Archive

Skeptic Schism | Issue 2

Posted 6:26pm Sunday 1st March 2015 by Wee Doubt

Imagine if I were to show you a million dollars in cash with one hand and a loaded gun with the other. I then tell you that I will give you the money and walk away if you believe that John Key is, at that moment, wearing a chicken suit and riding a tricycle to Helen Clark’s house for a play-date. If Read more...

Proctology | Issue 2

Posted 6:26pm Sunday 1st March 2015 by Laura Munro

T he proctor said that during Orientation, “the behaviour of most students was great.” The week had its problems, though, including a great deal of broken glass and excessive noise. The noise be came particularly troublesome for commercial operations in the student quarter. Hotels, in Read more...

Editorial | Issue 2

Posted 6:26pm Sunday 1st March 2015 by Josie Cochrane

I love people having a good rant and getting things off their chest. Go for gold, say what you want. What’s difficult though is when people take offence and then decide to use that as a platform to insult people back or think it makes them a better person. I am not easily offended — it makes you Read more...

Love is Blind | Issue 1

Posted 4:35pm Sunday 22nd February 2015 by Lovebirds

Christian A charming, puppy-loving, milkshake-drinking Dunners guy. He’s got the chat, the moves, but just needs the girl. The night started out with the lads setting a concrete limit of no more than four Diesels. I then had a couple of lovely ladies critique my outfit, thus ensuring Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 1

Posted 4:35pm Sunday 22nd February 2015 by Steph Taylor

We’re wheely proud too. As anticipated, the ODT has provided us with some finely tuned puns. This surely answers the age old question that alliteration and puns are all you need to know when writing a headline. No, this article is not just another Read more...

From the Back of the Class | Issue 1

Posted 4:35pm Sunday 22nd February 2015 by Finbar Noble

C icero, the great Roman philosopher, lawyer and statesman, once mused that “a man who knows nothing of what happened before he was born shall remain forever a child.” Rudge from Allan Bennett’s The History Boys said, “How do I define history? It’s just one fucking thing after another.” Though Read more...

Whole lotta love | Issue 1

Posted 4:35pm Sunday 22nd February 2015 by OUSA Student Support

If you’re flatting this year, chances are you’ll have a great time and meet some amazing people, but the flatting experience can devolve into a never-ending C-grade splatter film pretty quickly. Here are a few über-simple tips and suggestions to get you off to a good start. Get Read more...

A broad view | Issue 1

Posted 4:35pm Sunday 22nd February 2015 by Emma Cotton

I n April of 2010, I sat in my living room in New Jersey and stared at the cover photo of the New York Times. The wings of a New Orleans pelican were drenched with black, sticky oil. On TV, the black, billowing smoke soared in plumes from the Deepwater Horizon rig. 757 million litres of crude Read more...

David Clark | Issue 1

Posted 4:35pm Sunday 22nd February 2015 by David Clark

Welcome to 2015. I love the vibe in North Dunedin at this time of year. A critical mass of students brings a surge of energy into the electorate — and it’s infectious. This isn’t my first appearance in Critic, but for those of you I haven’t yet met, I’m your local electorate MP David Clark. I Read more...

Crush on campus | Issue 1

Posted 4:35pm Sunday 22nd February 2015 by Miss X

Each week Critic wants to hear from you if you’re struggling to approach the man or woman of your dreams. Does she always sit on that front row seat and give the lecturer far more attention than you’re comfortable with? Does he stroll past your window each morning and your only attempts at getting Read more...

Skeptic Schism | Issue 1

Posted 4:35pm Sunday 22nd February 2015 by Wee Doubt

Ah, the 1790s. A time before germ theory and anaesthesia, when medical doctors would bleed, purge and burn their patients to restore their four “humours”, or life forces, to balance. Miasma theory, the idea that disease was caused by bad smells, was considered a radical new science. Witch-hunts were Read more...

Bouncing off the halls | Issue 1

Posted 4:35pm Sunday 22nd February 2015 by Staff Reporter

F or those Critic newbies, Bouncing off the Halls follows the lives and times of our wee freshers as they embark on the voyage of “self-discovery” in Dunedin’s illustrious halls. Here, disgusting deeds are exposed and every saucy secret is thrust into the open. Please be aware, this column is Read more...

