Archive

An Exclusive Interview with @sinksofdunedin

Posted 8:57pm Thursday 27th August 2020 by Naomii Seah

@sinksofdunedin, a novelty Instagram account for documenting and rating various sinks around Dunedin, has experienced a meteoric rise to fame since they created their account in late June. Currently, they have over 1000 followers, and 70 posts. On their account, they post glossy, well composed Read more...

The Dunedin Ice Stadium: The Hottest Coldest Place in Town

Posted 8:52pm Thursday 27th August 2020 by Fox Meyer

When I was deciding where to go to uni, I googled ‘best ice rink in NZ’. Apparently it’s in Dunedin, so now I’m in Dunedin too. Our rink offers ice disco nights, quiet midday sessions, live hockey, skating lessons and curling, all with a beach on the doorstep Somebody once Read more...

Local Produce: Jonte

Posted 8:51pm Thursday 27th August 2020 by Andy Randell

Back in high school and my first few years of varsity, I really wanted to be in one of those bands that would play gigs every other Saturday and pull in hundreds of people every time. So, I started one. We would practise every weekend, but it never amounted to anything, even though we played for Read more...

Mark Neilson: Acting Out Campus Security

Posted 8:39pm Thursday 27th August 2020 by Jack Gilmore

Actor and campus watchman Mark Neilson was told by Otago Uni “don’t come back” when he was a student here in the 90s. Yet, as time moved on, Mark has returned a couple of times. Firstly, through OUSA’s Social Activities department in the early 2000s, and again in 2018 as a Read more...

A Brief History of the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum

Posted 8:12pm Thursday 27th August 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington

The Otago Settlers Museum is New Zealand’s oldest history museum, and it’s hard to miss. The Museum spans across a huge portion of land from the Train Station to the Chinese Gardens, and the Museum itself was established to reflect colonial settlement. Starting off as the Otago Early Read more...

Wooosh! Wind Tunnels: Where, Why, What?

Posted 8:09pm Thursday 13th August 2020 by Zoe Humprey

It’s a Monday morning, you’re walking to class and for once you’ve woken up early enough to actually make an effort. Your hair is styled, your clothes are at least a step above sweatpants and that mild sense of organisation has lulled you into a feeling of confidence— when Read more...

Cody’s, Diesel, and Mavs: Do They Taste the Same?

Posted 8:04pm Thursday 13th August 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington

Word on the street is that, when it comes down to it, three bourbon and colas don’t taste any different. Cody’s, Diesel and Billy Mavericks, popular choices from rugby boys and bogans alike, are rumoured to have no distinguishing taste differences that set them apart from one Read more...

A Legacy Bids Farewell: the Churro Connoisseurs Leaving to Sail Around the World

Posted 7:58pm Thursday 13th August 2020 by Caroline Moratti

Eight years ago, Dunedin was different, and by different I mean objectively worse. Today it’s a (vaguely) bustling town of fusion cuisines, pokey cafes and various delicacies, but back then, the only food trucks were TexOtago and the Bacon Buttie Station. Even then the concept of travelling Read more...

Juno Is

Posted 7:54pm Thursday 13th August 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters

Dunedin-born, Mackenzie Hollebon (Mac), the mind behind Juno Is, has been in the gig scene for a while now. She initially emerged as the drummer for ‘Lacuna’ before pursuing a solo career - after some growing pains, she is thriving. “It was a really good transition into having full Read more...

Deconstructing Bisexuality

Posted 7:54pm Thursday 13th August 2020 by Naomii Seah

What do Shego, Velma and Kiera Knightly in Pirates of the Caribbean have in common? They’re all female characters I had a crush on in childhood. I’ve always known I was attracted to women. Conversely, I’d always been attracted to men. For most of my life I’d been happy Read more...

Tasting the Rainbow: An investigation into which coloured alcohol fucks you up the most

Posted 9:53pm Thursday 6th August 2020 by Annabelle Vaughan

Picking out a weekend beverage can be stressful, but there is generally one common consideration: alcohol content versus cost. But there is a danger in living life that way - not all alcohol is created equal, and people swear that different types will affect them in different ways. Where one drink Read more...

Local Produce | Neive Strang

Posted 9:51pm Thursday 6th August 2020 by Caroline Moratti

Writing about music can be hard sometimes, much like a perfume commercial - how do you convey a sound, a smell, a sense? But to me, listening to Neive Strang is the same sensation as the first sizzle of onions in a pan. It’s delicious, intoxicating and it’s only the beginning. The Read more...

