Archive

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...

Mi Goreng Graduate: Roast Pumpkin Salad

Posted 10:12pm Sunday 10th August 2025 by Ruby Hudson

Serves: 6 Time: 1 hr  I hate to admit that I am not the biggest fan of hot vegetables. This causes some anguish in winter when I crave something fresh and salady but can’t fathom spending $5.99 on a cucumber. As a cure when winter provides pumpkins galore, I make roast pumpkin Read more...

Booze Review: Saints & Sinners

Posted 9:44pm Sunday 10th August 2025 by Joan of Rark

What is good! This week's booze review was kindly brought to you by me wanting to intentionally get another mockable beverage so you lot don’t think I’m an alcoholic.  Saints & Sinners are a rather funky duo of vodka soda and guarana extract. They’re available in Read more...

OUSA Exec: Lecture Recording Policy Rally

Posted 9:42pm Sunday 10th August 2025 by Stella Lynch

Good morning, good afternoon & good evening Academic Weapons I have some FAQs regarding the Recording of Lectures Policy that OUSA co-sponsors. TLDR: OUSA is hosting a chalking event at 4:30pm on Monday 11th August at 640 Cumberland St where we will cover the campus with reasons as to why Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: The Groom Who Couldn’t Commit

Posted 9:20pm Sunday 10th August 2025 by Lady Jane Grey

Have something juicy to tell us? Send your salacious stories to moaningful@critic.co.nz. Submissions remain anonymous. I never see guys writing in here, which feels a bit weak considering how many of us are out here making decisions worth confessing. So, here's mine. My girlfriend Read more...

Local Produce: Bespoke Ōtepoti

Posted 9:19pm Sunday 10th August 2025 by Jonathan McCabe

If there’s a will, there's a way. When George Street doesn't provide it, this pack of student fashionistas certainly will. Critic Te Ārohi has reached out to three local entrepreneurs to see what they get up to in between lectures. From beauticians to lending out curated Read more...

Horoscopes: 2025 Issue 18

Posted 9:11pm Sunday 10th August 2025 by The Orb

Pisces Pisces, you have been having a little trouble understanding what people are asking of you in your relationships. Try applying some of your active listening skills to make those around you feel both heard and seen. This may also help you to understand what is expected of you in certain Read more...

Editorial: It’s All Political

Posted 9:09pm Sunday 10th August 2025 by Nina Brown

“It’s all political.” That’s what Chlöe Swarbrick told me when I said to her that we’d focus on the ‘Politics’ section of the Critic census in our interview. Two weeks later, the words were ringing in my ears as I edited the fashion issue. Fashion is Read more...

Debatable: Is it appropriate to wear pajamas to campus?

Posted 9:02pm Sunday 10th August 2025 by Molly Liddell

For There’s something deeply liberating about the idea of rolling out of bed, chucking on your Oodie and stumbling into a brisk 9am lecture. The cosy feel of your soft cotton PJs brushing against your skin, the faint scent of last night's Mi Goreng noodles still lingering, and the Read more...

Mi Goreng Graduate: Sexy Self-Saucing Chocolate Pudding

Posted 8:46pm Sunday 3rd August 2025 by Ruby Hudson

Serves: 6 Time: 45 mins For the people with someone to cook for and for those who self sauce xx Ingredients  Cake Batter 1 cup plain flour  2 tsp baking powder  ½ cup brown sugar (lightly packed) 3 Tbsp cocoa powder  ½ cup milk  1 Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: The Long Arm of the Law

Posted 8:42pm Sunday 3rd August 2025 by Dirty Talk

Have something juicy to tell us? Send your salacious stories to moaningful@critic.co.nz. Submissions remain anonymous.   Last summer, I started seeing a girl with a thing for urban exploration. Our shared interest was part risk, part sensual – there’s a rush to making out on a Read more...

OUSA Exec: Winter Well-being

Posted 8:32pm Sunday 3rd August 2025 by Amy Whyman

Winter is here. Now is the time where you have to guess whether Castle and Leith St are shimmering because of broken glass or frost. It’s the time of slipping down the hill to your lectures and spending long nights at the library because of its heating system. Long story short, it’s Read more...

Local Produce: Flipper Fest

Posted 8:06pm Sunday 3rd August 2025 by Jonathan McCabe

Saving the penguins has never looked sexier. Hoiho advocate and local musician Mario Girardet of Dibs! and Caribou is putting his money where his beak is. Over a series of seven gigs, each with an equally stacked lineup, Flipper Fest is raising money for the Yellow-Eyed Penguin Trust (Te Tautiaki Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 17 2025

Posted 8:03pm Sunday 3rd August 2025 by The Orb

Pisces You feel like AskOtago this week. Everyone in your life seems to have a problem and apparently you are the only one they can talk to about it. Don't let other people's mental loads weigh on you, but that’s easier said than done. Be sure to take time for yourself. Extra bits Read more...