Editorial | Issue 1

Posted 4:35pm Sunday 22nd February 2015 by Josie Cochrane

Issue one: Mission accomplished Orientation Week is a blast. Even spending the majority of it in an office trying to figure out how we’ll come up with a 48-page magazine in a week, it is still a very special time of the year. Reuniting with friends, finding new ones, partying every Read more...

Love is Blind | Issue 27

Posted 11:58pm Sunday 12th October 2014 by Lovebirds

Critic’s infamous blind date column brings you weekly shutdowns, hilariously mismatched pairs, and the occasional hookup. Each week, we lure two singletons to Di Lusso, ply them with food and alcohol, then wait for their reports to arrive in our inbox. If this sounds like you, email Read more...

Too much screens | Issue 27

Posted 11:58pm Sunday 12th October 2014 by Sam Fleury

Free your mind for a moment of whatever you know of Hannibal Lecter from the cinema. Let go of Anthony Hopkins and fava beans. Don't let go of them completely, because they'll be relevant soon enough, but for now, set them aside. In their place, I want you to picture Mads Mikkelsen in an Read more...

Science, Bitches | Issue 27

Posted 11:58pm Sunday 12th October 2014 by Hannah Twigg

Well, we’re finally here. The final column for 2014. We hope you’ve had an excellent year, because we’ve had an awesome run and a great couple of years bringing science to Critic. We thought we’d take our final column as time to reflect on the science we’ve brought to the column, and all the fun Read more...

Defending the kingdom | Issue 27

Posted 11:58pm Sunday 12th October 2014 by Elisabeth Larsen

What did you do in the last 15 minutes? Walk to Uni, waste time on facebook, take a long shower that annoyed your flatties? 15 minutes feels eternal from a Monday morning lecture theatre, but in the grand scheme it’s a fraction of a microsecond. Yet every 15 minutes something happens that is very Read more...

Queer Eye | Issue 27

Posted 11:58pm Sunday 12th October 2014 by Sir Lloyd Queerington

Looking back over my last five years as a queer rights activist, I have noticed that I face the same ignorant bullshit from people. Here are my top five: So like now you have marriage equality, what is left to fight for? There is this idea out there that achieving marriage equality was the Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 27

Posted 11:58pm Sunday 12th October 2014 by Kristen Stewart

Very perceptive, ODT. Examination period has truly begun. Yes, we suppose students could get their applications in earlier. Or the government could pull its head in and give Studylink the resourcing it needs. Not that we don’t like listening to an entire Brooke Fraser album while Read more...

Editorial | Issue 27

Posted 11:58pm Sunday 12th October 2014 by Zane Pocock

The title says it all: due to the complete exhaustion that follows the constant sprint that is producing Critic every week, I genuinely wish this final editorial were a fluff piece. But thanks to a seemingly indestructible rape culture in our country, it seems unjust to waste an opportunity to Read more...

Love Is Blind | Issue 26

Posted 1:49pm Sunday 5th October 2014 by Lovebirds

BoyWell, we didn’t have sex. I thought I would save you all the time by just coming out and saying that. But for those who want to read on … It was as I went to the Octagon that I realised that I didn’t know where Di Lusso was. Resembling a man with his thumb up his arse, I managed to Google Read more...

Too much screens | Issue 26

Posted 1:49pm Sunday 5th October 2014 by Sam Fleury

I'd love to visit New York City. I feel like I know exactly what it would be like. Part of the reason I'm so certain is that there are a bunch of shows I love which largely take place around Brooklyn and Manhattan, which definitely feel like they're happening in the same place. With any luck, that Read more...

Queer Eye | Issue 26

Posted 1:49pm Sunday 5th October 2014 by Sir Lloyd Queerington

A pretty, young, white, rich, heterosexual, cisgender woman got up at the United Nations and made a speech about how important it is for men to get on board with movements towards greater gender equality. It was a nice, non-confrontational speech that has already been spread widely on social media Read more...

Defending the kingdom | Issue 26

Posted 1:49pm Sunday 5th October 2014 by Oska Rego

While teaching and travelling in what is now Zimbabwe and Malawi, my grandmother chose not to accept the barriers of apartheid. She stuck out as a lone white woman amongst African friends knowing that at least a passive stand was the moral thing to do. Parallels between racism and speciesism have Read more...

