Archive

Crossword Answers - Issue 7 2026

Posted 1:37pm Tuesday 14th April 2026 by The Quizzler

Across: 1 - Great King Street 8 - Detonator 9 - Trunk 11 - Absorb 12 - Russell Crowe 16 - Steroid 17 - Edibles 19 - MDMA 20 - Mowed 22 - Adieu 23 - Endorsement 24 - NRL Down: 1 - Gladiator 2 - Ecstasy 3 - Thin 4 - Nicotine 5 - Sus 6 - Rewrap 7 - The Killers 10 - Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: Summer School Gets Steamy

Posted 3:59pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Lady Pain Grey

To set the scene, it was Summer School. Already a pretty cursed time of year. Half the campus was deserted, and the people left milling around campus were a little strange. I mean, who does Uni during the holidays? To add to the isolation, none of my flatmates had moved in yet. I was bored out of my Read more...

A Word From Know Your Stuff

Posted 3:56pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by KnowYourStuff Otago

Who are we?  KnowYourStuffNZ is a peer-led drug checking and harm reduction service that has been operating since 2015. We address the lack of factual, proven information available to drug users about the substances they intend to take by providing drug checking and drug-related information Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 7 2026

Posted 3:51pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by The Orb

Taurus Your current employer is making you wanna quiet quit, or even just straight-up ghost them. Even though the job market is fucked, it can’t be worse than your current job. The next desk your resume lands on will be the right one. You deserve higher than minimum wage anyway. Your Read more...

Inclusion On Campus

Posted 3:29pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Rihana Warsame

Within my short time as Welfare and Equity Representative, and throughout my studies in general, there is one topic that has come up consistently: students who identify as being in one or more equity groups often feel “othered”. This can come from not feeling included in conversations Read more...

Editorial: Drugs are Everywhere

Posted 3:25pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Gryffin Blockley

Kia ora and welcome to Critic Te Ārohi’s annual Drug Issue. This happens to be one of Critic’s most popular issues (alongside the sex issue – maybe we are all as mature as we think we are as young adults).  The first article I wrote for Critic in my tenure as Co-Editor Read more...

Better Cones and Gardens: The Logistics Behind a Rager

Posted 3:08pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Jonathan McCabe

Fresh out of first year halls, it’s finally your turn to host the party of the century. Last year, the tenants threw a rager – as did the ones dating back for the last fifteen years. No pressure! Whether you're chasing Lakehouse-level chaos or just trying to avoid a flop, the Read more...

Booze Review: Cody’s Bourbon & Cola 7%

Posted 3:05pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Swig60

Sup pissers and shitters. This week we set out with one goal: to tackle a tried-and-true Kiwi classic. It’s a drink with a reputation that walks the line between nostalgia and being a straight up punishment in a can. It’s Cody’s week – so get in the backseat of a Nissan Read more...

Crossword Answers - Issue 6 2026

Posted 12:34pm Sunday 29th March 2026 by The Quizzler

Across 1. Armenia 4. Two face 7. Goat 8. Verified 10. Seem 11. Inbred t13. Cables 15. Busted 17. Crook 18. Suspended 20. Tee 21. Rule Of Thumb 22. Nature 23. Enticing Down 1. Agressor 2. Exterminator 3. Invinsible 4. Twisters 5. Feeble 6. Exalted 12. ESPN 14. Shut Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 6 2026

Posted 12:12pm Sunday 29th March 2026 by The Orb

Pisces As you hear the Clock Tower strike twelve at Pint Night, you’ll rush to buy another shot. However, in your haste to get drunk, you will lose your three year old Converses. It’s not guaranteed your Prince Charming will find them, but maybe your next two-week situationship Read more...

Editorial: What is a question that you are really scared to know the answer to?

Posted 12:09pm Sunday 29th March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Hey there! Welcome back, and see you soon. It’s about to be the midsemester break, after all. It’s my week to do the editorial. I’ve procrastinated writing this until the night it was due, too stubborn to let Gryffin take over doing it instead. I scrolled through a lot of Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: DO NOT BLOW ME LIKE A FUCKING WHISTLE, BABY!

Posted 12:09pm Sunday 22nd March 2026 by Sam Jones

From the clickbait title, I would like to preface that I am a woman and not a whistle. There was a guy I was seeing and he was a bit of a freak, unfortunately not in a good way. Like he was just straight up weird. However, I succumbed to the idea of us having D1 basketball babies as he was Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 5 2026

Posted 12:04pm Sunday 22nd March 2026 by The Orb

Taurus Your inner child is running away from you. As you sit through your unnecessarily long lecture, you will wish you were still a kid who didn't have to put up with lectures and assignments. But enjoy the phase you're in right now, because you'll graduate eventually and forget all Read more...

