Otago’s Campus Celebrates 50 Years of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori has reached its golden jubilee, celebrating 50 years of advocating for Aotearoa’s native language. This year's byline is ‘ake ake ake’ – a forever language. It’s a huge occasion for pride and community-building for many on the University of Otago campus; here’s what Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori means for many tauira.  Kiritea Smith, Project Manager at the Office of...

Background Checking Wanna-be Mayors

If you’ve gone on a cruise out of town lately, you’ll have clocked the shocking array of roadside billboards begging for that sweet democratic #1 ranking. Last week, OUSA hosted the candidates for the upcoming local body elections in a series of forums, held in the Main Common Room at 12pm from Monday to Wednesday.  A portion of candidates vied for the student vote, while some missed the event altogether (low student voting...

Champion One Day, Crumbling the Next

You probably know the entire menu at Burger N Beast off by heart, but couldn’t explain where your degree comes from without citing another white guy. Brutal? Maybe. True? Definitely. And before you clutch your pearls, name one Māori scholar without opening Google. Thought so. Let’s go. I’m not going to stroke your ego, but drag the part of your brain that worships 2x speed lectures and goes mute the moment...

Amnesty Youth Debuts Night Lecture Series

In only their second year of existence, Amnesty Youth Otago (AYO) have rapidly become one of OUSA’s most on-to-it clubs. Fresh off the heels of winning Team of the Year at the recent Amnesty Dove Awards, the team is channeling their efforts into a new initiative: a lecture series. And as an added bonus beyond students’ typical lectures, AYO’s night classes promise both refreshments and kai. Critic Te Ārohi sat down with...

From Ūawa to the Unknown: Six Weeks Across Taiwan

My journey started back home in Ūawa, with my whānau helping me gear up for my first-ever trip abroad – beyond Aussie, at least. From Christchurch, across to Hong Kong and finally over to Taiwan, it took five months of prep before we were even ready to step on that plane. Leaving home felt like being pulled from safe shores and thrown into the open ocean. Yet amid the chaos – airports, train stations, customs, language...

Dear Heeni

How can I practice when I’m at the beginner stage? E hoa, start small but start everywhere. Whatever you see in arm’s reach, learn the kupu for it – Māori dictionary is your new best friend. My biggest tip? Start with transliterations...

Debatable: Should all first-years have to take a reo Māori paper?

Against Freedom: that's what I love about the university experience.  Ah, public school. Thirteen years of "do...

Da Smoothie Bar

East Coast Sunrise A crisp citrusy pour in bright orange-yellow tones, kissed with a hint of kiwi, served over ice with a salted rim. Orange to taste the sunrise, pineapple to taste the warmth, kiwi to taste freshness – and that salted rim to taste...

Horoscopes: Issue 22 2025

Pisces Burnout is imminent. Try stop it before it happens otherwise the rest of your year is probably wharked. Try getting a good sleep schedule, or a good energy drink regimen to help bring a bit more energy into your life. Tō Wero Reo Māori: Swap...

OUSA Exec: Revitalising te Reo Māori

E hika mā, kua eke te reo! He aha te mea nui o tēnei wiki? He reo Māori, he reo Māori, he reo Māori! This week marks the 50th celebrations of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori....

Student Pen Becomes Magical Sword

Ah, Otago students, we know how it is. You're forever time poor; all those books, never enough time to actually read them. So, you can imagine Critic Te Ārohi’s surprise when we heard...

100 Dancers Storm the TCol Stage

Otago Dance Association (ODA) are tumbling headfirst down the rabbit hole this month with the crowning jewel of the club: their annual showcase. Mark your calendars for the 26th and 27th of September...

Critical Tribune: EMERGENCY: Snow Forecast for Union Lawn Microclimate as 36 Tonnes of Snow Scheduled to Arrive this Thursday

Panic sweeps through the University of Otago campus this week after meteorologists issued an unprecedented forecast predicting...

Flaunt Your Fashion

Open my whakapapa and you won’t find a tidy capsule collection, but a wardrobe crowded with pieces that refuse a singular aesthetic. Among the Jordans, arab silks sit beside pounamu pieces; between the stacks of NFL jerseys, a hijab folds next to...

Editorial: Passion 4 Protest

During my studies, I've picked up on a throughline that isn’t always named outright: the role of wāhine Māori in the resurgence and survival of te reo Māori. From the emergence of Te Kōhanga Reo and the frontline of activism, to...

FACEBOOK

Radio 1   OUSA