Science, Bitches | Issue 26

Posted 1:49pm Sunday 5th October 2014 by Elsie Jacobson

I’m pretty sure everyone reading this has had antibiotics before. To be honest, they’re pretty great. But the way we use them has to change. When Louis Pasteur first noticed a fungi killing his bacteria, the arms race between bacteria and antibiotics began. In 1928, he noticed that a compound the Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 26

Posted 1:49pm Sunday 5th October 2014 by Kristen Stewart

Battle of the sheep took place right under our noses, with “Big Ben” taking the win. Old time favourite Shrek had his unofficial world record for heaviest fleece nabbed by Big Ben’s 28kg wool load. ODT reports that there were no hard feelings between the two. Maybe because Shrek the sheep has Read more...

Editorial | Issue 26

Posted 1:49pm Sunday 5th October 2014 by Zane Pocock

With letters flooding in to Critic, it is high time to address the feature “Call Me Crazy,” published in Critic Issue 24 (22 September). Before I go on, if I’m honest with myself, there is a balance in my opinion here. On one hand, without the benefit of hindsight, I would likely have Read more...

Love Is Blind | Issue 25

Posted 2:58pm Sunday 28th September 2014 by Lovebirds

Critic’s infamous blind date column brings you weekly shutdowns, hilariously mismatched pairs, and the occasional hookup. Each week, we lure two singletons to Di Lusso, ply them with food and alcohol, then wait for their reports to arrive in our inbox. If this sounds like you, email Read more...

Too much screens | Issue 25

Posted 2:58pm Sunday 28th September 2014 by Sam Fleury

An ungodly amalgam of basically the two most disparate genres one could think of — sketch comedy and hospital soap — Green Wing was basically conceived on a dare. A full hour-long in length, each episode of Green Wing is like a little oasis of strange, with comedic scenes of interpersonal drama and Read more...

Queer Eye | Issue 25

Posted 2:58pm Sunday 28th September 2014 by Sir Lloyd Queerington

Firstly thanks to the readers of Queer Eye who responded to the guest columns on Lesbian Sex. My guest columnist appreciated the feedback and the discussion it inspired about the diversity of the queer community. In relation to this feedback I need to make the following declarations: the following Read more...

Defending the kingdom | Issue 25

Posted 2:58pm Sunday 28th September 2014 by Elisabeth Larsen

More and more people are rejecting the “absolute” nature of veganism. The “all or nothing” attitude can be very alienating, and even put people off considering going vegan. And it’s difficult in today’s world as well. We aren’t growing our own crops, instead relying on the integrated markets. Read more...

Science, Bitches | Issue 25

Posted 2:58pm Sunday 28th September 2014 by Audrey Nelson

“We have got a body in that RV, and it's getting warmer outside, understand? And we have got to do something about that soon. And in a way that no one will ever find it. Now that last part is very, very important. Therefore, it seems to me that our best course of action would be chemical Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 25

Posted 2:58pm Sunday 28th September 2014 by Kristen Stewart

A young woman has been awarded a literary award for tweeting. What a sad time we are in, when tweeting is being acknowledged as literature. It won’t be long until they start awarding the best YouTube comments. Even this woman stopped her limo on the way to get married to make her vote Read more...

Editorial | Issue 25

Posted 2:58pm Sunday 28th September 2014 by Zane Pocock

In some of the most significant (and rare) space news to reach the public recently, it was revealed that India’s satellite now orbiting Earth’s near neighbour Mars cost the equivalent of only NZ$95 million. Meanwhile, US military spending last year alone cost NZ$804 billion, all the while funds to Read more...

Love Is Blind | Issue 24

Posted 3:00pm Sunday 21st September 2014 by Lovebirds

Critic’s infamous blind date column brings you weekly shutdowns, hilariously mismatched pairs, and the occasional hookup. Each week, we lure two singletons to Di Lusso, ply them with food and alcohol, then wait for their reports to arrive in our inbox. If this sounds like you, email Read more...

Defending the kingdom | Issue 24

Posted 3:00pm Sunday 21st September 2014 by Freya Sawbridge

My friend posted a video of a group of girls torturing some birds in a local park. She was outraged by this act. Fair enough. Nonetheless, for me, the incident highlighted the idea that if one person is unkind to an animal it is considered to be cruelty, but when a lot of people are unkind to Read more...

