Archive

What's The Deal With Christian Science?

Posted 12:38pm Sunday 6th March 2016 by Lucy Hunter

Heal the sick. Raise the dead. Cleanse the lepers. Cast out demons,” reads the proud emblem of the Church of Christian Scientists. No wonder a man at the first service I went to told me that being a Christian Scientist is “very difficult”.  Most people who have heard of Read more...

Student Flats Or Student Slums?

Posted 12:28pm Sunday 6th March 2016 by Joe Higham

Much criticism has been levelled at the condition of many student flats in North Dunedin, and countless solutions have been proposed, but who is the blame for the situation? Is it the landlords’ fault for not caring for properties enough and allowing the condition of their property to slowly Read more...

Through Space And Time With Shapeshifter

Posted 12:10pm Sunday 6th March 2016 by Critic

Shapeshifter landed in Dunedin last week to transport us to all to outer space with their futuristic music. Critic managed to wangle their way into their fourth-dimension practise room before the big show to snap some pics, have a beer, and talk sci-fi wit Critic: I feel lucky to have seen you Read more...

A Final Farewell

Posted 12:07pm Sunday 28th February 2016 by Mikayla Cahill

Richard slammed his hand over the guitar strings and a ringing tore apart the room. Everyone began to cheer in unison. A second later the guitar riffs and sharp drum beats were ripping apart the walls. My hair whipped me in the face, and beer spilled out of my glass as I swayed side to Read more...

Do Not Induce Vomiting

Posted 11:53am Sunday 28th February 2016 by Lucy Hunter

If you have accidently swallowed something poisonous, or are trying to help somebody who has, do not make them vomit. It is not an effective way to remove poison from the system. The stomach contractions that cause vomiting can make the poison absorb more rapidly into the bloodstream. If the Read more...

Myth of the Man-Eating Shark

Posted 1:25pm Sunday 4th October 2015 by Sam Fraser-Baxter

In July, professional surfer Mick Fanning encountered a large shark in the final of the J-Bay Open in South Africa. First, a large fin appeared behind Fanning, followed by splashing and a “holy shit” from one of the commentators. As a wave lurched before Fanning, every person watching Read more...

90 Years Of Critic

Posted 10:57am Sunday 4th October 2015 by Staff Reporter

We’ve included a collection of some of the most interesting articles in Critic’s history - those pieces reflecting the change in times and attitudes during Critic’s 90 years on campus. VOL XXXIX | Issue 3 - 1963 VOL XL | Issue 7 - 1964 VOL Read more...

The Nuclear Clusterfuck

Posted 12:27pm Sunday 27th September 2015 by Paul Winter

“We all know that the atomic bomb is very dangerous; since it could be used against us, we should be ready for it! Remember to duck and cover, kids. Duck and cover like your pal Bert the Turtle and you’ll be safe!” This is an extract from a 1951 civil defence film. The film Read more...

The Phantom Of The Opera

Posted 1:17pm Sunday 20th September 2015 by Mandy Te

Written during what France hails as its Golden Era, Gaston Leroux’s novel, The Phantom of the Opera stood out for several reasons. While his contemporaries were writing stories that reflected reality and our everyday lives, Leroux had returned to the gothic genre — one of mystery and Read more...

Dignity In Death

Posted 1:12pm Sunday 20th September 2015 by Lucy Hunter

"Say you want to leave your body to us, we may get it almost straight away, within a couple of months, or we may wait several decades for it” says the friendly operator at the anatomy museum on Tuesday morning. Chris Smith is responsible for the operation, maintenance, and guided tours Read more...

Finding Flatties

Posted 12:45pm Sunday 13th September 2015 by Sam Hendry

Finding suitable flatmates is tough. It doesn’t help that it’s the most important part of obtaining great flat chemistry. However, you need not fear. With a few sensible tips and clear communication at the start, you can (maybe) have a successful year! “You never truly know Read more...

Cash Cropping on Culture

Posted 12:38pm Sunday 13th September 2015 by Mandy Te

Discrimination tends to be experienced only by certain groups of people. Some people will never endure professional, social or economic discrimination because of what they look like, where they come from or the origins of their ancestors. Those privileges are not necessarily realised, but they are Read more...