Alcohol Intervention

Posted 9:49pm Thursday 6th August 2020 by Naomii Seah

“Alcohol in Aotearoa is super prevalent in all our social activities and our lifestyle. When you want to celebrate a good day, you sink some piss; if you want to get over a bad day, you sink some piss; if you’re bored, you sink some piss. That social behaviour around drinking is Read more...

Let Them Eat Cabbage: The Wheres, Whats and Hows of Community Gardens Near Campus

Posted 8:25pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters

No one ever told me how much admin making food would be. I miss the years of meals just manifesting before me three times a day. Now it’s up to ME to find fresh produce and limit my hot chip intake. Fortunately, hunting and gathering for yourself three times a day isn’t nail-pullingly Read more...

It’s Time to Duel: Meet Dunedin’s Tabletop Tycoon

Posted 2:35pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Oscar Paul

Gregory Mansfield probably came out of the womb wearing a DuelDisk on his arm and Exodia in hand. At an older age, Gregory and his mates got back into YuGiOh! and all of its nostalgic glory. They were hooked on watching card unboxing videos, making their own decks and competing in and judging local Read more...

Curing the Common Cold

Posted 1:07pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Naomii Seah

I’m sitting in my room with a friend, having a perfectly pleasant and innocuous conversation when I feel it. The little tickle in my throat. The wind in my windpipe. There’s a little moment where I think it won’t happen, and then it does: a sneeze, a cough, another sneeze and a Read more...

CRIME? Gay Paradise Ducks Relocated from Campus

Posted 1:04pm Sunday 19th July 2020 by Erin Gourley

Disclaimer: Please do not harass anyone mentioned in this story. Everyone is just doing what they think is best for the boys. Bill and Bill, the iconic gay paradise ducks that liked (PAST TENSE) to chill out on Union Lawn, were controversially uplifted and relocated by Bird Rescue Dunedin after Read more...

How to Tell if Your Flat is Haunted

Posted 10:32pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters

Ah, Dunedin houses. Since most of the houses in Studentville are a little (a lot) old, the usual quirks of ancient houses are common, slanted floors, water stains, and of course, ghosts. Not all ghosts are mean and dramatic, some are merely vibing on the astral plane and sometimes stir up some funky Read more...

The Great Critic Garlic Bread Review

Posted 7:49pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Henessey Griffiths

Garlic bread has to be one of the most humbling foods out there. On the outside it is but a simple meal of garlic butter and toasted bread. Yet, any garlic bread fan understands that there is much complexity to the dish. The pungent sting of garlic, coddled with the smooth undertones of butter, Read more...

The Tale of Two TJs: The Otago Student Living the Best of Both Worlds.

Posted 2:26pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Annabelle Vaughan

TJ Zee, better known by his stage name “ZExII” is one of Dunedin’s best emerging music acts, and is also just a generally cool guy. A Physiotherapy student by day, and a performer by night, one could even go as far to say that he is Dunedin’s very own Hannah Montana. Who, in Read more...

A White Woman With Bangs Tells You Which Planets Are Making You Sad

Posted 12:59pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters

Astrology is like a personality test, but cosmic and mean. In the stars lies a horribly accurate character analysis chart that will expose your flaws and potentially make you reevaluate your past relationships. You haven’t lived until you have your ass handed to you by the fucking planets. As Read more...

Tired of Tinder: A Return to The Dating Websites of Our Forefathers

Posted 12:47pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Naomii Seah

It’s 2am, and I’m lying in bed swiping through Tinder for what feels like the 100th time this week. It’s post lockdown, and my rotation is getting a bit tight. At this point in my university career, it feels like I’ve gone through half the dating pool in Dunedin, and every Read more...

Poll: 91% of Otago Students Support Factory-Farming Kiwis on Stewart Island

Posted 3:26pm Sunday 5th July 2020 by Fox Meyer

Data doesn’t lie. More Otago students support factory-farming Kiwis on Stewart Island than legalising cannabis. These young patriots have a keen eye on creating a booming economy in the Southland/Rakiura area, with 100% responding that they’d support increasing jobs in the area. 100% Read more...

UniMart RTD Coffee Review

Posted 1:32am Friday 3rd July 2020 by Sinead Gill

Most people have never tried an RTD coffee (ready to drink. No, it doesn’t mean it is alcoholic), but you should. They are revolutionary. If I’d known they were a thing in first year, it might not have taken me five years to finish my degree. UniMart is full of them, and most of them are Read more...

Types of Sweater Boys

Posted 10:52pm Thursday 2nd July 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters

The classic David Bain sweater These boys are omnipresent in your Politics, English, or Anthropology lectures. They think the bags under their eyes from staying up til 4am looking at Reddit threads makes the interesting and different, but it actually just makes them look tired. They WILL ask Read more...

