Archive

Contemporary New Zealand Artists to Know and Watch

Posted 2:39pm Sunday 15th September 2013 by Zane Pocock

As an art lover, it comes as a constant disappointment that the names of New Zealand’s greatest and, for those who follow the art scene, most renowned contemporary artists don’t even ring a bell in the minds of most people I talk to. To be fair, some older (i.e. not contemporary) examples, such as Read more...

The Emperor's New Art

Posted 2:39pm Sunday 15th September 2013 by Loulou Callister-Baker

“What does it mean?” is a common refrain when it comes to contemporary art, not to mention the classic “my kid could have drawn that.” Loulou Callister-Baker explores the modernist and postmodern turns in the art world, and debunks the idea that contemporary art is merely lazy and pretentious. Read more...

Profile: Sir Geoffrey Cox (1910-2008)

Posted 2:39pm Sunday 15th September 2013 by Thomas Raethel

When Geoffrey Cox first attended Otago University, foreign periodicals took over a month to reach New Zealand, travelling by sea through the Panama Canal. Amateur radio broadcasting had only existed for five years and was seldom heard by everyday New Zealanders, who still often referred to Great Read more...

The Mysterious World of Bronies

Posted 1:51pm Sunday 8th September 2013 by Thomas Raethel

In recent years, a bizarre new subculture has sprung up, based on fandom of the television series My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic. Its predominantly male, adult membership call themselves bronies. But what do we really know about this group? Thomas Raethel investigated the subculture, and found Read more...

Monopoly: The Poor Man's Arsenic

Posted 1:51pm Sunday 8th September 2013 by Tristan Keillor

Nerds like video games, everybody likes drinking games, and nobody likes board games. I wish that sentence had come naturally, but it’s taken a week of Facebook rejections, face-to-face rejections and people “losing their phone” to teach me that no matter how much beer is on offer, it’s not worth Read more...

When Duty Calls: A Noob's Journey

Posted 1:51pm Sunday 8th September 2013 by Josie Adams

Every epic journey has a beginning. Every great champion was once a noob. But how would Josie Adams, Critic’s resident gaming ignoramus, fare in Call of Duty’s brutal domain, let alone the cutthroat environs of World of Warcraft? With a knowledgeable guide by her side, Critic pitched Josie headfirst Read more...

The Great Debate: Do Video Games Make Us Violent?

Posted 1:51pm Sunday 8th September 2013 by Baz Macdonald

The latest instalment of the controversial video game series Grand Theft Auto is to be released on 17 September. Critic’s Gaming Editor Baz Macdonald tackled the question of whether GTA and other video games are making us violent. On 8 December 1980, a 22-year-old Texan man finally succumbed Read more...

Me and My Genome

Posted 3:48pm Sunday 1st September 2013 by Lindsey Horne

Genomics offers incredible new possibilities in preventive medicine, and it is now possible to have one's genome sequenced for under $100. But how much do we really want to know about ourselves, and is this information safe? Remember a time before mobile phones? My mum used to stand on the Read more...

The Great Annual Critic BYO Review

Posted 3:48pm Sunday 1st September 2013 by Ines Shennan

Taking one for the team, Ines Shennan bravely volunteered for Critic’s annual culinary foray to find Dunedin’s best BYO restaurant for the discerning student palate. “Hey Ines, can you do the BYO review?” Give me a moment to … yes. The thought of strolling off to local eateries after numerous Read more...

Blood Donation and Gay Probation

Posted 3:48pm Sunday 1st September 2013 by Dr. Nick

If those filthy Aussies can have equitable blood-donation laws, why can't we? Dr Nick takes a look at the barriers to blood donation that gay men still face in New Zealand today. Australia: it’s a land where the government encouraged child abduction for a century, and only just got around to Read more...

Imperfect Memories

Posted 4:47pm Sunday 18th August 2013 by Loulou Callister-Baker

“During the 1980s, Dunedin gained global fame as a centre of musical excellence, and the 80’s now enjoy an almost mythic reputation in Dunedin's collective consciousness. Loulou Callister-Baker speaks to some of the figures from the period to find out if this nostalgia is justified.” Dad Read more...

Critic Scandals Through The Ages: An Inexhaustive Account

Posted 4:47pm Sunday 18th August 2013 by Brittany Mann

Now in its 89th year, Critic is widely known as an upright and distinguished Publication, where people turn for only the most rigorous of journalistic standards. LOL, JK. Brittany Mann takes a look at the scandals that have shaped Critic over the years. It seems like the height of Read more...

Why Do Soldiers Weep for More Cowbell?

Posted 4:47pm Sunday 18th August 2013 by Sam McChesney

“There’s a rare occasion when the public can be engaged on a level beyond flash, if they have a sentimental bond with the product. “My first job, I was in-house at a fur company, with this old-pro copywriter, a Greek named Teddy. Teddy told me the most important idea in advertising is new. Read more...

Calling the Cranks

Posted 2:29pm Sunday 11th August 2013 by Jack Montgomerie

While reporting the news, I’ve come to learn that some so-called “important” people will always be in demand for comment. Ministers, businesspeople and academics are forever having cameras and dictaphones shoved at their overexposed gobs. Meanwhile, more marginal characters get passed over for media Read more...

Big Brothers-At-Arms

Posted 2:29pm Sunday 11th August 2013 by Josie Adams

We live in an age of surveillance, in which our lives are policed by social norms and groupthink. These social norms can use technology to imprison us – but we can also use technology for our own ends, and fight back. “You can do better than that,” barks Winston’s telescreen in 1984. Read more...

Wanking Anonymously: The Rise of Hacktivism

Posted 2:29pm Sunday 11th August 2013 by Kathleen Hanna

Like it or not, hacktivism is the political movement of our time. The movement’s technological savvy, libertarian outlook and mischievous methods are inspiring an otherwise apolitical generation. But where does the movement come from, and is its vision a sound one? It Began With a WANKIn Read more...

All As Are Equal, But Some Are More Equal Than Others

Posted 2:29pm Sunday 11th August 2013 by Ines Shennan

Ines Shennan obtained the University of Otago Grade Comparison Report for 2012, which outlines Standout Papers across all levels of undergraduate study. What was born out of a desire to present greater transparency regarding grading soon ballooned into a consideration of far deeper issues: Why are Read more...

The Shit Show Chateau: From P-lab to Penthouse

Posted 4:15pm Sunday 4th August 2013 by Lindsey Horne

Rank flats and ranker landlords bring us students together. These flats give us something to talk about even in the most awkward of lab pairings and unite us in a general disdain toward the dreaded landlord (scum level equal to Dennis from Jurassic Park). But while we league together in our Read more...

From the Crypt: Flatting Horror Stories

Posted 3:50pm Sunday 4th August 2013 by Staff Reporter

Flatting can be one of the most enjoyable experiences of a student’s life. But what about when it goes horribly wrong? Critic readers open their scars and share their most horrific tales of flatting misadventure. The Witch of Union Street EastBy Baz Macdonald Gather round, my fellow Read more...

Suits, Skylarking and Scarfies

Posted 3:50pm Sunday 4th August 2013 by Sam Reynolds

Things change. Ten years ago the Bowler (a pub known only to few elderly students) was BYO crate before 6:00pm on Saturday nights. Twenty years ago a jug at Gardies was $3.80. Just over fourty years ago, boys and girls were banned from flatting together. In my first year I watched in disdain as the Read more...