Editorial: Let’s Humanise Sex Again

Posted 8:02pm Sunday 3rd August 2025 by Nina Brown

The contemporary modern dating scene gets a look in the mirror in this year’s sex issue. I spent the past week carrying a vintage Playboy in my bag, which was kindly loaned to me as part of my research. With plenty of full-frontal bush, tips for pleasing your wife, and ads for gentlemanly Read more...

Debatable: Bush or no bush?

Posted 7:59pm Sunday 3rd August 2025 by Molly Smith-Soppet

Bush I am sick and tired of razors, of ingrown hairs, of the unspoken expectation that our genitals should resemble a Christmas ham. I, for one, don’t give a fuck if you have pubes. Frankly, we have them for a reason and they deserve a comeback. Not as a quirky thing or as a feminist Read more...

Booze Reviews: Coast Road Creamery Chocolate Cream Liqueur

Posted 7:38pm Sunday 3rd August 2025 by Joan of Rark

And with that, the streak has ended. We have finally found a boozy number I would never like to see again, much like high school calculus (good riddance).  This dirty fuck of a drink is supposedly wine based. Judging by the taste it's a red – not in a ‘nicely locked in Read more...

Mi Goreng Graduate: Roast Pumpkin Soup

Posted 6:10pm Saturday 26th July 2025 by Ruby Hudson

Serves: 8  Time: 1 hr roasting + 30 mins cooking Cost: $ Eating seasonal produce is good for the planet, your health, and your budget. At this time of year pumpkin is one of the most affordable things we can find that fits the bill. This recipe is pretty low effort, just taking a bit Read more...

Moaningful Confession: Play It Cool

Posted 6:06pm Saturday 26th July 2025 by Critic

Have something juicy to tell us? Send your salacious stories to moaningful@critic.co.nz. Submissions remain anonymous. Two weeks ago, I met the hottest guy I’ve ever seen. Our chance encounter outside the Clubs & Societies building led to two weeks of flirting more skillful than Read more...

Booze Review: Orchard Storm Crush’d Cider

Posted 5:56pm Saturday 26th July 2025 by Joan of Rark

Dropping sometime around the end of last year, newcomer Orchard Storm Crush’d Ciders are another solid bev proving my theory that they’re making alcohol taste even better to keep everyone drunk and stop societal progress, à la the Kraggle from The Lego Movie or like half the Read more...

OUSA Exec: Madam Acting President

Posted 5:54pm Saturday 26th July 2025 by Amy Martin

With Liam out of the office for the day, it was time for me to finally shine. That’s right, your favourite Administrative Vice-President (me) stepped up to the presidential plate to take on the hefty responsibilities of OUSA’s top job.  Honestly not too much was different on my Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 16 2025

Posted 5:30pm Saturday 26th July 2025 by The Orb

Pisces Do something this week that will leave a lasting impact for others to remember you by. The moon is drawing you away from others, but you're a social creature so whether you start a new club or graffiti half the flats on Castle St, you need to make an impact so big you'll be Read more...

Editorial: It Happened, I Went to a Split-Screened Rave

Posted 5:29pm Saturday 26th July 2025 by Nina Brown

I went to a split-screened rave last week. Picture this: a boiler room on the top floor of The Grand in Wellington. Frothing crowd of mid-20s, sunglasses on (despite the dark) and exposed skin slick with sweat, surrounding the DJ. And above it all, Minecraft and Subway Surfers projected onto an Read more...

Debatable: Is “breaking the seal” real?

Posted 5:26pm Saturday 26th July 2025 by Adam Stitely

No So, you’re racing like a pisshorse. Is it a) because you drank five 330ml cans (1.65L) in thirty minutes, or b) because you took a piss after drinking five 330ml cans in thirty minutes.  Ones who answered A would argue that getting on the piss has a science behind it. It’s Read more...

Local Produce: Saints: The Card Game

Posted 5:10pm Saturday 26th July 2025 by Jonathan McCabe

Following his tenure at Critic Te Ārohi as 2019 Editor, one marked by “that” Knox College investigation and a war on shady landlords, Charlie O’Mannin has managed to keep himself busy. The Dunedin local turned indie board game creator hopes that his most recent venture helps Read more...