Queer Eye | Issue 24

Posted 3:00pm Sunday 21st September 2014 by Lesbi-Honest

As promised, here is the follow up to last week’s “Lesbian Sex 101” column! This week we are looking at the top four lesbian sex positions. These positions were chosen based on a combination of Internet popularity, as well as my own personal preference, so they do not reflect all lesbians. Read more...

Science, Bitches | Issue 24

Posted 3:00pm Sunday 21st September 2014 by Hannah Twigg

If you’re not a coffee drinker, you’re probably a tea person. What do these delicious beverages have in common? One of society’s favourite drugs: caffeine. If we take a look at the plants these beverages come from, they look pretty different. Why is it, then, that these two species of plant produce Read more...

Too much screens | Issue 24

Posted 3:00pm Sunday 21st September 2014 by Sam Fleury

Two per cent of the world's population disappears in the blink of an eye. Those who disappeared don't really seem to have anything in common, morally or otherwise, as they were taken equally and at random from all across the globe, and the world is left grasping around in the dark for answers. HBO's Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 24

Posted 3:00pm Sunday 21st September 2014 by Kristen Stewart

Nearly 10,000 people aged between 18 and 34 in Dunedin are not enrolled to vote. Was the cover of last week’s Critic not clear enough? This is one way to raise money for a new children’s playground: lure people to an old derelict hospital, bring it to life as a creepy asylum, and Read more...

Bouncing off the halls | Issue 24

Posted 3:00pm Sunday 21st September 2014 by Staff Reporter

Let’s crack into it, shall we? We begin with breaking news: an underground, black-market nightclub has sprung up at the very heart of one of Dunedin’s most prestigious halls. At Studholme – okay, I lied about the prestigious part – one student turned his bedroom into a Read more...

Guest Editorial | Issue 24

Posted 3:00pm Sunday 21st September 2014 by Josie Cochrane

Elections are over! By the time you read this, you'll know who is the new top dog of the Government. I'll keep my election talk to a minimum here, it would be painful to both you and I to spend any more time on that topic. But in the middle of the political shit storm that has occurred over the Read more...

Love Is Blind | Issue 23

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Lovebirds

Critic’s infamous blind date column brings you weekly shutdowns, hilariously mismatched pairs, and the occasional hookup. Each week, we lure two singletons to Di Lusso, ply them with food and alcohol, then wait for their reports to arrive in our inbox. If this sounds like you, email Read more...

Defending the kingdom | Issue 23

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Elisabeth Larsen

As a student, I’m always keen to scope out cheap restaurants. Circadian Rhythm on St Andrew’s Street (just down from Starbucks, Auckland girls) is one of my favourites. The food is excellent value for money, the staff are lovely, they have adorable hipster-friendly board-games and squashy couches, Read more...

Queer Eye | Issue 23

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Sir Lloyd Queerington

Whether it’s from the privacy of your private porn collection, or from your weekly Orange is the New Black fix, I’m sure the majority of Critic readers have seen some kind of raunchy lesbian sex scene. But how accurate are those scissoring scenes that you pleasure yourself to in portraying how Read more...

Science, Bitches | Issue 23

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Elsie Jacobson

It’s another Monday morning. You stumble out of bed, bleary-eyed, and throw on some clothes. You’re running late, so you chew a piece of toast as you climb onto your Moa. Trotting to uni, you barely dodge some asshole’s Haast Eagle on Castle Street and make it just in time for your 9am. “I wouldn’t Read more...

Too much screens | Issue 23

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Sam Fleury

With the rise of home video, streaming, and widespread torrenting of TV shows, it's become clear in recent years that the lines between television and online video content are artificial. TV was once defined by its limits (one new episode of your favourite show a week, lasting half an hour or an Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 23

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Kristen Stewart

Walking hand in hand on the beach, staring into each other’s eyes across a romantic dinner, going upstairs to consummate the marriage yet again ... all normal activities for a honeymoon. Drunk driving to pick up your sloshed bride after a night in the cells? Not so much. The police Read more...

Guest Editorial | Issue 23

Posted 4:38pm Sunday 14th September 2014 by Carys Goodwin

I wonder what I’ll do after the election. Have time to think, I’d imagine, or perhaps I’ll finally get around to watching The Wire. No doubt by the time the next election has rolled around, the stress-induced mania will have faded into an aching nostalgia, and I’ll be left wishing for the first door Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 22

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Allison Hess

Hoho! This headline is perhaps a little crude but nonetheless not a bad pun coming from ODT (for once). A couple of would-be thieves failed to getaway after raiding a jewellery store; why, you might ask? One had a broken leg and the other a prosthetic leg – not exactly ideal conditions to be in Read more...

