Undercover Fresher: Raisin Unloaded

Frightened that they would die of alcohol poisoning or hook up with that ‘awkward turtle’ of an academic sibling, most freshers were scared shitless for Raisin weekend.

This is the weekend legends were made, laws are (let’s be honest) blasted to smithereens, and we all got a free pass from any shenanigans that occurred. In preparing for the weekend, I had accepted the fact that I would do things that would haunt me for the rest of the year.

No shame, no regrets. It’s Raisin, people.

Above is what I envisioned the town would be like on Raisin Sunday; “Hide yo’ kids, hide yo’ wife” – or something to that effect.

St. Andrews locals, I’ve discovered, are fearless. They are brave for even being out on Raisin and I commend them for tempting fate. That said, shit hit the fan on Raisin Sunday.

I was personally fading in and out of two stages: drunk and too drunk to function. I vaguely remember passing two girls in a playhouse outside of Tesco, I remember falling down the hill by the Aquarium, and saying countless things that never need to be repeated again. I also remember biting someone, and if that was you, I apologise.

My academic mum was brilliant and got me sufficiently drunk, but didn’t let me get to the point where I passed out and couldn’t move (that role was for my brother to fulfill). I finally made it to my dad’s flat, and after completing the entrance fee (and the late penalty), it was safe to say that I was schwasted to the point of no return. What followed then was a night of debauchery, never be recounted (my real parents read this, after all).

Since I’d been in and out of drunkenness since 10am Sunday morning, I passed out in my dad’s flat at 10pm that night. Pretty good. Getting to my mum’s house the next morning was a personal feat, and after a breakfast of champions (with cider to wash it down), my siblings and I were dressed up and sent off to retrieve our Raisin receipts.

Walking through town on the way to Sallies Quad was something that I will never forget. Passing a family of Avatars, the famous giant inflatable penis and about seven Mario/Luigi pairs was an amazing experience. Nothing, however, prepared me for the madness that was the foam fight – it was by far the best moment of the entire weekend. I got to shove foam in my roomie’s face (that’s what you get for Skyping at 3am), so overall, Raisin was a win in my book.