OUSA Exec: Happy Saint Paddy’s (belated)

Posted 12:02pm Sunday 22nd March 2026 by Daniel Leamy

Kia ora students,  Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to all those who celebrated last Tuesday. Whether you were up well before the sunrise kitted out in green, or simply enjoying the sunshine between classes, the vibe around campus was unreal. The weather played ball in a rare Dunedin W, and Read more...

Editorial: I Became Friends with a Thirty-One Year Old – And You Should Too

Posted 11:59am Sunday 22nd March 2026 by Gryffin Blockley

I met David in line for a concert in Auckland a couple months back. I was faced with the feat of attending a gig alone, as someone who is a victim of a relatively insufferable music taste and introvertism. Despite not having mates by my side, it wouldn’t motivate me any further to face my Read more...

Crossword Answers - Issue 5 2026

Posted 7:45pm Saturday 21st March 2026 by The Quizzler

ACROSS 1 Metal band responsible for songs like 'Chop Suey' 8 Broadcasting 9 Book of the Bible containing hymns and such 10 Common version of Google 11 Doing nothing 12 Teased and mocked 13 Mythological warrior women 18 Transferred from parent to offspring 19 Cool, venomous Read more...

From the Pātaka

Posted 7:42pm Saturday 21st March 2026 by Brady Simeon

A few weeks into the semester, and the pace has already picked up for Te Rito. Between fresher flu outbreaks, the tamest St. Paddy’s Day of the decade, and the slow disappearance of week-one motivation, TRM has been doing its part to keep things interesting. Naturally, there are a few things Read more...

Booze Review: Miami Wine Cooler

Posted 7:39pm Saturday 21st March 2026 by Joan of Rark

Here lay the bodies of Swig60, our former and beloved Booze Reviewers… Nah. Sike, cuz! They just got a little too rowdy on Paddy’s and now can't even look at alcohol. Let alone write about it. So this task falls to me, Joan of Rark, the 2025 Booze Reviewer.  Grab your Read more...

Proctology – 29

Posted 7:36pm Saturday 21st March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Like ships in the night, Critic Te Ārohi and the Proctor haven’t been in direct contact for a while. Our communication has mostly been through Uni Comms media statements – like toxic exes that use their child to communicate. “Well, you can tell your father that I Read more...

Critic Lite

Posted 7:59pm Saturday 14th March 2026 by Critic

Last week, Critic Lite* hit stands with a reduced page count. For 2026, the magazine is alternating between 36-page and 16-page editions every other week. This change was announced in Issue 25 of Critic Te Ārohi last year, but many people did not know about this until the first Critic Lite* was Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 4 2026

Posted 7:40pm Saturday 14th March 2026 by The Orb

Pisces You're going to get ragebaited beyond belief this week. Seeing that your dealer has a 50-inch TV, while you had to sell your soul for the $50 note in your hand, will cause you to question if your degree is worth it. It's probably not, but you have started, so may as well Read more...

Editorial: My Reflections on International Women's Day and Baby Keem

Posted 7:37pm Saturday 14th March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

International Women’s Day was around a week ago now, on March 8th. I think a decent amount about what it means to be a woman, and the majority of the time my sentiment is that I’m very happy to be one.  However, I am a special kind of woman. I’m an intimidating one. I Read more...

Crossword Answers - Issue 4 2026

Posted 7:26pm Saturday 14th March 2026 by The Quizzler

Across: 1 - Green Lantern 7 - Rodrick 8 - Burrito 9 - KO 10 - Lego 13  - Rollerblades 18 - Salamander 20 - Heroism 21 - Nuance 22 - Auctioned Down: 1 - George Lucas 2 - Eroding 3 - Napier 4 - Turbo 5 - Nebraska 6 - Depose 9 - Kneepads 11 - Or 12 - Abhorrent 14 - Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: Issue 3

Posted 12:14pm Sunday 8th March 2026 by Lady Pain Grey

Ah… Second year. The time that life feels like it is peaking – and it absolutely was. I was flatting with my best friends, I still had all my summer money and exams hadn't started yet. It was that sweet spot in the semester between St Paddy's and Hyde Street Party. Nothing felt Read more...