A-Z OF DUNEDIN ARTISTS

Posted 4:33pm Sunday 24th May 2020 by Critic

Adelaide Cara: Alternative Pop Bad Sav: Alternative Rock Captain Saturated Planet: Indie Rock Death and the Maiden: Alternative Rock Élan Vital: Dark Disco Flyspray: Post-Punk Gulls: Ambient Electronica  Hot Donnas: Alternative Rock  Iron Mammoth: Alternative Read more...

Don't do the 30 Day Squat Challenge

Posted 7:23pm Thursday 21st May 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington

Ever since Dame Queen Nicki Minaj’s music videos emerged, I think a piece of all of us dreamt of having an ass so fat, so bodacious, that we would cry in the shower while doing a mere 15 squats naked to achieve what she has. Or maybe that was just me. Drenched in sweat from the gym that I Read more...

Critic Reviews Mayor Aaron Hawkin's Critic Music Reviews

Posted 6:56pm Thursday 21st May 2020 by Henessey Griffiths

Aaron Hawkins: Mayor of Ōtepoti, antagonist of Dunedin News. Before his career in local government took off, Aaron was the Music Director and Breakfast Show Host for Radio One 91FM, and the Music Editor for Critic. 14 years later, it’s safe to say that Radio One and Critic now has a Read more...

Period Underwear: Worth it?

Posted 1:04am Friday 15th May 2020 by Andy Randell

Try something for me: what do you think of when I tell you to think of period products. You will have, no doubt, had tampons and pads spring to mind, maybe even the more recently popular moon cup, but how many of you thought of underwear itself? Probably very few of you did, unless you read the Read more...

Gender Diverse Takes On Periods

Posted 5:22pm Thursday 14th May 2020 by Sinead Gill

There is a lot of stigma around periods. Not as much stigma as there is around gender diversity, though. So what if you were stuck in the middle of both discourses? This would be a shit menstruation issue without talking to the one group of menstruators who are most excluded when it comes to period Read more...

PMDD: PMS’s Evil Twin

Posted 4:30pm Thursday 14th May 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, more commonly known as PMDD, is a disorder that affects 1 in 20 people with uteruses but is relatively unknown. The symptoms of PMDD are extensive and can cause serious disruptions in day to day life, that often require medication. What is PMDD? Well, most people Read more...

Colonisation Made Periods Gross

Posted 4:16pm Thursday 14th May 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington

Waiwhero, mate marama, mate wāhine, paheke, te awa atua. There are many ways to describe menstruation for Māori, because it is an important part of life. It is a sign of whakapapa, connection to the land, connection to the gods. Menstruation was power - until Read more...

How to Free Bleed

Posted 4:14pm Thursday 14th May 2020 by Naomii Seah

Periods are rough, messy, and miserable. Sanitary items are no better. Sometimes it’s just too much effort to find one, let alone buy them. Sometimes your flow is so light that a sanitary product just doesn’t seem worth it. Sometimes, you just need to free bleed. Here’s Read more...

How to Get $50 Worth From a Moon Cup When You Don’t Bleed Four Days a Month

Posted 4:01pm Thursday 14th May 2020 by Fox Meyer

Moon cups are great. They’re inconspicuous, reduce plastic waste, and they’re easily distributable to people with uteruses in developing nations. All my female friends were raving about them, and not one to miss out on the latest trend, I decided to invest and see what all the hype was Read more...

Fostering Animals: Yes or Yes?

Posted 4:59pm Monday 11th May 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters

It might sound obvious, but if you have a secure home and love animals, but don’t see yourself living in Dunedin forever, fostering is a great option. Fostering is a great way to get a cuddle fix while also socialising an animal so they are ready for a forever home. Depending on who you foster Read more...

UoO Hunger Games: Sims 4 Edition

Posted 2:57pm Monday 11th May 2020 by Critic

With (from left top:) Law Student, Girl Who Sleeps, Country Boy, A+ Student, Breatha, Thrifty Artsy Girl, and Jock   Sims 4 has made a resurgence during the lockdown. With no social interaction and nothing to do; what else will kill five hours in the blink of an eye? Killing sims is a Read more...

How to Look After House Plants

Posted 2:51pm Monday 11th May 2020 by Asia Martusia King

Congratulations, you have a bouncing baby houseplant. Doesn’t it look divine amongst your fairy lights and polaroids? Here’s how to keep it big, strong and alive so that it can one day look after you in your old age. Light of my life, fire of my loins Different plants require Read more...

YOU SHOULD KNOW THE NAME ROBERT LAWSON.

