Archive

Science, Bitches! | Issue 18

Posted 3:50pm Sunday 4th August 2013 by Hannah Twigg

We all know that the living standards in the ghetto of North Dunedin can be pretty bad. Images of mouldy rooms, condensation on the windows every morning and milk being left on the bench (since it’s colder in the flat than in the fridge) spring to mind. Staying not only warm, but also healthy, is Read more...

Hi Dr. Nick | Issue 18

Posted 3:50pm Sunday 4th August 2013 by Dr. Nick

Pop quiz: what’s the most common mental health disorder in New Zealand? If you’ve seen John Kirwin on TV, you probably answered depression. If you’ve read Te Rau Hinengaro: The New Zealand Mental Health Survey (or copied from the guy sitting next to you) you might have answered anxiety disorders. Or Read more...

Daily Grind | Issue 18

Posted 3:50pm Sunday 4th August 2013 by M and G

Rating: 4/5 Unless you’re regularly around the Teachers College area of campus you may be unfamiliar with Fluid Espresso, which is located on the corner of Union East and Forth Streets next to the Campus Wonderful Store. The small coffee bar is buzzing early in the morning, especially with Read more...

Get Out Of The Ghetto | Issue 18

Posted 3:50pm Sunday 4th August 2013 by Phoebe Harrop

Contrary to popular belief, minigolf is not simply the domain of awkward family holidays in smalltown New Zealand. In fact, you might say that minigolf is undergoing something of a sporting renaissance, enjoyed as a fun flat outing by many an Otago student as well as by hordes of overly-competitive Read more...

Love Is Blind | Issue 18

Posted 3:50pm Sunday 4th August 2013 by Lovebirds

YokoI knew I was either going to have the best night ever or leave immediately, and it was totally up to mystery boy to impress me. I was worried he’d be a stereotypical Scarfie there for the free feed, but I was very wrong. After a small pre-load, the BYO was alright and I really enjoyed Read more...

The More Things Change | Issue 18

Posted 3:50pm Sunday 4th August 2013 by Jessica Bromell

This week, technology progresses again, but politics doesn’t. August 6, 1806: The Holy Roman Empire ceased to exist after nearly 850 years of being neither holy, Roman, nor an empire. It was actually a union of Central European political territories (or something equally complicated) and had Read more...

Jacobin on Hyde | Opinion

Posted 3:50pm Sunday 4th August 2013 by Jacobin

Every year I have been at Otago there has been noise about the death of Scarfiedom in this very publication. My noise is probably no different … except it is personal. The personal is not always political, but in this case it is. At the heart of the issue of Scarfiedom is a type of Read more...

Saying No to the GCSB and TICS | Opinion

Posted 3:50pm Sunday 4th August 2013 by Guy McCallum

As a member of a party that has offered its support to a Government that wishes to expand the surveillance powers of intelligence agencies, I am often asked a very obvious question: do I support the GCSB or TICS Bills? No, I don’t. I’m not an expert, either, in the fields that these bills Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 18

Posted 3:50pm Sunday 4th August 2013 by Zane Pocock

This week, Critic was tempted to run with lines and lines of “I must deliver the newspaper every week”; but, dearest readers, we could already feel your disappointment. So turning to the website instead, here is a selection of your favourite newspaper’s best headlines. DCC to remove landslip Read more...

Editorial | Issue 18

Posted 3:50pm Sunday 4th August 2013 by Sam McChesney

Today, I want to talk about rape. Jesus, I had better get this one right. Specifically, I want to talk about rape jokes. Last week, Critic’s comics contained a rape joke. Three weeks ago, the same comic also contained a rape joke. Over the last few days I have been flooded – or at least, Read more...

The More Things Change | Issue 17

Posted 4:59pm Sunday 28th July 2013 by Jessica Bromell

This week, alcohol makes an appearance and breakfast changes forever. 2 August, 1377: In the name of land and power (as such things often are), a bunch of Russian troops faced off against a bunch of Mongol troops. It was at a place called Pyana River, and the memorable thing about it is that Read more...

Rebooting the Politics of Poverty | Opinion

Posted 4:45pm Sunday 28th July 2013 by Guy McCallum

Having been on the left, and now being on what I call the liberal right, I have detected a deficiency in the way poverty is addressed. Poverty is, of course, a broad problem, and it is obvious then that the issue of where to start is possibly the most intimidating part. But for the sake of getting Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 17

Posted 4:45pm Sunday 28th July 2013 by Claudia Herron

Like any good parent, the ODT played its part in ensuring that little Ava didn’t find out the truth after her pet lamb Larry was found burned and dumped on a doorstep. Like the tooth fairy, Santa, and the Easter Bunny, Larry’s true story will remain untold. God forbid that the two-year-old will ever Read more...