Letters: Issue 3 2026

Posted 12:03pm Sunday 8th March 2026 by Critic Staff

AN OPEN LETTER ABOUT THE FUTURE OF CRITIC TE ĀROHI Last year, I had the honour of judging the Aotearoa Student Press Awards, where Critic Te Ārohi capped off its 100th birthday by winning Best Publication for the 13th time in the last 20 years.  Critic Te Ārohi is not only Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 3 2026

Posted 11:53am Sunday 8th March 2026 by The Orb

Scorpio Your lecturer keeps mumbling and refuses to wear their mic right, causing that all-too-familiar antsy feeling to creep back in. So this time, rather than changing your whole degree again, try going to UniPol and get that serotonin hit that makes you feel grounded. Your perfect crime: Read more...

OUSA giving students a reason to engage

Posted 11:49am Sunday 8th March 2026 by Flynn Nisbett

OUSA is the green sign on the way into town, Clubs and Socs, and the people that run O-Week. That is what we are, but it isn’t all we are.  Some think OUSA should be just a service provider, steering clear of taking political stances in fear of alienating some. Others think it should Read more...

Editorial: Optimism isn’t dead yet

Posted 11:46am Sunday 8th March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

If you’ve been on the internet recently, you may have noticed the world feels like it’s turning to shit. While we’re not here to say whether it’s all gonna be okay or not, we are here to preach the concept of optimism.  Being Co-Editors requires thick skin and Read more...

Better Cones and Garden: A Look Through The Hole in the Wall

Posted 11:27am Sunday 8th March 2026 by Jonathan McCabe

What happens when you – or someone you invited – destroys the walls of your flat? In the first edition of this brand new column, I speak to two students who have had to deal with the fallout of a rager turned rage room. Throughout this series I, a nosy neighbour on a relentless Read more...

From the Pātaka

Posted 11:23am Sunday 8th March 2026 by Brady Simeon

The early weeks of the semester always feel a bit like the campus stretching its legs again. And once things get moving, they move quickly. A lot’s happened over the past few weeks – so first things first, we’re clearing out the pātaka. Something Spicy There hasn’t Read more...

Booze Review: Tui Vodka Red

Posted 11:18am Sunday 8th March 2026 by Swig60

Salutations suckas and suckettes. It was our mission this week to provide an Electric Ave Booze Review, but at $14.50 a drink – and the fact some beloved members got turned away at the bar – Swig60 says “fuck that”. Here’s a Tui Vodka Reds review instead.  First Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 2 2026

Posted 2:39pm Sunday 1st March 2026 by The Orb

Pisces It's time to go for another round of groceries, because that fuzzy mush in the back of your fridge will not sustain you. Break open your piggy bank and have a cry in New World when you see how much eggs cost this week. If you were a drug you'd be: Ritalin Capricorn Your Read more...

Crossword Answers - Issue 2 2026

Posted 1:53pm Sunday 1st March 2026 by The Quizzler

Across 1. Jumanji 4. Gorilla 7. Goo 9. Tuatara 10. Brainiac 12. Taxidermy 13. Asian 14. Trickles 16. Moa 17. Hot 19. MCs 22. Negative 23. Cheetah 24. Enigma 26. Edward Norton 27. Pi   Down 1. Jabba the Hutt 2. Activist 3. IG 4. Read more...

Editorial: Where did all the pages go?

Posted 1:51pm Sunday 1st March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Last year, Gryffin and I were faced with one of the first tough decisions we’d need to make as Co-Editors. Critic is funded by OUSA, and due to the increasing cost pressures they face, Critic changing to a fortnightly publication was pretty much all but confirmed. We fought hard to make sure Read more...

Editorial: An Obituary to $4 Lunch (2021-2025)

Posted 3:12pm Sunday 22nd February 2026 by Hanna Varrs

It was the first day of Ori last week, and underneath the (short-lived) sun of a packed-tent city, our shit was rocked. After innocently opening an Instagram story from our friends OUSA Clubs & Socs, $4 Lunch had been unceremonially rebirthed as $5 Lunch. What seemed like the last bastion of Read more...

Crossword Answers - Issue 1 2026

Posted 2:36pm Sunday 22nd February 2026 by The Quizzler

ACROSS: 1. Lex Luthor 5. Skrillex 10. GG 11. Androids 12. Narcotic 14. Ellie 16. IT 17. Drank 20. Slasher 21. EN 22. Act 23. Settings 27. Yellowstone 29. Ghoulish 31. Bog 32. Ringtone 34. Horse 37. Up 38. Kiwi 39. Moe 40. Splinter 42. DS 43. FBI 46. Raisins 47. EA 48. Read more...