A History of Sex in Medicine

Posted 12:25pm Sunday 13th September 2015 by Lucy Hunter

Aha! It’s “a chancre on the penis!” not “a chamber on the lines”, it’s “a chancre on the penis!” This is the joyous thought process I had while decoding the terrible handwriting of a Victorian doctor from a huge leather-bound book in the Dunedin Read more...

Opinion: The NZ Flag Debate

Posted 1:42pm Sunday 6th September 2015 by Jeremy Howard

About three years ago, I came across a group on Facebook called “Change the New Zealand Flag”. This was the first I’d heard of the flag change movement, which has been going since at least the 1980s, if not earlier. Now, in 2015, the referendum will decide which of the Final Four Read more...

Vexing Vexillography

Posted 1:31pm Sunday 6th September 2015 by Staff Reporter

Let’s pretend that we do all want a new flag change for a second while we weigh up the options we’ve been given. Unfortunately, there are no Kiwis with lasers in the options presented to us. As confused as I am about what would better represent New Zealanders than Kiwis with lasers, we Read more...

What I Wish You Knew

Posted 12:46pm Sunday 6th September 2015 by Muslim University Students

This week, the Muslim University Students’ Association (MUSA) invites you to attend the 2015 Islam Awareness Week. The week will involve movie nights, lectures and a networking with Muslims evening. MUSA hopes to clear up the many misconceptions about the Islamic Read more...

Hot Dates For Cheapskates

Posted 12:36pm Sunday 30th August 2015 by Amber Allott

Let’s just say you’ve  met a new potential romantic partner, whether they’re grooving on the dance floor at Boogie, slaying some squats at Unipol or, more commonly, you both swiped right. You begin wondering how you can sweep them off their feet. After dazzling them with your Read more...

China's Forgotten Tribe

Posted 12:31pm Sunday 30th August 2015 by Lawrence Hamilton

When most people think of China, what comes to mind are chopsticks, the Great Wall, pandas, kitschy images of Chairman Mao and perhaps grainy footage of a student standing in front of a tank during the Tiananmen Square protests. While most people are aware that China has a huge population, fewer are Read more...

The Guy Who Wants To Be A Goat

Posted 12:18pm Sunday 30th August 2015 by Josie Cochrane

Thomas Thwaites is a designer based in London, UK. Among his many bizarre projects – such as building a toaster from scratch, which ended up with a TED Talk gathering over one million views – his latest endeavour is what has intrigued us the most. Thwaites is attempting to become as Read more...

Dumb Ways to Diet

Posted 1:05pm Sunday 16th August 2015 by Anonymous Bird

Whether they’re a first year trying to shed that fresher five, or a 40-something hitting their midlife crisis, you find people starting out on diets everywhere. Unfortunately, most of these weight-losing, cancer-curing, healthy-making diets are full of shit. Food is an important part of our Read more...

Do You See Me?

Posted 12:54pm Sunday 16th August 2015 by Kirsty Gordge

When Julie Woods went partially blind in 1984, she was an 18-year-old student at the University of Otago. Her vision declined in a matter of months after she was diagnosed with Starghadtz disease. Starghadtz disease is the most common form of juvenile macular degeneration and affects approximately 1 Read more...

Students’ Secret Pets

Posted 12:40pm Sunday 16th August 2015 by Kelsey Frost

When it comes to Dunedin flat inspections, these forbidden furry friends do not exist. Alma Delilah Jupiter Norman Pluto Rubix Samson Toast Read more...

Immortality: The Eternal Search

Posted 12:41pm Sunday 9th August 2015 by Amber Allott

In just about every culture, across the world and throughout time, humankind has invariably sought a single thing: eternal life. Ancient mythologies are strewn with tales of dashing heroes and cunning tricksters who achieve it, and with mystical artifacts that can bestow it. Historically, Read more...

Compassion in Action

Posted 12:35pm Sunday 9th August 2015 by Lydia Adams

The next time you’re lying in bed at night trying to get some sleep, take a moment and listen to your body. You’ll hear the digestive gurgles, breath coming in and out of your chest, and perhaps the faint beating of your heart. Your body is amazing. Every little cell that makes up your Read more...

Egypt's Dream and the Peacefulness That's Killing Them

Posted 12:27pm Sunday 9th August 2015 by Jace Smith

As the horrific events taking place in Syria and Iraq dominate headlines, and we’re inundated with images of ISIS beheadings and bombs, it is easy to forget that just a few years ago the Middle East held our attention for an entirely different reason. Referred to in Western media outlets as Read more...