Editorial | Issue 17

Posted 4:45pm Sunday 28th July 2013 by Cordwainer Bird

In my fourth and fifth years I lived in a flat on High Street, south of the Octagon. It was a beautiful place: roomy and sunny, with its close proximity to numerous halfway houses guaranteeing a steady supply of oddball passers-by. In fifth year, we bought a projector and turned the living room into Read more...

Hi Dr. Nick | Issue 17

Posted 4:45pm Sunday 28th July 2013 by Dr. Nick

Those of you who aren’t studying some faggy arts degree like philosophy probably had exams before the mid-year break. In the build-up to those exams, you might have undergone what is medically referred to as “shitting bricks.” The anxiety, the stress, the fear – they’re all natural responses to the Read more...

Science, Bitches! | Issue 17

Posted 4:45pm Sunday 28th July 2013 by Elsie Jacobson

“Oh, how nice to see a familiar face!” Maybe that’s something your grandma said, but I’m sure it’s something we’ve all experienced. And it’s a good feeling, right? Unless they’re a dick, of course. Humans just love familiarity. It makes sense, evolution-wise: the people you know tend to be Read more...

The Loose Guide | Issue 17

Posted 4:45pm Sunday 28th July 2013 by Campbell Ecklein

There are probably a number of reasons why some of you hate going to class – early starts, yawn-worthy material and the droning voice of your lecturer can be enough to scare off the best of us. What the majority don’t realise is that there may be just one simple barrier between you and enjoyment of Read more...

Daily Grind | Issue 17

Posted 4:45pm Sunday 28th July 2013 by M and G

Rating: 3.5/5 When marching across the museum lawn early in the morning trying to focus your foggy brain on not getting lost in the Archway lecture block, the Museum Café may go unnoticed. However, taking up the majority of the Otago Museum foyer, it is a delightful coffee shop. The Read more...

Love Is Blind | Issue 17

Posted 4:45pm Sunday 28th July 2013 by Lovebirds

CrocodileI signed up to get a feed and A bar tab – and who knows, she could be pretty good-looking, right? Luckily she was (albeit fairly pissed, as was expected really). Some signs are better than others – introducing yourself twice in the same sentence isn’t great, but hey, I forgot her name Read more...

Proctology | Issue 17

Posted 4:45pm Sunday 28th July 2013 by Jamie Breen

“Think a bit before you do these dumb things.” – the Proctor, every interview ever. This week in “Proctology” is uneventful. According to the Proctor, “everyone’s been pretty good.” The only reason for this would be the cold weather and the ensuing lack of general motivation. Having said Read more...

Get Out Of The Ghetto | Issue 16

Posted 3:59pm Sunday 21st July 2013 by Phoebe Harrop

Trains are awesome. This might explain why so many people have weird obsessions with them. Irvine Welsh was one; he wrote a whole collection of short stories in heavy-going Glaswegian prose and called it Trainspotting (not actually sure why, as unless “heroin addict” is a weirdly-unrelated term for Read more...

Daily Grind | Issue 16

Posted 3:59pm Sunday 21st July 2013 by M and G

Rating: 4/5 Located across the road from Brunch ‘N’ Lunch on Frederick Street, this roastery headquarters should be the first port of call for those keen for a takeaway coffee around the Grange/ Leith/ Frederick Streets area. Behind the mysterious exterior lies a cosy café and store filled Read more...

Science, Bitches! | Issue 16

Posted 3:59pm Sunday 21st July 2013 by Bryony Leeke

This week, we’re bringing our scientific slant to the evolution of human sexual behaviours. It’s obvious that some of our sexual behaviours are different to those seen in most animals, so how did this come about? Does size actually matter? Humans certainly sport larger penises relative to Read more...

Hi Dr. Nick | Issue 16

Posted 3:59pm Sunday 21st July 2013 by Dr. Nick

According to Alanis Morissette, irony is like rain on your wedding day. In that sense, cancer is quite ironic: it is an unfortunate thing to happen, but completely unrelated to the literary technique that highlights the incongruity of the assumed nature and the underlying reality of things. What is Read more...

The Loose Guide | Issue 16

Posted 3:59pm Sunday 21st July 2013 by Campbell Ecklein

The recent snowfalls and generally icy weather conditions in our humble burgh have shed light on the gripping reality that Dunedinites aren’t prepared to deal with anything more serious than sleet. Situated at a latitude of almost 46° south, Dunedin somehow still manages to act surprised when snow Read more...