Te Rōpū Māori – Māori Students Association

Posted 2:26pm Sunday 22nd February 2026 by Te Rōpū Māori

Te Rito is the Student Executive team for Te Rōpū Māori and is made up of Tumuaki Takirua (Co-Presidents), Kaihāpai (Treasurer), Kaipāpāho Matua (Communications Officer), Kaiwhakahaere Kaupapa (Social and Events Officer), Ngā Āpiha Hauora (Co-Recreation and Read more...

OUSA Exec: Welcome Message

Posted 2:16pm Sunday 22nd February 2026 by Daniel Leamy

Kia ora students,  I hope everyone has recovered from the recent lashing of rain and enjoyed O-week. It’s always chaotic, exciting, and at times overwhelming, but it’s also one of the things that makes being an Otago student so special.  You’re part of an incredibly Read more...

Mi Goreng Graduate: Greek Traybake

Posted 4:25pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Ruby Hudson

We have arrived at the final recipe of the year! Greek traybake is my all time favourite dinner so it felt like an apt way to finish up my column at the fabulous Critic Te Ārohi. This recipe is totally hands off to cook, uses seasonal ingredients, and is utterly delicious. In my opinion you Read more...

Booze Review: Jam Shed Shiraz

Posted 4:18pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Joan of Rark

Hello team, Joan here. I would just like to take a moment to point out (not that it hasn't been mentioned by every other bastard in the twenty something pages you went through to get here) it is the last issue for 2025. With that comes some sad goodbyes, particularly Miss Boss Lady, Nina Read more...

Local Produce: Kesi.ink

Posted 4:12pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Jonathan McCabe

For the final edition of the year, one brave soul got our logo tattooed onto her tricep. Tevya Faed, one of Critic Te Ārohi’s finest illustrators added to her collection of tattoo’s booking in for an appointment with her go-to tattoo artist, Kesi. In a post-match interview with Read more...

Editorial: Long Live Critic

Posted 2:54pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Nina Brown

There have been many versions of this editorial – my last. First was the list of evidence I’d compiled for the eventual case to be made that I’ve aged out of studenthood. It started at the first Critic drinks in O-Week when, rather than opting for Scrumpy (the best value for Read more...

OUSA Exec: Kia Kaha, Otago

Posted 2:33pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Liam White

As this year draws to a close, I’ve found myself reflecting on the year we’ve had, the people I’ve worked alongside, and what this university really stands for. When I first stepped into this role, I promised that our Executive would do things differently. We didn’t always Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: The Ghosts of Beds Past

Posted 2:22pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Lady Jane Grey

Have something juicy to tell us? Send your salacious stories to moaningful@critic.co.nz. Submissions remain anonymousIf you’re anything like me, you’ve probably had a few memorable moments between the sheets of whatever bed you currently call home. But after a recent revelation that Read more...

Debatable: Is it reasonable to leave your stuff in the library during a lunch break in exam season?

Posted 2:07pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Zoe Eckhoff

For: Whatever happened to the childhood sacrality of dibs? If your stuff is there, that spot is yours and yours only. You snooze, you lose suckers. But let's not forget the trade off here, because in leaving your belongings behind you are putting yourself at risk of some devious Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 26 2025

Posted 2:05pm Monday 13th October 2025 by The Orb

Pisces You have been drinking way too much alcohol and having too much fun considering how close to the end of the semester we are. Time to take a break from staying up until 3am every night of the weekend and time to lock yourself in the library to get shit done. Your tattoo style: Read more...

Local Produce: Subpar Analogue Music

Posted 10:55pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by Via Hooks

Subpar Analogue Music is the latest brainchild of Mario Girardet (of Caribou) and Jeremy Kinley (of The Audio Visual Drop Kicks). The music collective encompasses music recording, events managing, and flat gigs – tied together by a shared ethos of community. Mario and Jeremy outlined a new Read more...

Booze Review: Franky’s Lemon Crush & Cola Lime

Posted 10:32pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by Joan of Rark

At this point in the year I’m struggling to think of booze I haven’t yet reviewed, so I’ve taken to perusing the aisles of Leith Liquor and squinting at the shelves to see if anything’s unfamiliar. And well well well, what do we have here? New-to-the-scene Franky’s, yet Read more...

