The Stand
For students, by students 

As a fourth-year that has attended Starfields every year, this year’s event was, in my experience, the best one yet. I felt it was the perfect end to my last ever fresher’s week, and the best start to the semester. As I heard someone say upon entering, ‘the vibes are 10/10’. Credit: Estella Levi Starfields is an annual charity event run by FS, and each year the funds raised through tickets and sponsorships go to a different charity; this year raised money for Young Lives vs C

If I asked you which events are essential for any Fresher’s first week in the Bubble, you’d probably suggest something like Sinners or Starfields. Now, I won’t argue that these events aren’t a great introduction to St Andrews nightlife and our beloved 601. However, the flashing lights and thumping music of a club is most certainly not the best atmosphere for making friends. That’s why I suggest Karaoke Night, which is too often overshadowed by the the week’s headline events.

The fifth annual SANDS International Film Festival of St Andrews recently took place, with a great selection of international films and documentaries, and many acclaimed speakers, including Joe Russo and Charlie Kaufman. Along with attending various screenings and events, I had the wonderful opportunity to speak with James Price, the production designer for Poor Things (for which he won an Oscar) and Bugonia, along with festival director Ania Trzebiatowska. The festival ope

Walking along the Madras Rugby pitches in the dimming light, chatting to mates, letting our words flow into the evening vespers, there was a distinct buzz in the air. Looking around, I could see a plethora of others following our trajectory, varied groups, dinner jackets mixed with spring dresses, interweaving, all homing in on this one beacon, flashing, pulsing ahead, inviting us to join its revelry — the Kate Kennedy May Ball. Credit: The Kate Kennedy Club Jasper Kirkby, th

Sophie Rose Jenkins Image credit: St Andrews Charity Fashion Show If you meet a university student in the wild, you’ll meet the topic of money sooner rather than later - they’ve probably gone into their overdraft just greeting you. Money talks, but in St Andrews it shouts. And with tabloid headlines often putting the words ‘St Andrews’ and ‘billionaire’ in the same breath, it’s easy to assume these “broke student” stereotypes don’t exist in the bubble. In Candlemas especially

Sarannya Nanda A chill February wind curled down St. Leonards Road the evening of the University Hall Ball, carrying with it the kind of restless electricity that only a themed black-tie night in  St Andrews  can conjure. As I made my way toward the entrance of Kinkell Byre, the puddles on the cobblestones shimmered like sequins under lamplight, reflecting flashes of red feathers and satin bow ties. It felt, for a moment, as if the town itself had slipped into character, our

I hate Wuthering Heights . I read it twice in English class, and disliked in more the second time than the first. I hate the contrived narrative with it’s three identically named characters. I hate the simpering fools down at Thrushcross Grange. I hate the mention of the ghost that tricks us into thinking this will be supernatural story. And I especially hate the Romantic-with-a-capital-R moment where Heathcliff so happens to be walking by at the exact moment his mortal enemy

Image credit: BPM MUSIC COLLECTIVE @ bpm.st a If I asked you to describe the perfect night out in St Andrews, you would probably mention a Hugo Spritz in Central, a few games of pool at the Rule, or maybe just a pint at Aikman’s. No matter where the night begins, though, we know how it ends. We will all, inevitably, find ourselves in the same place: our beautiful, exasperating club 601. As a collective student body, we have baptised it “the Union,” “the Onion,” or even “6-0-

Alisha Reeve Harry Styles. CREDIT: Johnny Dufort. If you’re friends with a Harry Styles fan, chances are you’ve already heard about the disastrous ticket fiasco that has occurred over the past week. During the artists’ presale for his ‘Together, Together’ tour, fans were left disappointed, upset, and furious over the crippling prices they were expected to pay. For the UK leg of his so-called world tour, tickets had cost between £44.10 and £466.25 (at least, before the good ol

Sophie Rose Jenkins Balls in St Andrews are a perfect representation of the bewildering nature of The Bubble – amongst hundreds of people crammed on a dance floor, you will still bump into everyone you know. But back in November, we were enchanted out of the winter drizzle and down an even wilder rabbit hole into the curiouser and curiouser world of Wonderland for the Mermaids Christmas Ball. Six impossible things hanging from the rafters in the Forest and Gardens. Photo c

Whilst many envy the Rocky virgins of this town, I pity the pantomime first-timers. The number of St Andrews students who just don't understand the joys of the British institution that is pantomime distresses me on a daily basis. I pride myself on being the opposite. Maybe it's the anticipation of the end of exams and going home for Christmas, but I have embraced the onset of pantomime season with open arms. And what a welcome into the Christmas season it is! The Three Mini P

By Valentina Ronzoni SZA Image from Instagram (@sza) SZA (Solana Imani Rowe) has taken the world by storm with the release of her two albums Ctrl (2017) and SOS (2022). Her mature sound, blending R&B, neo-soul, and hip-hop, reaches out to a misunderstood, underrepresented female youth of the 21st century. Winning the best album of 2022 (Rolling Stone), and charting for 38 weeks at no1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, it’s safe to say she has a talent in communicating vulnerability

Alisha Reeve The clocks may have fallen back, the days may be getting colder, but that won’t dampen my spirits, for the St Andrews Gilbert and Sullivan Society returned to the Byre Theatre last week for their production Patience. Their three-night run came around a little earlier than expected (usually their productions take place a little later on in the semester). However, though they had a limited time to rehearse, the society nevertheless gave a satisfactory performance f

Asha Denhoy On the 2nd of March 1965, a movie called The Sound of Music was released. Little did the cast and crew know that sixty years later, the movie would have a lasting legacy, and it would impact and change the lives of thousands of people, including me. Not only that, but it would change the lives of the real von Trapp family, and become a cultural phenomenon. I had the opportunity to go to Salzburg over Independent Learning week, and experience the joy that was the

How familiar are you with salsa and bachata? Many people have “take a salsa class” on their bucket list. Others associate it with romance and a beautiful lady in a red dress, or maybe even Dirty Dancing . Many were recently drawn to it due to the rise of Bad Bunny and the surge of dance videos on TikTok to his new album Debí Tirar Más Fotos. However, there is an unfortunate lack of conversation about how salsa and bachata came to be. Given how little this topic is discussed,

The Stand’s coverage of Espress’o'clock a few weeks ago marks the rise of a new era in party culture. It goes by many names: soft clubbing, daytime clubbing, dayclubbing. Pick your poison (or in this case, choose your coffee). Rewinding back to the stressful times of university applications, there are many factors which determine which university a prospective student may go to: student satisfaction rates; courses that are available to study; quality of teaching; but perhaps

Credit: SZA/Instagram (@sza) Solana Imani Rowe, better known by her stage name SZA, is a singer-songwriter whose influence is...

By Megan Boxwell As reading week looms dangerously close, many St Andrews students will be coming to the realisation that they still...

By Sarannya Nanda Glitter on the floor, sticker tattoos, and freshers singing their lungs out like their lives depended on it. This...

Espress’o Clock is a perfect escape from your Sunday morning library grind or a nice start to a slow morning.