Posted 4:48pm Sunday 10th May 2020 by Caroline Moratti

His name should be on your lips when you kiss your lover. There should be tattoos, monuments, babies, decorative gardens, all named in his honour. Robert Lawson carved the very fabric of Dunedin, sculpted our culture in his muscled hands. He designed the buildings you love, literally the only Read more...

How to Feng Shui Your Bedroom

Posted 4:20pm Sunday 10th May 2020 by Naomii Seah

Every culture has its own superstitions. You’ve probably heard some of these from your grandma, or your mother or father, or your auntie. For me, it’s always been Feng Shui. My dad touts it like no tomorrow, and whenever I tell him something that’s going wrong in my life, his Read more...

Eating My Backyard: Can Foraged Foods Make a Delicious Dinner?

Posted 3:58pm Sunday 10th May 2020 by Wyatt Ryder

I’ve always liked the idea of growing my own food, but I am a very lazy man. Last week, though, I had a realisation: I’m already growing food. If animals can eat weeds, why can’t I? I grew up rural, so I had a vague idea of what was out there in terms of edible weeds. I did a Read more...

Dunedin TradeMe for 10 Dollars or Under

Posted 4:16pm Thursday 7th May 2020 by Saskia Rushton-Green

Here’s some of what’s currently available on trademe in Dunedin for 10 dollars and under.    1. These sexy belly button rings     2. This 75g container of spreadable chicken   3. Wow These ARE a bit Cute Bead Read more...

How to Make a Bong out of Literally Anything

Posted 5:33pm Thursday 30th April 2020 by Naomii Seah

I wasn’t the cool kid in high school. I had a few close friends, and lots of classmates, but I didn’t have status. I went to maybe a few high school parties, usually as a plus one, and lots of tame birthdays. The rest of the time, I was studying. Maybe that’s why it took me until Read more...

Living Without Time

Posted 12:30pm Friday 24th April 2020 by Fox Meyer

I’ve been wanting to live without time for a while now. I’d heard about a petition by a Noweigin town called Sommarøy, north of the Arctic Circle, which called for the abolishment of the 24 hour clock. The campaign asked: “Why do we need time and clocks when there is no Read more...

Surviving Long Distance

Posted 12:10pm Friday 24th April 2020 by Henessey Griffiths

For almost all couples, going long distance is generally the last thing you want to do. Critic spoke to couples who moved in together for lockdown to avoid doing just that. But what if you weren’t ready, or able, to do that with your partner? Or what if your significant other is your best Read more...

How to Hide Your Vaping From Your Parents

Posted 11:36am Friday 24th April 2020 by Caroline Moratti

During your tender, sweet time at the University of Otago, it’s highly probable that you’ve picked up a nicotine addiction. Let’s face it, sometimes there are parties so shit that you just need to smoke/vape outside in order to avoid your 2nd cousin making ‘come fuck Read more...

Which Witch is Which?

Posted 10:55am Thursday 23rd April 2020 by Fox Meyer

Spiritualism always seems to be in style. It’s time Critic provided a guide for the most common types of modern witches. If any of this makes you rethink your beliefs, you’re probably a shit witch.   The E-Witch Dresses in flowy, raggedy clothing that looks antique but was Read more...

The Scientist and Her Thirteen Ant Colonies

Posted 12:04pm Tuesday 21st April 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters

The transition to online classes has been difficult for many students. But what if your studies required access to labs and materials that you can’t recreate from home? What if, say, your research included looking after live creatures? Critic spoke to Eloise Lancaster, an ecology Masters Read more...

How to Spice Up Your Zoom Lectures

Posted 10:42am Tuesday 21st April 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington

It's been a few weeks now, and Zoom lectures have well and truly lost their novelty. Lecturers are trying their best, but like some in-person lectures, classes can get boring. Here are some proven ways to spice up your Zoom lectures, keeping yourself alert and ready to learn. Put a Read more...

How to Find a Boyfriend in Club Penguin

Posted 3:28pm Tuesday 14th April 2020 by Caroline Moratti

With Club Penguin back up and running (praise be), I thought I would use this bountiful opportunity to get something I’ve only ever dreamed about: a boyfriend.  The new CP is slightly different: there’s ads on the loading page for one matter and everyone is a member. The class Read more...

A Definitive Ranking of the Uni Clocktower Bongs

Posted 3:38pm Tuesday 7th April 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington

Everytime I sit in my room, the clocktower’s flat chimes remind me that my time in this world is fleeting. Every bong that rattles through my window slowly drives me insane.  Because I have nothing else to do, and to help you all feel a little bit closer to campus, I have categorised Read more...