Mi Goreng Graduate: Kofta Kebabs

Posted 10:29pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by Ruby Hudson

Serves: 5 Time: 30 mins  Picture yourself sitting on a beach in Euro summer, sunkissed with an aperol spritz in hand. A mental image that can only be improved by an epicly tasty mediterranean meal… cue Kofta Kebabs! These are super easy to make and quite frankly, delicious. You can Read more...

OUSA Exec: President-Elect’s Piece

Posted 10:24pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by Daniel Leamy

Kia ora peeps,  It’s your 2026 President here. Thanks to everyone who voted in the OUSA elections. We had our best voter turnout in five years, so a huge thank you to all that turned out.  Congratulations to all the candidates that ran for the Executive. The campaigns were Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: Always Have a Plan B

Posted 9:58pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by Critic

Have something juicy to tell us? Send your salacious stories to moaningful@critic.co.nz. Submissions remain anonymous. So I was all set to fly up to Christchurch – flights booked, outfits planned – all to see this guy I’d been chatting with. Two days before I’m meant Read more...

Horoscopes Issue 25 2025

Posted 9:56pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by The Orb

Pisces Your daydreams have been full of love, art, and a future where you don't live in your shithole flat. It is awesome to have hopes and dreams, but remember that the bed you dream in needs its sheets changed at least every month. And lately that has not been the case. Task to tick off the Read more...

Editorial: Get Behind the Rental Warrant of Fitness

Posted 9:54pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by Nina Brown

Cars can be dangerous to your wellbeing. If they have a dodgy wheel bearing, thin tyres, a cracked windscreen or a dying battery, they don’t pass their warrant of fitness. It’s too dangerous to drive. Before you’re allowed to have your car on the road, you have to fix the Read more...

Debatable: Should Athletes Be Allowed to Compete Openly on Performance-Enhancing Drugs?

Posted 9:53pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by Molly Smith-Soppet

Pro Enter the Enhanced Games. Essentially the Olympics on steroids (literally), this event is funded by three big time venture capitalists and has a huge team of doctors, professors, and lawyers involved. They will do state-of-the-art medical profiling, blood, urine, brain imaging, and genomic Read more...

Booze Review: Gin Tasting

Posted 12:40am Monday 29th September 2025 by Gin Swigmore

Everyone has one type of alcohol that induces an experience so vile they simply cannot look at the drink again. Mine is gin. Whenever I think of it, I think of that time I drank enough pink gin to put me gently to sleep on a friend’s bathroom floor. But regardless, it was Saturday and I wanted Read more...

Mi Goreng Graduate: Okonomiyaki

Posted 12:22am Monday 29th September 2025 by Ruby Hudson

Time: 40 mins  Serves: 4 Okonomiyaki is a Japanese street food that fits the taste and budget of student life! A savoury pancake chock full of cabbage, noodles, and other goodies, this recipe is easy to whip up on a weeknight. If you don’t need to cook for a crowd, the mixture is Read more...

OUSA Exec: Let’s talk about clubs, baby

Posted 12:18am Monday 29th September 2025 by Deborah Huang

As the end of the year rapidly approaches (probably sooner than most of us with exams and assignment deadlines would like), club activity has begun to die down. What with last-minute events, eleventh-hour constitutional amendments, and AGMs that take way too long, no doubt that handover can’t Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: Blocked and Cocked

Posted 10:59pm Sunday 28th September 2025 by Critic

Have something juicy to tell us? Send your salacious stories to moaningful@critic.co.nz. Submissions remain anonymous. Last year, I made out with a guy in town I’d never met before. I thought it was a random, throwaway moment – until he tried to follow me home. Romantic? Creepy? Read more...

Local Produce: IVY Revisited

Posted 10:58pm Sunday 28th September 2025 by Jonathan McCabe

In case you haven’t heard, Ōtepoti alt-rock band IVY is boasting the release of their first album, Hush. The group formed in 2020 while still at school in Dunners, but quickly rose up the ranks of Dunedin’s music scene. The lads broke into the student music scene in 2023 performing Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 24 2025

Posted 10:55pm Sunday 28th September 2025 by The Orb

Pisces This month you have felt like ‘a plastic bag, drifting through the wind’ and that is more than okay. Sometimes people just don't feel grounded, and that little voice in your head telling you “we live on a floating rock, nothing matters” really does not help. Your Read more...

Editorial: I Love Fat Bear Week

Posted 10:53pm Sunday 28th September 2025 by Nina Brown

It was Fat Bear Week last week. As the newly elected Exec for 2026 cheersed to a successful campaign period and the marvel that is Canva premium, I was reading the profiles of 11 chunky bears from bed with a tear in my eye – of gunk from the conjunctivitis I’d contracted, but you know. Read more...

