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Scottish University Traditions
Torcher Parades, rectors and Raisin Weekends – what do they all mean? Three students from St Andrews, Aberdeen and Edinburgh talk about their universities' traditions…
Angela Fraser, Tom d'Ardenne and Josh McAllister are taking a year out from their studies (called being a sabbatical). They've all been elected by the students at their universities to work for their students' associations.
Angela Fraser – Aberdeen University President
"I became a sabbatical because I wanted to give back to the university. I really enjoyed being a student at Aberdeen for five years.
"The Students’ Representative Council (SRC) joined with the Sports' Union and the Union Management Committee to create the Students’ Association eight years ago. The Students' Association represents and provides services for students. It is also run by students.
"As president, I have a seat on the University Court, the highest governing body at the university.
"Apart from the Graduation Ball, St Andrew's Day Ball and a Sports Ball, we have a Torcher Parade.
"The annual Torcher Parade is Europe's largest and began 100 years ago. It's a charity event in April where the university societies and sports clubs get together and decorate floats. We raise about £15,000 a year."
The university rector is another tradition, which old universities from the 19th century have to this day. A rector chairs the University Court meetings, which deals with the administration and finances of the university and is elected every three years by students. In recent years, it's been popular to have a celebrity rector. But Angela doesn't agree.
She says, "Every student can nominate one or more person to be rector and our current one is Robin Harper MSP.
"It's more important to have a rector, who is interested and involved with student issues, their rights and welfare, than being famous."
Tom d'Ardenne – St Andrews University President
"St Andrews' Student's Association was founded in 1864 and is the oldest students' association in the world.
One of St Andrews' oldest traditions is the annual Raisin Weekend, a celebration of university life, making first year students part of an 'academic family'.
Tom says, "The whole student body is involved with Raisin Weekend, which takes place in the middle of November. We've had 'academic families' since the 1930s. The third and fourth year students 'adopt' the first year students. After two years, the 'mother' and 'father' will leave university, then it's the child's turn to become a new parent.
"On the Sunday, the academic children will have tea parties with their 'mother' and 'father' and meet their academic 'brothers' and 'sisters'. The children give their 'father' raisins to say thank you for his work and he gives them a 'Raisin Receipt'.
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The children then go to the Quad (the oldest part of the university) and have a shaving foam fight.
"We also have a May Dip on the last day of May. It's traditional that all students go to the beach and plunge into the sea at sunrise. About 500 students take part.
"At St Salvador's Quad, the letters 'P & H' are carved in the ground. It's believed that if a student stands on the letters, he/she is cursed to fail all exams. The only way to get banish the curse is to jump into the sea, which is why so many students take part in the May Dip!"
St Andrews University also follows the tradition of having a rector. But Tom also doesn't believe a celebrity makes a better rector. "St Andrews University hasn't had a celebrity rector in the last six years and we have done well without it," he says.
"Simon Pepper – our current rector – beat the celebrity chef, Gordon Ramsay who is famous for his television programmes. It didn't matter that Gordon is well-known for his cookery programmes.
"When I first came to St Andrews, I didn’t think I would have contact with so many different cultures. It’s what makes St Andrews so special," adds Tom.
Josh McAllister – Edinburgh University President
"The Students' Association started in 1970 but the Students' Representative Council is much older and was set up in 1884 to represent students' views.
"The Students' Association has an annual Association Dinner. About 100 people go every year, and there is always a guest of honour. In the past, we've had Jane Rogerson, who commissions programmes for ITV and BBC Correspondent, Alan Little.
"I wanted to work on a lot of things as a representative at the Students' Association such as wanting to improve student accommodation, but to do it properly, I needed to work full-time for the students and that is why I became a sabbatical."
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