Love is Blind | Issue 22

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Lovebirds

Jake GyllenhaalWhile slurping at a tepid cocktail of one parts Boredom and three parts Lagging Social Life, I decided it might be fun to sign up for Critic’s infamous blind date. This was my first miscalculation. Arriving at di Lusso entirely too early (second miscalculation), I sat down with Read more...

Too Much Screens | Issue 22

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Sam Fleury

In Treatment's structure was an unusual formal experiment. Each week, five episodes would air on HBO, with each weekday corresponding to a weekly session with one of therapist Paul Weston's patients: On Mondays he sees Laura; Tuesdays, Alex; and so on, until Friday, when he sees his own Read more...

Queer Eye | Issue 22

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Sir Lloyd Queerington

“I’m coming out … I want the world to know, I’ve got to let it show!” Ah, Diana Ross, you captured how fantastic it is to burst out of the closet in a few, fabulous song lyrics. Unfortunately you missed how bloody scary it can be and how potentially dangerous it can be. To understand coming Read more...

Science, Bitches | Issue 22

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Elsie Jacobson

I know being a teenager was a hard time for a lot of us, but imagine going to your mum’s funeral then waking up the next morning to find your family jewels had been replaced with, well, lady bits. Think your teenage identity crisis was bad? This is the life of the clownfish, which makes for a bit Read more...

President's Column | Issue 22

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Ruby Sycamore-Smith

Voting is open! Have you walked past the libraryrecently? Go out and cast your vote! Hello to you all, and thank you to those nationwide who have had a new found interest in my column! I enjoyed a formal letter from the Southern Young National Party who have completely misread my previous Read more...

Bouncing off the Halls | Issue 22

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Staff Reporter

This week begins with some shocking behaviour from Cumberland College, earning its reputation for being the most disgusting and depraved dungeon of degenerates Dunedin has ever seen. Cumberland residents are continuing to make reports of human faeces “smeared” around the toilet block Read more...

Defending the Kingdom | Issue 22

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Sarah McGaughran

There is no doubt that being a conscious consumer is a tough task these days. Animal testing is a problem that often slips our mind when reaching for items on the shelf. We “like” and “share” posts on Facebook showing cute bunnies and beagles, disgusted that harm is inflicted upon them, yet each Read more...

Editorial | Issue 22

Posted 11:52pm Sunday 7th September 2014 by Zane Pocock

Students at Otago are exceptionally lucky this election, considering all of the opportunities they have to be informed before voting. After a couple of speed-humps, Critic and the OUSA NZ General Election Drive have finally launched the website studentvote.co.nz – here you can find a succinct Read more...

Love Is Blind | Issue 21

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Lovebirds

Critic’s infamous blind date column brings you weekly shutdowns, hilariously mismatched pairs, and the occasional hookup. Each week, we lure two singletons to Di Lusso, ply them with food and alcohol, then wait for their reports to arrive in our inbox. If this sounds like you, email Read more...

Too much screens | Issue 21

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Sam Fleury

It's the 1980s, and prolific (if not actually talented) horror author Garth Marenghi is at the height of his fame. Naturally, he makes the move to the small screen. But his envelope-pushing scares are, for whatever reason, pulled from the schedule before airing. Until now. The network has uncovered Read more...

Defending the kingdom | Issue 21

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Elisabeth Larsen

For all of us over at the Law School, the Honourable Michael Kirby requires no introduction. He served as a Justice of Australia’s highest court from 1996 until 2009. Though he is well into his 70s, Michael is now chairing the UN Human Rights Commission of Inquiry, investigating human rights abuses Read more...

Queer Eye | Issue 21

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Harlequin

Warning for graphic surgical trauma/abuse The first words that will have been heard by most of the people alive on this planet today — statistically, about 99.95 per cent — are a triumphant “it’s a boy!” or “it’s a girl!” But what about the others: that one child in 2,000? Intersex is Read more...