The New Zealand International Film Festival

Posted 1:42pm Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Mandy Te

The cinematic experience is lost when you stream a film online; for director of the New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF), Bill Gosden, the mere act of going to the movies plays a social role in our lives that can’t be replaced. Dunedin’s Regent Theatre and Rialto Cinemas Read more...

Painting The Town

Posted 1:08pm Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Jessica Thompson

Bracing the atlantic chill, tucking my hands as close to my boobs as they could go within the bounds of social acceptability, I ventured into the city. With its tumbleweed Scrumpy bottles, prison-like structures and a heavy sky that hangs, permanently grey, it’s difficult to see the Read more...

The Sound Of Dunedin's None Gallery

Posted 12:53pm Sunday 2nd August 2015 by George Elliott

A short walk up Stafford, a street lined with disused warehouses and an old furniture distributor, one will find None Gallery. It is a residential studio and gallery complex that is a mainstay of Dunedin’s alternative sound subculture and independent arts. Often stylised as simply Read more...

Street Art on Campus

Posted 12:36pm Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Loulou Callister-Baker

Fluke is a veteran Montreal graffiti artist who set up the graffiti company, A’Shop, in Montreal, Canada, in 2009. A’Shop supports artists in Montreal, setting the professional standard for artists and clients alike. OUSA has recently flown him to Dunedin and is commissioning him, along Read more...

When Looks Can Kill

Posted 1:27pm Sunday 26th July 2015 by Brittany Pooley

Pain in beauty There’s something comical about an injury where vanity is involved. A woman in Australia recently made headlines around the world when she was taken to hospital due to the tightness of her skinny jeans. The woman, who has been granted name suppression, had just finished Read more...

Is It Global Warming, Stupid?

Posted 1:18pm Sunday 26th July 2015 by Sam Fraser

As record-breaking levels of rain fell in Dunedin on 2 June 2015, South Dunedin quickly began to resemble an Arctic Venice. Large canals divided streets. Those without a kayak or a sturdy set of waders were left to ponder indoors on what the hell was going on outside. Meanwhile, further north in Read more...

The Confederate Flag

Posted 1:14pm Sunday 26th July 2015 by Anonymous Bird

"[A]s a people, we are fighting to maintain the Heaven-ordained supremacy of the white man over the inferior or coloured race.” These are the words of William T. Thompson, designer of the American Confederate flag. The Confederate flag was created during the start of the American Civil Read more...

The Jurassic World of New Zealand

Posted 12:39pm Sunday 19th July 2015 by Amber Allott

Inspired by Jurassic World, Amber Allott has gone a little dinosaur crazy. Here she gives you a run-down of New Zealand’s greatest reptilian beasts and the history behind them. People have always been captivated by the majestic reptiles that once roamed our lands, seas and skies. From the Read more...

Refugees NZ

Posted 12:28pm Sunday 19th July 2015 by Gemma Forlong

In New Zealand, the quota of 750 refugees has remained unchanged for 28 years. The UN Refugee Agency ranks us 87th per capita in the total number of refugees and asylum seekers we host and 113th when measured by GDP. Australia, despite its reputation, allows 20,000. Why are we not setting an example Read more...

Human Trafficking

Posted 12:15pm Sunday 19th July 2015 by Laura Munro

“Prosecution wise, the penalties for trafficking drugs are harsher than that of trafficking humans. It’s easier, there’s less risk and more profit. And that’s where the issue is,” said Don Lord, executive director of anti-trafficking organisation, HAGAR International. Read more...

Hugs & Other Drugs

Posted 1:01pm Sunday 12th July 2015 by Anonymous Bird

The legalisation of MDMA, or ecstasy, has popped back into discussion. Also known as Molly, Eve, the Hug Drug, Love Drug or Scooby Snacks, we take a look into why legalisation would ever be considered and why hesitations remain. Clinical toxicologist, Dr Paul Quigley, recently told Radio Live Read more...

Yaktivism

Posted 12:32pm Sunday 12th July 2015 by Anthony Gordon

Much has been made in the news about how school kids have used Yik Yak to cyber-bully their peers, causing some commentators to call for its outright banning. I have to disagree; my experience with Yik Yak over the past few months is not only proof of social media’s potential to bring people Read more...

