Supreme Court to Hear New Case on Race and School Admissions

19 October 2026 at 17:48

The court’s decision to review an admissions policy for selective middle school programs in Maryland follows its rejection of affirmative action in higher education.

In 2023, the Supreme Court struck down race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina.

Foamy war? St Andrews students play out modern take on ancient ritual

The Guardian - World news

By: Patrick Greenfield

19 October 2026 at 15:17

Scottish university’s annual tradition once involved giving out raisins but fancy dress and shaving cream now in vogue

Nobody at the University of St Andrews in Scotland seems to remember how Raisin Monday became a giant foam fight. For 600 years, first-year students have taken part in the ritual of thanking older students for mentoring them through their first few weeks of university life.

Traditionally, freshers would give their elders a pound of raisins – hence the name. This Monday however, hundreds wore fancy dress as they streamed on to St Salvator’s lower college lawn at 11am armed with cans of shaving foam, covering one another in soapy clouds as they have for the past few decades. Groups of students dress as Smurfs, mice, bananas, grandmas, sunflowers and chefs to participate in the annual rite of passage.