Science, Bitches | Issue 21

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Hannah Twigg

So why would I bother talking about the naked mole rat – a pink, hairless, toothed rodent from eastern Africa? Perhaps you better know them as the species that charismatic sidekick from your child/teenhood was (Kim Possible, anyone?). Have you ever Google image searched for a naked mole rat? If not, Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 21

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Kristen Stewart

Why has this never happened to Dan Carter?! “Error” of epic proportions: TVNZ aired a raunchy condom advertisement during a TV movie about New Zealand’s most high profile rape trials. Sometimes unfortunately placed advertisements can be hilarious … not so much in this case. Anything Read more...

Editorial | Issue 21

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 31st August 2014 by Zane Pocock

The great Oil spill of 2014 has spread to the students, with recent email conversations released by the anonymous Twitter account @whaledump indicating a conspiracy by Cameron Slater and his buddy Aaron Bhatnager (who is inextricably tied up in Judith Collins’ latest of many headaches) against an Read more...

Love Is Blind | Issue 20

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Lovebirds

Critic’s infamous blind date column brings you weekly shutdowns, hilariously mismatched pairs, and the occasional hookup. Each week, we lure two singletons to Di Lusso, ply them with food and alcohol, then wait for their reports to arrive in our inbox. If this sounds like you, email Read more...

Too much screens | Issue 20

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Sam Fleury

The Larry Sanders Show is set in a very particular time and place, namely the world of US late-night talk shows between 1992 and 1998, when the show was airing. The formula has remained largely unchanged for decades now: a man (it’s always a man) wears a suit, and sits behind a desk for an hour, Read more...

Queer Eye | Issue 20

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Sir Lloyd Queerington

I like to think that I give a crap about people living in poverty. I give monthly to charities, I sign petitions, I educate myself and try to help educate others. I am pretty much a saint, but I don’t know what to do to help queers in poor countries. I sometimes wonder what motivates me to Read more...

Science, Bitches | Issue 20

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Elsie Jacobson

A fish splashes around a saltwater marsh in California, its silvery flank flashing like a mirror in the sunshine. An ant quietly slips away from its colony in the canopy of a Thai forest. And a mouse in New Zealand suddenly loses its fear of cats. All of these animals are the victims of mind Read more...

Defending the kingdom | Issue 20

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Christian Hardy

From 4–8 August the University of Otago chapter of the Student Animal Legal Defense Fund (SALDF) hosted “Animal Law Week 2014.” You may have noticed some of our posters around campus, especially in the vicinity of Richardson Building. You may even have gone to a few of our events. But who exactly Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 20

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Kristen Stewart

Seriously? It appears the ODT has got reoccurring beef with Kim’s large frame. Only 30 minutes? That definitely doesn’t give enough time to fully convey the complex procedure that is hand-washing. On first glance, we wondered how someone could look so happy when holding a Read more...

Te Roopu Maori column | Issue 20

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Te Hau White

The New Zealand general election is fast approaching and there are an abundance of storylines and sideshows regarding it. On 20 September everyone over the age of 18 who is a New Zealand citizen can have a say in whom they believe can represent them in our parliament. As a politics major I often Read more...

Bouncing off the halls | Chronicles of Castle

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Staff Reporter

Due to the great success and controversy of last week’s Bouncing Off the Halls, Critic is back with more stories of booze, boobs and bodily fluids. This time we’re moving away from the stomping grounds of Dunedin’s filthiest freshers to the drunk, disorderly, disgusting and Read more...

Editorial | Issue 20

Posted 12:53am Monday 18th August 2014 by Zane Pocock

It has always intrigued me that you can receive a barely-passing mark for an assignment and have no idea what you did wrong. I recently got such a report back. The “Discussion” section had only ticks – with a mark for the section of 13/30. Yet another section not only had the same saturation of Read more...

Love is Blind | Issue 19

Posted 9:16pm Sunday 10th August 2014 by Lovebirds

Critic’s infamous blind date column brings you weekly shutdowns, hilariously mismatched pairs, and the occasional hookup. Each week, we lure two singletons to Di Lusso, ply them with food and alcohol, then wait for their reports to arrive in our inbox. If this sounds like you, email Read more...

Too Much Screens | Issue 19

Posted 9:16pm Sunday 10th August 2014 by Sam Fleury

Review stars Andy Daly as Forrest MacNeil, a man whose job it is to review life experiences. The context (not to mention the reality) of this job is uncertain. We know that he has a production team around him, and that what we are watching is the finished product, but his family and friends from Read more...