Debatable: Is it a red flag for someone to not be interested in politics?

Posted 10:51pm Sunday 28th September 2025 by Via Hooks

For:  To not care about politics at all basically means that you have to not care about the destruction of the environment, the cost of living, and the eroding rights of women, queer and racialised people. Basically it’d be like selecting for people who are both out of touch and Read more...

Booze Review: Great Northerns

Posted 6:32pm Sunday 21st September 2025 by Joan of Rark

G’day cunts and cuntesses, shrimp on the barbie and all that. This week's booze reviews is Great Northerns, the official beer of drink driving to K’gari in your old man's ex mine 70 series landcruiser. But it's okay, ‘cos it’s not like driving on the beach at low Read more...

Mi Goreng Graduate: Sundried Tomato Orzo

Posted 6:26pm Sunday 21st September 2025 by Ruby Hudson

Time: 1 hr  Serves: 5  This sundried tomato orzo is a little creamy, a little indulgent, and a lot tasty. Providing a super hearty and delicious dinner, the whole flat can enjoy this one. Delicious heated up the next day for a cheeky lunch which is a bonus - that is if there’s Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: Climax Interrupted: Greenpeace Edition

Posted 6:23pm Sunday 21st September 2025 by Lady Jane Grey

Have something juicy to tell us? Send your salacious stories to moaningful@critic.co.nz. Submissions remain anonymous. On today’s episode of scandalous sex stories, we bring you the thrilling timing of a Greenpeace phone call. My girlfriend and I had been dodging their calls for Read more...

Local Produce: Stapled Noise

Posted 6:04pm Sunday 21st September 2025 by Jonathan McCabe

The alternative music scene in Ōtepoti is a passionate one, marked by a resurgence of punk and grunge and a growing all-ages scene. Third-year Polytech Communication Design student Ash McFarlane wanted his final project to be a love letter to the community that welcomed him. Stapled Noise is an Read more...

OUSA Exec: Vote.

Posted 6:00pm Sunday 21st September 2025 by Amy Martin

Every year students have plenty to say about OUSA, and don’t get me wrong, that’s exactly how it should be. But if you’ve got strong opinions about who should be leading and advocating for you in 2026, the best way to make sure you’re heard is to vote!  The Executive Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 23 2025

Posted 5:46pm Sunday 21st September 2025 by The Orb

Pisces Try to be present this week. You're exhausted and that makes it easy to check out. But your friends have put a lot of effort into seeing you and checking up on your wellbeing, so don't do them dirty by being uninterested in their lives. Your Biggie’s Pizza Order: Victoria Read more...

Editorial: I’d Say We’re Pretty Lucky

Posted 5:40pm Sunday 21st September 2025 by Nina Brown

I don’t know about you, but these past couple of weeks have left me reeling. Both on campus, in wider Ōtepoti, in national and international news (I won’t linger on this one too long), it’s as if whoever runs the simulation has turned up the dial to “hard” and left Read more...

Debatable: Can short-form media do major news stories justice?

Posted 5:38pm Sunday 21st September 2025 by Nina Brown

For Attention spans are cooked, the world is moving at lightning speed, and you only have so much time to dedicate to keeping up with current affairs before we’re onto the next bombshell moment. You can barely sit down for a piss without refreshing your phone, and expecting students to Read more...

Editorial: Passion 4 Protest

Posted 2:15pm Monday 15th September 2025 by Heeni Koero Te Rerenoa (Sky)

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 the dining rooms where karakia were Read more...

OUSA Exec: Revitalising te Reo Māori

Posted 1:20pm Monday 15th September 2025 by Pororangi Templeton

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. The acts of our kaumātua and the voices of our tauira Māori at university in  the Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 22 2025

Posted 12:06pm Monday 15th September 2025 by The Orb

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 “leshgo” for Read more...

Da Smoothie Bar

Posted 12:03pm Monday 15th September 2025 by Critic Staff

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 the beach.  120 ml orange Read more...

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

Posted 11:55am Monday 15th September 2025 by Harry Almey

Against Freedom: that's what I love about the university experience.  Ah, public school. Thirteen years of "do this," "study that," "these are your classes," and "you must wear this [basic-as] uniform". Being forced to wear a tie made me hate Read more...

Dear Heeni

Posted 11:51am Monday 15th September 2025 by Heeni Koero Te Rerenoa (Sky)

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 and slang! It’s fun, low-stress, Read more...