Love Is Blind | Issue 16

Posted 3:59pm Sunday 21st July 2013 by Lovebirds

FloTo be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from the night. The likelihood of a decent guy signing up for the blind date was small. So my flatmates and I spent the trip making plans for how to get me out of there in case I ended up with a boring guy in it for the free meal, or some creep just out for a Read more...

The More Things Change | Issue 16

Posted 3:59pm Sunday 21st July 2013 by Jessica Bromell

This week, numbers abound and humanity attempts to advance – to varying degrees of success. July 22, 1587: The second group of English settlers arrived at Roanoke Colony in the US in an attempt to establish a permanent settlement, and this was pretty much the last anyone in England ever heard Read more...

These Assholes Always Get Away … But Only For So Long | Opinion

Posted 3:59pm Sunday 21st July 2013 by Jacobin

As I write this column it is Bastille Day in France. Bastille Day is a celebration for anyone proud of the French Republic and what it stands for; or, more accurately, what the French Republic stands on, namely the dead bodies of kings and tyrants. After deliberative options had been exhausted, the Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 16

Posted 3:59pm Sunday 21st July 2013 by Jess Cole

In what had the potential to provide relief for anyone traumatised by Chucky or any of its incarnations, Tuesday’s headlines promised: Unfortunately, one of the biggest news stories of the week instead covered a doll auction accompanied by one of its creepiest images to date. Read more...

VSM: A New, Stronger OUSA | Opinion

Posted 3:59pm Sunday 21st July 2013 by Guy McCallum

Critic editor Sam McChesney refreshes some fond memories of mine in his editorial of 15 July. It was about that old political hatchet of yesteryear: Voluntary Student Membership. His “where are they now” analysis of students’ associations since VSM reminds me that a lot was left unsaid, or at least Read more...

Editorial | Issue 16

Posted 3:59pm Sunday 21st July 2013 by Sam McChesney

Religion in general, and Catholicism in particular, has rarely had anything useful to say on the subject of vaginas. Now, I’m no expert on the topic. For the most part, I know what to do with one (heyyy), but I’d still classify myself more as an “amateur enthusiast” than as a full-blown pro. But new Read more...

Science, Bitches! | Issue 15

Posted 8:23pm Sunday 14th July 2013 by Hannah Twigg

I know more than a few students who keep up to date with the newest technology, be it the Samsung Galaxy S4 or the iPhone 5. These phones, while larger than the crappy Nokia you had before you switched, keep getting smaller and thinner each time (with a few notable exceptions – I’m looking at you, Read more...

Hi Dr. Nick | Issue 15

Posted 8:23pm Sunday 14th July 2013 by Dr. Nick

To the two-thirds of you reading this in a lecture: take a pen and scribble out the “Dr.” in the “Dr. Nick” – this week I want to speak as a pleb. The other third: just cover the “Dr.” with your thumb or something; don’t go hunting for any makeshift ink in the library toilets. The reason I Read more...

Daily Grind | Issue 15

Posted 8:23pm Sunday 14th July 2013 by M and G

Rating: 0.5/5 Located in the centre of the link, Café Albany is the closest café for those in Central who don’t want to leave the building. Just like fresher tramps, their main action comes from people desperate for a quick fix and those who don’t know any better. The service at Read more...

The Loose Guide | Issue 15

Posted 8:23pm Sunday 14th July 2013 by Campbell Ecklein

For the better part of your lives, most of you have been labouring under the delusion that you are in control of your TV set and that it exists only to serve you. You would be wrong. Every time you switch on that attention-seeking slab of circuitry, you relinquish control of your thoughts, desires Read more...

Love Is Blind | Issue 15

Posted 8:23pm Sunday 14th July 2013 by Lovebirds

AshtonThe lads and I had the night planned quite a way out, just waiting for the right moment to reveal that we had secretly nominated one of the boys to partake in the renowned Critic blind date. When future Romeo found out about this he wouldn’t believe it, no matter how many times we all Read more...

The More Things Change | Issue 15

Posted 8:23pm Sunday 14th July 2013 by Jessica Bromell

This week, there is as much violence and mystery as you could want on a Monday morning. July 19, 64 AD: The Great Fire of Rome started, and no one knows how. One of the more sensationalist rumours was that Nero, the Emperor at the time, had started the fire so he could rebuild the city the Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 15

Posted 8:23pm Sunday 14th July 2013 by Jack Montgomerie

Emile and Dave were feeling chatty this week, apparently hoping the page would get their readers talking. The horoscope section had this to say: Nice try, Harlene. If you’re going to abbrev’, use the odd ‘postrophe. In our political system, Read more...