Queer Eye | Issue 19

Posted 9:16pm Sunday 10th August 2014 by Sir Lloyd Queerington

across all hook-up apps. This column will not tell you how to get the finest cock or tit from Tinder but will instead dispense advice on staying safe. That might not sound like as much fun, but it has the potential to save you from life-threatening diseases and those creeps out there who want to do Read more...

Science, Bitches | Issue 19

Posted 9:16pm Sunday 10th August 2014 by Laura Illston

If you live fast you will probably die young, and one day the universe will come to an end. Both of these facts are examples of science telling you things that you didn't want to hear. But science wants to make it up to you! This week it will attempt to cheer you up with some good news: you know all Read more...

Defending the Kingdom | Issue 19

Posted 9:16pm Sunday 10th August 2014 by Elisabeth Larsen

“But, it can’t be that bad if it’s legal!” We irritating bleeding hearts hear this quite regularly in regards to Factory Farming and its continued legality in New Zealand. We even do stuff like rally against it – like we did a couple of weekends ago in New Zealand’s five biggest cities. Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 19

Posted 9:16pm Sunday 10th August 2014 by Kristen Stewart

Woo! it’s about time they provided some choice on Andersons Bay road in South D. A new Wendy’s is opening for times when you don’t feel like McDonalds. Or Burger King. Or Subway. Or KFC. Or Hell Pizza. Fatty Lane, you have a serious rival. See, ODT, you can come up with Read more...

Editorial | Issue 19

Posted 9:16pm Sunday 10th August 2014 by Zane Pocock

As reported by the ODT on Friday 1 August, Dunedin city councillor Lee Vandervis has called for video surveillance of Scarfie-ville to “prevent vandalism.” There is a huge problem with this, and it’s because of how much students have improved their behaviour recently. Largely driven by a Read more...

Love is Blind | Issue 18

Posted 9:43pm Sunday 3rd August 2014 by Lovebirds

Critic’s infamous blind date column brings you weekly shutdowns, hilariously mismatched pairs, and the occasional hookup. Each week, we lure two singletons to Di Lusso, ply them with food and alcohol, then wait for their reports to arrive in our inbox. If this sounds like you, email Read more...

Too Much Screens | Issue 18

Posted 9:43pm Sunday 3rd August 2014 by Sam Fleury

Before Mystery Incorporated, the Scooby-Doo franchise had the dubious honour of being much loved, but without any real examples of greatness. The previous series had a lot to love about them, but they firmly existed in an episodic world, designed to keep kids entertained on a parent’s bleary Read more...

Queer Eye | Issue 18

Posted 9:43pm Sunday 3rd August 2014 by Sir Lloyd Queerington

The other week there was a piece in The Press about the homophobia faced by a young man called Jay Claydon when he was playing semi-professional rugby. Jay’s story, and others’ like his, highlights the entrenched issues we have in our society in relation to masculinity, sexuality and gender Read more...

Science, Bitches | Issue 18

Posted 9:43pm Sunday 3rd August 2014 by Hannah Twigg

OK, so how many of you have joked about sleeping with your textbook under your pillow? How many have actually tried? In moments of desperation before tests and exams, we’ve all hoped for some kind of overnight understanding. Well, it turns out that this kind of wishful thinking isn’t worth ruling Read more...

Defending the Kingdom | Issue 18

Posted 9:43pm Sunday 3rd August 2014 by Oska Rego

Last month the University of Otago’s Veganism and Animal Rights Society hosted a screening of Earthlings, a 2005 film exploring shocking displays of speciesism in industries built on pets, food, clothing, entertainment and science. Standard practise exploits animals without regard for their Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 18

Posted 9:43pm Sunday 3rd August 2014 by Kristen Stewart

This article begs the question: WHY, ODT, WHY!? Taking pointless and ridiculous reporting to a new level, the article describes how an intoxicated Irish woman broke into an apartment, where she then locked herself in a cupboard and proceeded to urinate throughout. Adding insult to Read more...

Bouncing off the halls | Issue 18

Posted 9:43pm Sunday 3rd August 2014 by Staff Reporter

It’s been a while, but Critic has decided to return with a full lowdown of shenanigans going on at your favourite Halls of Residence. To kick off, a Senior Resident at Selwyn has lost his job after beginning relations with a fresher. The 24-year-old was given an ultimatum to either break off Read more...

