t converted a spring week. Let them live in peace”.
However, The Beaver’s Frontside Editor Vanessa Huang disagrees with this narrative. “I already have mice in my flat,” Vanessa states. “I don’t need this.”
When Review Editor Sheila Mutua was asked about her opinion on the rats, she enquired, “rats specifically or are we grouping the mice in too?”
Other recent graduates, such as a Politics and International alumnus from 2023, commented that “coming to London from a small town, I’ve found that you are never too far from a rat and LSE campus is no exception. They’re just harder to spot in the big city”.
“I’ve never seen a rat, but I’d love to,” says second-year Law student and Ethics and Sustainability Officer Himani Iyer.
Common areas where rats were sighted include behind desks in the Students’ Union building and the LSE Library, which have been dubbed ‘rat hotspots’ by students.
An LSE spokesperson said: “LSE recognises that the quality of the campus is an important factor in overall student experience. Regular cleaning and servicing takes place weekdays according to the specified schedule, and buildings have daily janitorial provision. We have recently carried out significant pest control measures across the campus, and the Estates team organises monthly routine inspection visits from our pest control contractor. Staff and students can also report issues via the Estates Helpdesk.”