A Labour of Equality | Opinion

Posted 8:23pm Sunday 14th July 2013 by Guy McCallum

The Labour Party wants the option of banning men from standing in certain electorates – a bizarre stunt to give life to the wearied governing parties. What becomes obvious, sadly, is that Labour is not so sure what equality is, or what is actually more important. It also gives me a reason to Read more...

Proctology | Issue 15

Posted 8:23pm Sunday 14th July 2013 by Josie Cochrane

“Proctology” begins this week with some good old-fashioned pyromania. The Proctor believes that “running around chasing a friend with an aerosol can and a cigarette lighter trying to light it is not a very good idea. In fact it’s dumb.” The perpetrator has now seen the error of his ways and was Read more...

Editorial | Issue 15

Posted 8:23pm Sunday 14th July 2013 by Sam McChesney

The passage of Voluntary Student Membership (VSM) in 2011 was a very odd time. VSM, to those of you who are unfamiliar, changed the mechanism by which students would join students’ associations. Previously, universities could require students to join the association, and if students wanted to opt Read more...

Daily Grind | Issue 14

Posted 6:05pm Sunday 7th July 2013 by M and G

The Dispensary is a hidden Otago Uni gem. The kiosk-style café is tucked in behind Wishbone in the main entrance of Dunedin Hospital and the service is absolutely flawless, with all the staff being friendly and polite. This café is one to go to if you’ve got an early class in Colqhoun or around Read more...

Science, Bitches! | Issue 14

Posted 6:05pm Sunday 7th July 2013 by Elsie Jacobson

Welcome back! Got any second semester resolutions? Totes gonna write up notes after every lecture, go for daily runs, make it to every 8am, not pass out from drinking, spend less on chocolate? How about … be a little more green? I don’t mean stock up on buds, I mean little things like not driving Read more...

Hi Dr. Nick | Issue 14

Posted 6:05pm Sunday 7th July 2013 by Dr. Nick

Hi everybody, Before the break, one of the halls had a bit of a problem with the ol’ scabies mite. In the interest of college confidentiality, I won’t go naming names, but it’s on a hill and full of pretentious bell-ends, which narrows it down to at least four. Scabies (“the itch”) is Read more...

The Loose Guide | Issue 14

Posted 6:05pm Sunday 7th July 2013 by Campbell Ecklein

Welcome back, Scarfies. It’s that time of year when, freshly relieved of any responsibilities or parental supervision, you’re probably gonna get plastered. Repeatedly. That’s fine, but remember: a sloppy drunk is a lonely drunk. Here are a few tips to help you keep your cool, avoid embarrassment and Read more...

Get Out Of The Ghetto | Issue 14

Posted 6:05pm Sunday 7th July 2013 by Phoebe Harrop

Whether on a beautiful bluebird Otago day, or a nightmarishly stormy one, the quaint seaside town of Moeraki is worth a visit. Just a smidge this side of Oamaru, on State Highway 1, it’s famous for its large-ish and inconceivably spherical boulders which lie strewn around the beach – grey marbles Read more...

Love Is Blind | Issue 14

Posted 6:05pm Sunday 7th July 2013 by Lovebirds

Michael CeraFirst off, I would like to thank the misfortune of betting against the Germans for bringing me out on what was, well, let’s just say a rather mediocre night. While the mates came round more times than I could count, I somehow managed to be the only one to not have a memorable night. Read more...

The More Things Change | Issue 14

Posted 6:05pm Sunday 7th July 2013 by Jessica Bromell

Welcome to the second semester of “The More Things Change” – now with more historic events to commemorate as you please. This week, there are some great successes and some even greater failures. 11 July, 1776: Captain Cook set off on his third voyage, an attempt by the Admiralty to find the Read more...

Peter Dunne, Meet Your (Market) Maker

Posted 6:05pm Sunday 7th July 2013 by Jacobin

IPredict.co.nz, the New Zealand news-based stock market, is particularly notable for its explicit endorsement of insider trading, which is illegal in the “real” stock market. This lies behind iPredict’s amazing track record: it’s more accurate than most professional political polling companies. Read more...

ODT Watch | Issue 14

Posted 6:05pm Sunday 7th July 2013 by Zane Pocock

Now, now, ODT. We know you represent New Zealand’s farmers, but this headline describes a speech given at St. Margaret’s College: Ever resourceful, the “Opinion” section is forging a new route for print media at large with the informatively entitled rant: Meanwhile, our Read more...