Guest Editorial | Issue 18

Posted 9:43pm Sunday 3rd August 2014 by The Rt. Hon. General Gold Bastard

For those who don’t know me, allow me to introduce myself: I am the Rt. Hon. Gold Bastard, supreme leader of Critic’s four editorial goldfish. My days start unpredictably. I drive my harem to go nuts when the first of our giant pet nematodes walks in, but they’re good at ignoring us despite Read more...

Love Is Blind | Issue 17

Posted 10:15pm Sunday 27th July 2014 by Lovebirds

Critic’s infamous blind date column brings you weekly shutdowns, hilariously mismatched pairs, and the occasional hookup. Each week, we lure two singletons to Di Lusso, ply them with food and alcohol, then wait for their reports to arrive in our inbox. If this sounds like you, email Read more...

Defending the kingdom | Issue 17

Posted 10:15pm Sunday 27th July 2014 by Elisabeth Larsen

“BUT I BUY FREE-RANGE! LEAVE ME ALONE, YOU DIRTY STINKING HIPPY!” At some point in the near future, you may well find yourself saying this to some random in New World. He may or may not be wearing hemp pants. With the chia seeds and quinoa in his basket, he peers dubiously at the “free-range” Read more...

Too much screens | Issue 17

Posted 10:15pm Sunday 27th July 2014 by Sam Fleury

Hijinks ensue when six friends try to navigate the complicated world of relationships ... Happy Endings’ premise is not unique, but its execution is. Beginning with the breaking up of Alex and Dave’s wedding, Happy Endings follows them and their group of friends as they try to figure what comes next Read more...

Science, Bitches | Issue 17

Posted 10:15pm Sunday 27th July 2014 by Elsie Jacobson

From the honeybee waggle-dance, to the moonwalking red-capped manikin, to your dad’s awkward shuffle, everyone loves a boogie now and again. It’s hard to resist tapping your feet when a groovy tune comes on, but what is it about certain songs that make them so danceable? Imagine, for a Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 17

Posted 10:15pm Sunday 27th July 2014 by Kristen Stewart

Poor Dent students, their beloved Medical Library is being moved to make way for animal testing facilities! Hang on a minute … is it just us, or is anyone else concerned about how animal testing is deemed a lesser concern than dentistry students missing out on a study space that isn’t even Read more...

Guest Editorial | Issue 17

Posted 10:15pm Sunday 27th July 2014 by Loulou Callister-Baker

Buried in 15-year-old documents, receipts and eccentric handwritten art proposals, I try and identify the junk from the historical documents at the Blue Oyster Art Project Space. I have been going through these archival documents for two months. At times it feels repetitive but, more often than not, Read more...

Love is Blind | Issue 16

Posted 5:12pm Sunday 20th July 2014 by Lovebirds

Critic’s infamous blind date column brings you weekly shutdowns, hilariously mismatched pairs, and the occasional hookup. Each week, we lure two singletons to Di Lusso, ply them with food and alcohol, then wait for their reports to arrive in our inbox. If this sounds like you, email Read more...

Too much screens | Issue 16

Posted 5:12pm Sunday 20th July 2014 by Sam Fleury

Idiosyncratic shows have to train their viewers how to watch them. But as television seasons get shorter, there is less time to do that. At 10 episodes, this year’s Fargo cuts right to the idiosyncratic chase. So, without giving anything away, here are some things I think you should keep in mind Read more...

Queer Eye | Issue 16

Posted 5:12pm Sunday 20th July 2014 by Sir Lloyd Queerington

So it’s election year, they tell me, and that means we need to prepare ourselves for an onslaught of bullshit. This will come in the form of empty promises, pithy soundbites and accusations flying left, right and centre! Often the right of politics (Act, National and the Conservatives) will accuse Read more...

Science, Bitches | Issue 16

Posted 5:12pm Sunday 20th July 2014 by Laura Illston

Most of us are familiar with what it feels like to be running out of time. We know what it is like to power walk to a lecture or feel the self-loathing associated with pushing an assignment to the last minute. But what exactly is this thing we want more of? Will we ever be able to control it? Let’s Read more...

Defending the kingdom | Issue 16

Posted 5:12pm Sunday 20th July 2014 by Elisabeth Larsen

A few months ago, animal lovers all over the country rejoiced at the news that the notorious Brougham Park egg farm (just over the hill at Mosgiel) was to be closing down. However, the new owner of the property did not wish to keep the farm, and so all the laying hens were to be culled (killed, for Read more...