The Magic Of Science

Posted 12:52pm Sunday 5th July 2015 by Gini Jory

Magic and science are commonly thought to be at odds with each other. However, this hasn’t always been the case — ancient civilisations often crossed the line between the two. Jane Foster, Marvel Heroes’ astrophysicist, once quoted Sir Arthur C. Clarke in Thor: “Magic Read more...

What On Earth Is Divestment?

Posted 12:41pm Sunday 5th July 2015 by Molly Reynolds

Molly Reynolds is a member of the Otago Uni Divests campus group. On 14 July 2015, the group will be putting forward a petition to the University Council demanding that Otago stops investing funds in fossil fuels. Read on to find out more about why this is so important. Climate change is one of Read more...

Beijiing Musings

Posted 12:26pm Sunday 24th May 2015 by Loulou Callister-Baker

Loulou takes us through her experience of living in Beijing on a university exchange, highlighting the cultural differences she experienced and the surreal nature of living somewhere utterly unfamiliar. Colin rolled his shirt sleeve up to reveal a barb-wired swastika with “Sons of Read more...

125 Years of OUSA

Posted 12:17pm Sunday 24th May 2015 by Gini Jory

Over its 125-year history, OUSA has achieved and changed many things in Dunedin student life, from the introduction of the Capping Show and hosting great parties like Hyde Street to more serious matters of equality and support within both the university and the association. OUSA was founded back Read more...

Love Letters to the Closet

Posted 12:37pm Sunday 17th May 2015 by Critic

We asked students to tell us about their experiences of being anything but the straight cisgender. Many students have used university as a time to be honest with themselves about who they are, and the reactions they receive from their friends are overwhelmingly positive — as they should Read more...

Beyond the Binary

Posted 12:23pm Sunday 17th May 2015 by Lydia Adams

With recent headlines hailing Bruce Jenner's interview as an "Ellen" moment for the trans* community, we take this opportunity to educate and explore the world of sexuality and gender. A few weeks ago Bruce Jenner, a former Olympian and present member of the Kardashian Read more...

The Bigot Issue

Posted 12:13pm Sunday 17th May 2015 by Anthony Gordon

Writing from experience, Anthony Gordon gives us a personal account of the extent to which homophobia still exists in our city. Bigotry towards homosexual behaviour still appears to be a bigger issue than many of us realise. My first taste of Dunedin nightlife started like this: While I was Read more...

The Capping Show Cult

Posted 12:55pm Sunday 10th May 2015 by Jacob Houston

An inside look at what it’s like to be a part of the Capping Show, the process of getting into the production team and the build up to the grand performance. “You’ve just woken up, and you realise the world is in slow motion,” says the director. All right, I’ll Read more...

Campus Watch Confessions

Posted 12:44pm Sunday 10th May 2015 by Olivia Collier

Donning a puffer jacket, grasping a thermos of hot chocolate for dear life and looking disconcertingly like a burnt marshmallow on legs, Olivia Collier set out on one of the coldest nights this week to search high and low for the best stories pertaining to our very own guardians of the night: Campus Read more...

My Vegan Week

Posted 1:14pm Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Kirsty Gordge

Kirsty Gordge undergoes a vegan lifestyle for a week to learn the whys and hows of veganism. The three main enlightenments are: It is not a diet; it is a lifestyle. It is not just about food; it is about animal testing. And if you do it properly, it won’t restrict your life to lettuce and Read more...

Adult, I Am (Not)

Posted 1:07pm Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Lydia Adams

“Help! I need an adult!” I cry upon discovering that my lamp is still not turning on, even though I’ve replaced the bulb and tried it out on five different power points. No, you don’t need an adult, my self-affirming internal monologue says, you are an adult. No one Read more...

Confessions of a Quidnunc

Posted 12:55pm Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Maya Dodd

Passive aggressive behaviour can make for a miserably infuriating existence. Living with passive aggressive flatmates is the worst, but being the passive aggressive flatmate is exponentially more troubling. As the fair and forever-on-the-fence sleuth that I am, I compiled a list of stories from both Read more...

That'll Be $4.20

Posted 1:17pm Sunday 26th April 2015 by Isaac Yu

Weed, marijuana, Mary J, bud, green, pot, herbs, grass, “stuff”, “ingredients for a chill night”— whatever it is you decide to call it, it goes with Scarfies like chlamydia goes with Hamilton. Contrary to the mandatory “drugs are bad, mmkay” talks, injecting Read more...