Archive

Which Shrek Character Are You?

Posted 3:44pm Saturday 8th August 2026 by Saraia Allais

With Shrek 5’s teaser trailer finally out, it was only a matter of time before Critic Te Ārohi asked the important questions. Are you an emotionally stunted ogre? A professional yapper? Or just Lord Farquaad with a student loan? There's only one way to find out.  1. Read more...

Potion Recipes

Posted 3:36pm Saturday 8th August 2026 by Stella Weston

Sometimes no amount of logical thinking, communication, or personal growth can save you. Sometimes you need something a bit stronger: a little divine intervention, a sprinkle of fairy dust, and true manifestation. After years of research (and several misfortunate magical accidents), Critic Te Read more...

We Cursed the ODT Via Etsy Witch

Posted 3:34pm Saturday 8th August 2026 by Critic

There comes a point in every publication's life where conventional dispute resolution has run its course. In Critic Te Ārohi’s case, it happened one hundred and one years in. You can write a letter to the editor. You can request a correction. You can complain privately in the Read more...

40 Ways to Start a Conversation

Posted 11:27am Sunday 2nd August 2026 by Molly Smith-Soppet

As many of you will have experienced recently, tutorials have just started back up. And with the return of tuts comes one of university’s most painful traditions: the dreaded ice breaker. It always starts the same way. “Tell us your name, where you’re from, and what you did over Read more...

Bars With Activities

Posted 11:25am Sunday 2nd August 2026 by Critic Staff

Let's be honest: nights out at the pub have gotten a little stale. After a few rounds of beating the same dead horse, someone inevitably ends up scrolling Instagram reels and suddenly the night feels less like a fun social outing and more like an obligation to live the “Scarfie Read more...

Critic Te Ārohi’s Step-by-Step Guide to Becoming a LinkedIn Influencer

Posted 9:46am Sunday 26th July 2026 by Critic

As students enter university, many (hopefully) age out of Snapchat, and are introduced to a new beast: LinkedIn. If you thought sending streaks was as bleak as it gets, the corporate world has blessed us by making its very own social media platform. The thought of scrolling through the achievements Read more...

Stories From The U-Bar Cleaner

Posted 9:41am Sunday 26th July 2026 by The Cleaner

Good afternoon Critic, I am writing this letter as I think I have some stories you would find interesting. I have been the sole cleaner for U-Bar for the last three years, and let me tell you – I have seen some shit. Being the cleaner has had both pros and cons, and now that I am Read more...

The Social Politics of Vaping

Posted 9:19am Saturday 18th July 2026 by Bella Bates

Few objects in student culture possess the same social utility as the vape. Simultaneously a nicotine delivery device, conversation starter, social bargaining chip, flirtation mechanism, and communal ritual, the vape has quietly become one of the defining artefacts of contemporary youth interaction. Read more...

The Official Moral Alignment Chart of Campus Doors

Posted 9:14am Saturday 18th July 2026 by Harry Almey

The University of Otago is a strange and confusing place. Open a sciency door in Mellor Labs and somehow find yourself in a History lecture. A BCommer opens a glass door in the Business School, and a Theatre Studies class turns around. University is little more than staggering from strange doors to Read more...

Survivor Player Profiles

Posted 4:27pm Saturday 11th July 2026 by Critic

The cast has been chosen. Alliances will form. The immunity idols have been hidden. Over the coming months, the first ever Critic Survivor episodes will be released twice weekly as twelve contestants battle through challenges, betrayals, and any other chaos ourgamemakers choose.  But Read more...