academic dads

Finding a child

Traditionally, freshers pick their mum and their dad picks them. This means that generally you will have the responsibility of finding your own children - remember to get to know them and find out if you have things in common before deciding to adopt them - Raisin will be much more fun if you enjoy the same things! There is always the "orphan bop" on the Friday night before Raisin if you are still academically barren by then!

Raisin Sunday

If you are a father, your main responsibilities are taking your children to parties (or throwing your own!) and looking after them as they partake in the Sunday night festivities. It is important to ensure that your kids are OK if they have already been drinking during their afternoon tea party with their mums. Ensure that they have a Raisin Weekend to remember - for the right reasons!

If your children, or anyone else for that matter, gets into a bad way or is too drunk and you are concerned for their safety, you can call the Raisin First Aid Helpline on 01334 462020 or alternatively take them to the Mansfield building (opposite the union) between 12noon and 12am for First Aid help. If someone is really drunk please don't just call an ambulance unless they really need it.

Raisin Monday

Your children should reward you for your efforts with a bottle of wine, and in turn you should provide them with a raisin receipt. You should have this ready for them to collect on Monday morning on their way from their mum's house. The receipt can take any form you choose, from an abandoned piece of furniture to a stuffed animal, but remember to ensure that what you are using for a receipt isn’t anybody’s property. What you might view as a prank, the police will view as theft or vandalism.

The rules for receipts are: no electrical goods, livestock, foam filled furniture, or anything too big to fit into the Council skip. Don't ignore these rules as otherwise your children won't be allowed to take part in the foam fight and may be fined.

You also need to remember to put the Latin message on the receipt, which we have provided for you here in a simplified form (for your convenience!) Where two endings are given, -us/o is for a man, and –a for a woman.

Ego (name of parent), tertianus/a (if you’re a third year) or magistrandus/a (fourth year) or alumnus/a (if you’re a graduate) huius celeberrimae universitatis Sancti Andreae, qui (subject you study) studeo, a te, meo/a bejanto/ina carissimo/a qui (subject child studies) student, unam libram uvarum siccarum accepisse affirmo pro qua multas gratias tibi ago.

After Raisin Weekend

Academic families aren't just about one weekend - try and keep in touch with your family beyond the end of November. Often freshers find it really useful to have an older and more experienced student like their academic mum to turn to - especially if they are worried about something, or having academic issues. And it's always nice to be an academic grandad and attend your own children's raisin parties!