Multicultural St Andrews: A Deep Dive into the University’s Cultural Societies
If you walk into Aikman’s and see a red flag with a white cross, you’ve probably stumbled upon Schweizer-Taschenmesser. You’ll see Swiss Society Events Officer Violette de Sausmarez by the cellar door. When you do, don’t ask her if this is Swedish Soc, and don’t ask her if she speaks Swiss.
If you ask her to translate Schweizer-Taschenmesser, however, you’ll learn that it’s Swiss-German for Swiss Army knife, and the name of Swiss Society’s annual techno night.
Swiss-German is just one of four Swiss languages represented on the Swiss Soc committee. As de Sausmarez explains, they have people from all four linguistic regions of Switzerland — and Jeremy.
“Jeremy's from Hong Kong, shout out to Jeremy," who's there because he just really likes Switzerland.
This begs multiple questions: what are cultural societies? Who are they for? And how many pints deep do you have to be to see a Swiss flag and think Sweden?
Speaking to committee members across five of St Andrews’ cultural societies, I heard varied descriptions of dynamic spaces where students can explore, shape, and challenge the boundaries of their cultural identities.
When asked how they introduce their cultural roots, answers ranged from one word to “I take a minute, I give them the whole story.”
“My mum is French. My dad is English. I was born in England, but I moved to Switzerland when I was two,” explained de Sausmarez. “I went to an English school in Switzerland, though. Also, I have a Swiss passport.”
St Andrews has a reputation for being particularly international. At the root of its community are students who associate with their cultures in a wide and varied range of ways. The committees of cultural societies therefore all face one primary challenge: creating a comfortable and exciting cultural space that caters to these diverse cultural ties.
Catrin Barker, President of the Welsh Society, describes working towards “bridging the gap between people who don’t speak Welsh and people who do.” She makes the most of a relatively small society by guiding people to others with Welsh ties.
Barker discusses the challenge of creating a safe space for Welsh speakers to speak their language, while also making sure to avoid alienating non-Welsh speakers. “Often the feedback I’ve heard is they don’t want to come to our events thinking that it’s just Welsh language,” said Barker.
Similar hesitations are shared by students who worry that their cultural ties aren’t strong enough to fit in at their cultural societies. However, the sentiment echoed by each committee member I spoke to was that of seeking to create a space that welcomed everyone.
Matt Mason, Publicity Officer for South African Society, describes their pub quizzes, barbecues, and match screenings as events that "can be enjoyed by anyone."
"We really try to make it clear that it's not only for people from South Africa,” Mason said. “That's always been our goal. Our events are more about informing people about South Africa."
South African Soc aims to create opportunities for students to engage in new cultures while also replicating a piece of home. Mason described the Rugby World Cup Final last year as an experience closely resembling match days in South Africa.
"The Rule was packed, everyone was there," said Mason. “The Rule even handed out small South African flags to everyone when they came in."
However, perhaps the one thing no society has managed to overcome in the St Andrews bubble is the Scottish weather. As Mason explains, the lack of sun makes their Braais — South African outdoor barbecues — “a lot less exciting”.
Similarly, de Sausmarez laments the absence of “the snowsports culture”, central to the Swiss experience. Yet, each society has found its own unique way to recreate the most exciting aspects of their cultural experience.
“It’s chaos, but good chaos. It’s the chaos that stems from the vibrancy of Indian culture,” said Harnoor Singh, Founder and President of Indian Society, when describing what to expect from an Indian Soc event.
Singh founded Indian Soc last year, staunch in the belief that Indian culture “deserves to be celebrated” and seeking to create “a home away from home.” Like many students living abroad, whether a two-hour train ride or a ten-hour flight away, Singh described how it took this separation to understand “the depth and value of her culture.”
Daka Zvekaria, Treasurer of the Afro Caribbean Society (ACS), spoke about a similar experience of discovery. “My first ACS event was a bonfire, and I literally couldn’t see anybody,” she said. Yet, despite the blind introductions, “the music was good and so were the vibes.”
Zvekaria explains how ACS went on to become a space for her to “explore more of my identity [and] more of myself.” As someone who grew up in Scotland, Zvekaria recalls instances of being told, “You’re not stereotypically Black.” So for her, it’s important that ACS provides a safe space for “anyone who identifies as African or Caribbean in any way.”
“It’s something I feel passionate about — people coming to ACS and feeling like they belong. I want to be a part of making that happen,” she said.
Zvekaria also talks about the value of cultural societies to student well-being, citing statistics about “ethnic minority students and their grades dropping when they come to university.”
“It’s shaped by a lot of factors, but mental health and having a community is so important to your experience,” said Zvekaria. Cultural societies are going to great lengths to create communities that provide a sense of home. 36 kilometres in the case of South African Society, whose committee drive to a butchery in Glenrothes that stocks South African food stuffs, to source the right meats and spice mixes for their Braais.
So, if you’re privy to the universal St Andrews experience of signing up for 30 societies, and joining maybe one, perhaps give cultural societies a second thought.
With the intense pace of uni life and five events running at the same hour, the prospect of stepping out after a long day of classes gets more grim with every passing day. However, if you choose to spend an evening with one of St Andrews’ cultural societies, you might be pleasantly surprised to find that you learn more about your culture — or even a different one — in this small Scottish town than you ever did at home.
As echoed by Barker, you’ll be welcomed with open arms either way: “Coming here it was like, ‘Oh, I’m Welsh, and these are all the things that I kind of took for granted, that I’m actually really proud of. Things I want to share with people.’”
Illustration: Sandra Palazuelos Garcia
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