Archive

A Critical, In Depth Investigation into the Soup Habits of the New Zealand Grindr Community

Posted 1:03pm Sunday 26th April 2026 by Via Hooks

I set out to answer the question plaguing the minds of touch-starved homosexuals everywhere: what is the ideal soup to make for a Grindr hook-up?  You may ask: why Grindr specifically? And after you ask that, you may then ask: why are you finding out soup popularities from Grindr Read more...

People of Hyde

Posted 12:59pm Sunday 26th April 2026 by Molly Smith-Soppet

Hyde Street Party is the best day of the year for any self respecting Otago student.  Hyde Street Party has become a sacred tradition of the student body. The thrill of putting your flatmates names in the lottery, hoping to receive that blessed email saying “YOU’RE GOING TO THE Read more...

Which Otago Uni Library Are You?

Posted 1:20pm Sunday 19th April 2026 by Jesse Valpy

Because who wouldn’t want to know which study spot you’d be reincarnated as in your next life? Here is a quick and effective procrastination tool which will leave you reflecting on your life’s journey, and all the choices that led up to this point.  Before everyone starts Read more...

The Ultimate 4/20 Itinerary

Posted 1:14pm Sunday 19th April 2026 by Critic

4/20. For an atheist stoner like myself, this could be my favorite holiday of the year (aside from Thanksgiving). It even hits close to home – the term “420” was coined by a group of high schoolers about 10 minutes from where I grew up in California. They’d meet up after Read more...

You Cannot Be What You Cannot See

Posted 3:22pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Heeni Koero Te Rerenoa (Sky)

When you think of drugs, your mind probably goes straight to the obvious – weed, party culture, the spectacle of harm. But the substances most deeply embedded in Aotearoa’s everyday life rarely attract the same scrutiny. Sugar, alcohol, and caffeine have been normalised to the point of Read more...

Critic’s Vice Purity Test

Posted 3:18pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Critic

The Critic Te Ārohi Vice Purity Test serves as a segue from O-week to what a couple of Critic writers think encapsulates University life.  It's a voluntary opportunity for O-week groups to bond, and for students to track the maturation of their experiences throughout Read more...

Weed, The Gateway Drug

Posted 3:11pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Critic

Cannabis has spent decades carrying the label of a “gateway drug.” For most young people , the phrase feels outdated and inaccurate: a relic left over from Harold's discussions and stern talks with our parents that convinced us one joint would inevitably lead to heroin. But by the Read more...

How best to spend your mid-semester break

Posted 12:06pm Sunday 29th March 2026 by Jesse Valpy

Ah yes, the age-old question: What to do during the first break of the year. It's a strange, liminal period where lectures disappear, responsibilities feel like they temporarily evaporate, and you're left alone with your thoughts (scary). The opportunities are endless, so I’ve decided Read more...

A Culture Carol: Dunedin’s Ghost of Student Bars Past, Present and Future

Posted 9:38pm Saturday 21st March 2026 by Jesse Valpy, Hanna Varrs & Molly Smith-Soppet

Dick is a Castle Street man, through and through. Everyone knows a Dick. If you've spent longer than ten minutes North of the campus, you’ve probably met one. Dick lives in a mouldy flat halfway down Castle, swears flat parties are the pinnacle of student culture, and believes that Read more...

A Personal Essay Dissecting The Male Loneliness Epidemic

Posted 9:27pm Saturday 21st March 2026 by Harry Almey

CW: Mentions of suicide The male loneliness epidemic. As a man with many many women friends, I’ve heard plenty of discussion about it. “The male loneliness epidemic isn't real, y'know," my colleague told me one day. "Guys suck anyways, they deserve to be alone." Read more...