The Stand
For students, by students 

For someone who writes a column about sex and dating, I can't lie: my love life has felt like it's been on life support recently. I have exes so odd, stories so humbling, you would rather assume I’m lying than believe they could be true. The last guy I dated ended things because he got circumcised and needed time to mourn the loss of his foreskin. I had a boyfriend fake leukaemia to avoid a breakup! (Although, I will say, that's on the extreme end of awful boyfriends. I think

Protests can take on many forms, whether that’s through demonstrations or direct institutional pressure. Student-led collectives are increasingly at the forefront of political action, advocating for social justice. Recent geopolitical events have onset a series of shocks that directly impact communities, inflicting economic and political instability - even in towns like St Andrews, despite its well-heeled reputation. This instability can often manifest as state neglect, signi

I recently had the exciting opportunity to interview Philip Colbert, a famous contemporary artist, designer, and former philosophy student at St Andrews. He is known by many as the ‘Godson of Andy Warhol’, and he grew up in Perth, Scotland. During our conversation he provided inspiring and perspective altering ideas including the philosophy behind bright colours, unique ideas on human connectivity, destruction and temporality, and the University of St Andrews as a sociologica

Knight at the Museum, a new event run by the Shire of Caledon, welcomed students into the fold of medieval life and craft on the Friday of week one. The event was in collaboration with the Wardlaw Museum’s exhibit on the life of Mary, Queen of Scots. Although not a fully immersive experience, Knight at the Museum boasted displays of historic dress and music, as well as the opportunity to try out bookbinding, leatherworking, and letter locking. Image credit: Shire of Caer Cale

St Andrews’ Wednesday night atmosphere has long been dominated by the members of sports clubs, donned head to toe in everything from Magic Mike attire to togas and Minions. Over the years, 601 and Main Bar have featured this assortment of themes, and more often than not, if one was to scan the crowd at the Union on Wednesday, a large portion of the attendees would be dressed up in costume accordingly. For those not in sports societies, they were likely to be in a minority of

Students at the University of St Andrews protest against gender-based violence amidst international coverage of the Cornell seven case. @sta_womenagainstthefarright, @empowerherstandrews, @staagainstgbv, @got.consent.sta, @standrewsfeminists On Monday 5th October, the Reclaim Our Streets protest, organised by multiple of the women-led societies at the university, took place on South Street next to the Blackfriars Chapel Ruins. The protest was organised by St Andrews Women Ag

What do you get when you take fifteen university students whose favourite hobby is arguing for sport, and then put them in a room with over fifty schoolchildren with opinions on everything and a whole lot of energy? Why, the St Andrews Debating Competition! Organised by our very own Union Debating Society, last Saturday eight schools were welcomed to test out their debating skills in front of members of the society. Safe to say, the St Andrews contingent involved felt very no

Our lives have become dead set on stimulation. We have become so focused on us actually ‘doing something’ without any rhyme or reason behind it. Ultimately, we have lost the ability to accept boredom. We have become so uncomfortable with our reality that we feel as though we must fill every ‘quiet’ and ‘unimportant’ moment of our lives with some sort of stimulation. Boredom becomes so uncomfortable when you believe that the world around you is leaving you behind. It happens w

Photo Credit: Artist Collectives The Oxford Dictionary defines a friend as “A person with whom one has developed a close and informal relationship of mutual trust and intimacy." Throughout my life, I have been very lucky to experience this kind of friendship. From childhood, where spending hours together at school would blend into afternoon playdates, into staying one night or maybe two, never growing tired of talking or sitting or playing or being still, together. Into my ad

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

We often give St Andrews the nickname of “the bubble.” So much so that during graduation the iconic “The Bubble Will Miss You” slogan is projected on the walls of St Salvador's Hall. For many, the town's three streets are paved of gold. Populated by the young, beautiful, and wealthy, here to receive a top tier education before “entering into the real world” - that which St Andrews is definitively not. Weekends are spent attending black-tie events for which tickets cost up to

Stella Maris has been reinstated as Rector of the University of St Andrews, following a dispute over stances on governance rules.

The St Andrews Reform Society seeks University affiliation despite vehement resistance from fellow students.

Plans have been approved for the new ‘Digital Nexus Building’: proposed to be home to the School of Computer Science, a “cutting-edge central hub” for students and staff.

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

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-

Last year marked the arrival of a new ‘dark academia’ novel set in St Andrews: When We Were Killers by C. F. Barrington. The novel found a home in bookshop window displays for months, and was even named Waterstones’ Scottish Book of the Month in May 2025. When We Were Killers certainly received a positive marketing push, but is it actually worth your time? Window display in Topping and Company, (January 2026) The novel’s protagonist is Finn Nethercott, an ‘outcast’ first-ye

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

In 2022, St Andrews saw a shift in its cultural scene with the opening of the Laidlaw Music Centre. What came along was a passion and community for all types of music, diversifying the student life and bringing a strong sense of creativity to the town. Laidlaw is the first building dedicated to music in the university’s history. Music modules and lessons are offered there, causing an increased appreciation for music as an academic subject. It has provided many opportunities f

Safe cycling practices are essential, not only in protecting riders but also the wider community.