Mi Goreng Graduate: Roast Tomato Soup

Posted 6:08pm Sunday 7th September 2025 by Ruby Hudson

Time: 1 hr 15 mins  Serves: 4 When shopping seasonally during winter, fresh tomatoes are generally off the menu at my house. Sadly, no tomatoes means no tomato soup during soup season. Thankfully this year I have found a workaround: canned tomatoes! They taste the same once roasted, are Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: The Flip Phone Fumble

Posted 6:04pm Sunday 7th September 2025 by Lady Jane Grey

Have something juicy to tell us? Send your salacious stories to moaningful@critic.co.nz. Submissions remain anonymous. It all began at a flat party where I met a man who looked like he’d been frozen in time since 2005. Spikey blue hair, skinny jeans hanging on for dear life, and that Read more...

Debatable: Should flatmates be banned from opening windows in winter for fresh air?

Posted 5:52pm Sunday 7th September 2025 by Molly Liddell

For It's winter in Dunedin (spring technically begins on September 21) which means two things: the wind hurts your face and your power bill could bankrupt a small nation. Yet somehow there is always that flatmate, the one who decides the flat's already freezing lounge needs a "fresh Read more...

Booze Review: Cola Cruisers

Posted 5:44pm Sunday 7th September 2025 by Joan of Rark

They finally did it. The company who could at this point trademark the term “lolly water” have circled back to the original lolly water: Cola.  Whilst this stuff is not their first dabble into cola flavours, with cherry cola and vanilla cola being other flavour options, it took Read more...

OUSA Exec: Politics Week Is Back

Posted 5:18pm Sunday 7th September 2025 by Jett Groshinski

After two long, politics-free years, Politics Week is finally making its return – and honestly, it couldn’t come at a better time. This year, Ōtepoti students are getting front-row seats to one of the most underrated shows in town: local body elections. That’s right, the Read more...

Local Produce: Dunedinsound.com

Posted 4:47pm Sunday 7th September 2025 by Jonathan McCabe

More people than ever are recording what’s going on at gigs. But where do these videos go after the show? Maybe someone will post a few seconds onto their Instagram story, but once it expires, it’s gone. Fraser Thompson understands the danger that “lots of important and valuable Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 21 2025

Posted 10:40am Sunday 7th September 2025 by The Orb

Pisces Flat drama is brewing like the cups of Earl Grey left in your kitchen. Try to stay out of the way of the crossfire and lock yourself in your room or the library.  Microwave meal to make: Mixed chicken and beef two minute noodles Libra A hazy, dreamy cloud shrouds you this week. Read more...

Editorial: A Challenge to the Uni’s Monopoly on Scones

Posted 10:38am Sunday 7th September 2025 by Nina Brown

I learned why the supermarket duopoly is making butter a luxury grocery item last week. Features Editor Hanna patiently explained to me how competition is important to ensure that prices meet demand, and why there being two major supermarkets in Aotearoa means prices inflate to the point of there Read more...

Booze Review: Wild Boar Bourbon & Cola

Posted 10:38pm Sunday 24th August 2025 by Gin Swigmore

I drank Wild Boar Bourbon and Cola while playing a 1983 version of Trivial Pursuit. Half of the questions were about the Soviet Union. Fitting. Like oil and water, bourbon and communism just don’t mix. Drinking Wild Boar makes you feel like you’d be complicit in the Red Scare. The drink Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: The Travelling Cum Jumper

Posted 10:36pm Sunday 24th August 2025 by Dirty Talk

Have something juicy to tell us? Send your salacious stories to moaningful@critic.co.nz. Submissions remain anonymous. Salty, bitter, metallic – the distinctive taste of cum. Caught off guard, I forget I can swallow. Matt lies down next to me while I pick up the nearest piece of Read more...

Mi Goreng Graduate: Cookie Dough Slice

Posted 10:26pm Sunday 24th August 2025 by Ruby Hudson

This week we are serving up a raw cookie dough slice, the perfect sweet to pair with a coffee or satisfy those afternoon choccy cravings. Packed full of goodies like dates, peanut butter and tahini, it gives you a more nutritious and affordable option to those vending machine treats. Make this up at Read more...

OUSA Exec: Romanticise Studenthood

Posted 10:23pm Sunday 24th August 2025 by Amy Martin

A few weeks ago, after a Pint Night, I spiralled into what can only be described as a mini existential crisis. I realised the countdown has officially begun. The final semester. Suddenly, the late night study sessions will feel nostalgic, a host will feel like a memory forming, and walking across Read more...