Mi Goreng Graduate: Pesto Pasta

Posted 5:18pm Saturday 19th July 2025 by Ruby Hudson

Time: 45 mins  Serves: 5  Price: $$ At this time of year it’s always handy to have a really quick meal to whip up mid week that’ll get you tucked up and cosy asap! This pesto pasta is a speedy, versatile and delicious option that everyone will enjoy, and maybe even Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: Acquaintance with Disadvantages

Posted 5:08pm Saturday 19th July 2025 by Critic

Have something juicy to tell us? Send your salacious stories to moaningful@critic.co.nz. Submissions remain anonymous. When I was 19, I started sleeping with a 29-year-old man who thought he was incredibly charming in a sort of post-ironic, tortured-intellectual kind of way. I mostly just Read more...

Booze Review: Monsuta Lemon Chu-Hai

Posted 5:02pm Saturday 19th July 2025 by Joan of Rark

WSG (What’s good) my pimps, playaz, and operators! It is I, Joan of the Rark, presenting to you what I would like to call “Japanese Codys” (JCs). This is for two reasons: 1) I cannot remember what they are actually called (chur to my editor for fixing the title), and 2) I believe Read more...

OUSA Exec: Lecture Recordings Policy Update

Posted 4:57pm Saturday 19th July 2025 by Stella Lynch

Good mythical morning wee Critic readers. I am ever so happy that you flicked to the back of the mag and laid your eyes upon our humble Exec column. If you’ve stopped reading already, you suck. It’s that time of year where we all get a fresh gust of wind to tide us through the Read more...

Local Produce: Jess Lord

Posted 4:43pm Saturday 19th July 2025 by Molly Smith-Soppet

‘Breaking your face’ would probably deter anyone from a sport they love, but not Jess Lord. Jess did exactly that – nose and cheekbone broken after going face first into a ledge. Now a second-year physio student, she's basically doing her own post-injury rehab in the form of a Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 15 2025

Posted 4:41pm Saturday 19th July 2025 by The Orb

Pisces You're a little ‘in your feels’ this week and the weather is pushing you closer and closer to seasonal depression. Push yourself to get out of bed a little earlier every day and by the end of the week you will have a smile back on that dial!  What dinosaur are you: Read more...

Editorial: Surviving North D With Your Crew

Posted 4:30pm Saturday 19th July 2025 by Nina Brown

Like many University of Otago students, when I moved into my first flat in second-year, I went in blind. All I knew going into flat hunting was my sister telling me to chase sunshine, my mum’s tip to test the shower pressure at viewings, and that if you don’t sign by August you’ll Read more...

Debatable: Should you date international students?

Posted 4:28pm Saturday 19th July 2025 by Ella Grayson

For Who doesn’t love an accent?  Winter is the best time of year to smell out the fresh batch of sexy internationals away for a semester to play in the snow of Central Otago, or enjoy the black mould of Dunners. For many of us the fantasy of finding the love of our lives at Read more...

Mi Goreng Graduate: Spaghetti Bolognese

Posted 1:14pm Monday 14th July 2025 by Ruby Hudson

Welcome to Semester Two! I hope you had a great break and are braced for a wintery start to the second half of the year. We have an absolute classic this week: the humble spaghetti bolognese. I know what you’re thinking: “Pfft please! I know how to make spag bowl.” But when I tell Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: “Caught, Clawed, and Chlorinated”

Posted 1:12pm Monday 14th July 2025 by Critic

Have something juicy to tell us? Send your salacious stories to moaningful@critic.co.nz. Submissions remain anonymous. There’s something about Mediterranean air that turns you into the kind of girl who says yes to Jägermeister and public fingering. I was on a family holiday – Read more...

OUSA Exec: The Glorious and Half-Serious Revolution

Posted 1:09pm Monday 14th July 2025 by Liam White

The last couple of months have been rough. Not “there’s no seats in the link” rough. More like “I tried to rebuild the student movement with a whiteboard and a lack of sleep” rough. Please don’t misinterpret this, I love my job. There’s no greater Read more...

Local Produce: Powder Chutes

Posted 1:02pm Monday 14th July 2025 by Jonathan McCabe

From fans to friends. A local rock band from Wanaka ended 2024 on Spark Arena’s stage playing with Grammy-nominated act Highly Suspect. 2025 saw the band interrupt their usual rotation of gigs with a nationwide tour promoting their self-titled album, Powder Chutes. Shredding through chords and Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 14 2025

Posted 12:48pm Monday 14th July 2025 by Critic

Pisces This week you’ll find the thing you so desperately need to fill that hole in your heart. You’ve felt a little ‘out of sorts’ lately and crave stability; this will come from the most unexpected of places. Mistake to Avoid: Getting addicted to vaping… Read more...

Editorial: Census Was a Trip

Posted 11:37am Monday 14th July 2025 by Nina Brown

Welcome back to campus! While many of you had a well-deserved rest and shroom-induced epiphanies, I tripped in a labyrinth of census data, was sent down corridors of correlations and came out the other end both enlightened and far too familiar with your lives.  The Critic census was birthed Read more...