Archive
Wining and Dyning: I tried dyeing shirts with booze
Posted 5:50pm Wednesday 9th August 2023 by Lotto Ramsay

As long as psychedelics are in fashion, tie-dye is too. I’m all for the “DIY aesthetic”, but I’m a staunch advocate for actually doing it yourself. A cheeky tie-dye is a great way to give new life to an old garment, plus, dunking clothes into chemicals and watching the Read more...
Fashion Forecast: Historical Trends To Bring Back
Posted 1:55pm Monday 7th August 2023 by Lotto Ramsay

Fashion has always been cyclical. Typically, the overarching trends of each decade are a direct contrast to that decade or decades prior. Think of the boxy, baggy, top-heavy silhouettes of the ‘80s sandwiched between the more fitted and A-line shapes of the ‘70s and ‘90s. In Read more...
Unusual, unwelcome, under-the-radar:
Posted 1:30pm Monday 31st July 2023 by Critic

There are a lot of invasive species in Aotearoa. Aside from the infamous rats and possums, there’s everything from pine trees and deer to finches and perches, and they all pose threats to our native ecosystems. There are also species that have been brought over and naturalised but aren’t Read more...
Out of Sight, Out of Mind:
Posted 1:26pm Monday 31st July 2023 by Lotto Ramsay

Dunedin is saturated with cheap, easy food joints within walking distance for most students, yet more and more are offering delivery through third-party apps like UberEats. Too many, in fact – some of the restaurants offered on delivery apps don’t actually exist as physical stores. The Read more...
Functional Zero
Posted 4:25pm Monday 24th July 2023 by Hugh Askerud

Homelessness in Dunedin has once again reared its ugly head, finding a footing as many are pressed into uncomfortable situations by the climbing cost of living. It’s not only a local issue - the housing crisis has been steadily increasing nationwide, with the Human Rights Commission estimating Read more...
Matariki, Mātauranga Māori, and Modern Science
Posted 4:23pm Monday 24th July 2023 by Nā Skyla from Ngāti Hine

In the early years of learning maths and chemistry, posters fill the classroom walls. They’re plastered with motivational slogans like “Music: proof the brain enjoys counting”, “Chemistry is everything”, and “Maths: the secret language of the universe”. Read more...
Vape Laws: A Breath of Fresh Air?
Posted 9:56pm Tuesday 18th July 2023 by Anna Robertshawe

The other night, I found myself and my five flatmates talking about how bad vaping was and everything the government should be doing to address it – all while we passed around my friend’s big, blue, bubble-shaped vape filled with grape ice juice. “It’s liquid in your Read more...
Critic Te Ārohi Census 2023
Posted 1:11pm Sunday 9th July 2023 by Critic

Last month we challenged you to fill out our 2023 Census. 242 brave students took the plunge, five more than in 2022. We made you endure more than fifty questions that you may or may not have spent too much time thinking about when you should have been studying for your exam the next day, and you Read more...
Good (enough) Housekeeping: A Woman's Guide to Domestic Bliss in Dunners
Posted 5:14pm Monday 29th May 2023 by Lotto Ramsay

Here at Critic Te Ārohi, we recognise what a relatable struggle it is to be both the perfect student and the perfect housewife. Everyone’s felt the burnout that comes from having to turn in an assignment at 12 and turn out a gorilla-grip coochie at 1, am I right? AM or PM, it’s a Read more...
Which Political Scandal are You?
Posted 5:07pm Monday 29th May 2023 by Annabelle Parata Vaughan

How did you pick your major? You decided to study an incredibly challenging course like law or med in Year 11 and haven’t considered any alternative since. You came to uni to study psych, but quickly realised there were much easier degrees to finish in three years while barely Read more...
Miss Representation: The New Era of the ‘Dunedin Sound’ Maintains The Sexist Undercurrents of the Past
Posted 3:53pm Sunday 21st May 2023 by Annabelle Parata Vaughan

There is something seriously lacking in Dunedin. And no, it’s not just the scarcity of our venues. Something is miss-ing, if you will. Since the 1980s, the Dunedin Sound has been dominated by male voices. Right now the genre is still defined by surf-rock or alternative-indie sounds, which Read more...
GET THE HECKLE OFF STAGE: Heckling in Ōtepoti’s Live Music Scene
Posted 3:37pm Sunday 21st May 2023 by Jamiema Lorimer

Sorry, not sorry, but this article starts with a public flaying. If you were the breatha at the Soaked Oats gig at Mayfair earlier this year who called out if the band could “play that one again so I can boo it some more?” after they performed their final song, I hope you’re Read more...
The 22nd Annual Critic Fish n Chip Review
Posted 2:48pm Sunday 14th May 2023 by Hugh Askerud

It’s time for the annual Critic Te Ārohi fish and chip shop review. Need we say more? Actually, we do, because this year we have decided to revolutionise the review system. One look at the infamous ‘Dunedin Fish and Chip Shop Review’ Facebook page suggests that North D is Read more...
The History of Hyde
Posted 1:51pm Sunday 7th May 2023 by Anna Robertshawe

25 years ago, it was a couple of mates doing a keg race. Today, the Hyde Street Party is one of the most iconic days of the year. Like fish to water, thousands of costumed students flock to the little street each year to sink piss under the open sky, accompanied by sausage sizzles and the Read more...
Would Your Degree Survive a Horror Film?
Posted 1:49pm Sunday 7th May 2023 by James Downing

University is meant to be fun and exciting but, let's be real, sometimes it can feel like a horror show. And just like any good slasher flick, recently it’s been giving us more than our fair share of cuts. So, for the fearless among us: are you curious about what lurks behind the Read more...
Voluntourism: Does the “Third World” Really Need Our “Help”?
Posted 3:57pm Sunday 30th April 2023 by Zak Rudin

Voluntourism. You’ve probably heard of it as that thing your mate did over summer where they travelled the world while helping indigenous communities in poor countries. Sounds great, right? Not always. Voluntourism can be extremely exploitative, while advertising is designed to hook Read more...
PAID IN FULL WITH BLOOD
Posted 3:53pm Sunday 30th April 2023 by Nā Skyla from Ngāti Hine

Kawiti was tired of digging graves, so he started digging trenches. Amidst a showdown between northern Māori and British forces, the Musket War veteran began construction of an underground fortress. Kawiti’s formidable pā was a never-before-seen bastion, made up of underground Read more...
Crushing the Critic and Conscience:
Posted 3:03pm Sunday 23rd April 2023 by Annabelle Parata Vaughan

On Thursday last week, the University announced that several hundred staff would be made redundant to help shore up their financial situation. They’ve increased student fees by the maximum allowable amount every year for several years now, and borrowed $30 million in December 2022 from bank Read more...
Faux Poverty
Posted 2:53pm Sunday 23rd April 2023 by Iris Hehir

Life in the ‘student city’ is a point of debate, disgust, and drama across the country. From falling off roofs on St Patrick's Day (which traditionally starts at 6am) to law camp scandals, endless Student Health AA referrals, flat initiations, the dying art of couch burning, and, of Read more...
You Cannot Be What You Cannot See
Posted 11:58am Sunday 16th April 2023 by Nā Skyla from Ngāti Hine

Since the establishment of colonial society in Aotearoa, Māori have remained massively underrepresented within the medical workforce. Despite increases since the 1990s, many Māori are often only able to find employment in entry-level, minimum-wage jobs such as cleaning, caregiving, and Read more...