Local Produce: Pages Layn

Posted 10:06pm Sunday 24th August 2025 by Jonathan McCabe

Quickly rising the ranks, Pages Layn is getting around Dunedin like a juicy piece of gossip, popping up all over the place, opening just about any gig they can. Having debuted at the first Pint Night of the year, this pack of punters have now managed to score themselves a spot on Rhythm & Alps Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 20 2025

Posted 3:24pm Sunday 24th August 2025 by The Orb

Pisces Your flatmate dishes are starting to look like a biohazard. Channel your fiery rage into either cleaning them or weaponising them to tear the flat dynamic apart in the group chat. Either way, it's a good way to get some of those pent up emotions out. This week's crime: Catfish your Read more...

Editorial: I Want Essential Workers on My Zombie Apocalypse Team

Posted 3:21pm Sunday 24th August 2025 by Nina Brown

To cope with long distance, my undergrad friend group has subscribed to a monthly newsletter called Letterloop. Each month brings a fresh set of questions for everyone to answer. They range from the mundane (“how’s work going?”), to the serious (“what’s your biggest Read more...

Debatable: Is pulling an all-nighter more effective than studying in advance?

Posted 3:19pm Sunday 24th August 2025 by Molly Liddell

For There is something almost heroic about pulling an all-nighter: 2am with an energy drink in one hand, wondering if your flatmates will ever know the sacrifice you made for this essay. You're not just a student, you're an academic weapon sharp enough to cut through half a semester's Read more...

Booze Review: Thunderdonk Salted Caramel Whisky

Posted 12:00am Monday 18th August 2025 by Gin Swigmore

Whisky is stoic as fuck. Four fingering a whisky glass makes you feel like a wise and mysterious cowboy – a cowboy that has just silenced a saloon with their presence after spending all day contemplating and riding off into the sunset. Drinking Thunderdonk makes you a mysterious and curious Read more...

Mi Goreng Graduate: Kūmara Fritters

Posted 11:58pm Sunday 17th August 2025 by Ruby Hudson

Time: 1 hr  Serves: 6  Fritters are the perfect way to use up those bits of vegetable you haven’t got round to, and always make a tasty lunch. This recipe makes the BEST crispy crunchy kūmara fritters that are perfect on their own or as a side dish! Depending on the size Read more...

Debatable: Is Ed Sheeran copying Jackson Pollock?

Posted 11:55pm Sunday 17th August 2025 by Liberty Murray

Yes After successfully defeating the plagiarism allegations on his music, Ed Sheeran may not be so successful when it comes to his paintings. The singer doesn’t claim to be a fine artist, but still sells his work? His chaotic, paint-splattered pieces clearly mimic Jackson Pollock’s Read more...

OUSA Exec: Getting Through the Final Weeks of Winter

Posted 11:35pm Sunday 17th August 2025 by Daniel Leamy

Alright, legends. We’ve finally hit the last stretch of the cold Dunedin winter. By now your flat probably feels like an igloo, the stench of wet laundry won’t go away, and the mould on your bedroom ceiling is growing faster than your will to study and your tolerance for flatmates’ Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: Electric Feel

Posted 11:14pm Sunday 17th August 2025 by Dirty Talk

Have something juicy to tell us? Send your salacious stories to moaningful@critic.co.nz. Submissions remain anonymous. — How about your hands? — Fuck yeah! If someone suggests tying you up, you'd assume they have a bit of experience with bondage. So you can imagine my Read more...

Local Produce: Let’s Craft

Posted 11:11pm Sunday 17th August 2025 by Jonathan McCabe

In a world where single use items are the norm and purchasing sustainable products can set you back an arm and a leg, it is the Dunedin students who have learnt to get crafty. Critic Te Ārohi spoke to two students who have successfully channeled their artistic side alongside their Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 19 2025

Posted 11:08pm Sunday 17th August 2025 by The Orb

Pisces There is much work to be done to create good habits with your finances. Don’t fall into the 3pm trap of cheap rice balls, let yourself just ‘pop into’ Chemist warehouse, or journey to PAK’nSAVE without a grocery list. Be mindful and you'll be rich by the end of Read more...

Editorial: Praying at the Altar of Art

Posted 11:06pm Sunday 17th August 2025 by Nina Brown

I’m sick of talking about art in the context of how dire the current artistic landscape is. We get it; there’s no funding, AI is taking over the world, Bachelor of Arts graduates are somewhat screwed (I can say that, I am one), and Act’s arts spokesman took 20 minutes to think of a Read more...