St Andrews students brave the chill to have foam fun

Young people lather up for traditional Raisin Monday celebrations

St Andrews students have marked their annual Raisin Monday celebrations with the traditional foam party.

The event marks the culmination of a traditional university ritual in which older students “adopt” first years to give them mentoring and support as they embark on their studies.

Yesterday morning saw some parts of Fife experience the first frost of the autumn but the near freezing conditions were not enough to put the festivities on ice.

Students had been warned to act responsibly during Raisin Weekend after last year’s alcohol-fuelled antics of a minority gave cause for concern.

Jamie Rodney, who took over as students’ association president in July, praised everyone’s behaviour this year.

“The students have been really responsible and cleaned up after themselves,” he said.

“People looked like they were having a lot of fun and the costumes were as crazy as ever.

“As a student community, we make our own fun.”

On Raisin Monday students are encouraged to dress in embarrassing, flamboyant costumes, given strange objects with a traditional Latin inscription and are let loose on Lower College lawn for an enormous shaving foam fight.

This year, efforts were made to make the event kinder on the environment by reducing the use of single-use foam canisters with the introduction of a foam cannon.

Mr Rodney said: “If this is successful, it could point the way in the future for more cannons and fewer canisters.”

Nicolson. Pictures: Dougie Students taking part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam party at St Salvator’s Lower College lawn in St Andrews.