Archive

New Zealand’s Apex Predator

Posted 11:09am Saturday 24th September 2016 by Anonymous Bird

I love cats as much as your average white girl. I tear up a little bit when I see them doing something cute, and I will quite happily watch video after video after video of cats I don’t know doing their cute shenanigans, like not landing a jump, hiding in boxes, and mewing. Heck, I even own a Read more...

Land of the Long White Cloud – but for how much longer?

Posted 11:02am Saturday 24th September 2016 by Gini Leatham

Tourism marketers love to portray New Zealand as an untouched Shangri-La. However, us humans have touched it with our clumsy, greedy fingers, and now we risk losing everything that makes our environment precious.  Gini Letham met some of the people trying to stop that Read more...

10 things you can do to combat the climate crisis

Posted 10:54am Saturday 24th September 2016 by Florence Dean

1) Take part in the movement.  If the heart-warming Disney-Pixar film ‘Bug’s Life’ taught me anything, it is that there is power in numbers. If people come together against the climate change cockroaches, then there is a chance that the devastating effects of climate change Read more...

Cold Water Corals: Ornately Splendid, Inaccessible & Under Threat

Posted 10:45am Saturday 24th September 2016 by Freya Mae O´Sullivan

In the deep ocean trenches surrounding Iceland, one would expect a barren, dark and empty terrain. Yet, exciting footage from submersibles reveals the seemingly impossible; lush coral gardens in abyssal canyons and trenches off the South-East coast. China Bone delicate and intricate as lace, these Read more...

2017 Te Rōpū Māori Nominations

Posted 12:55pm Saturday 17th September 2016 by Critic

Tumuaki (President) Rangiira Barclay-Kerr Ko Taupiri te maunga Ko Waikato te awa Ko Tainui te waka Ko Waikato te iwi Ko Maketū, ko Te Kōraha, ko Pārāwera ōku marae Ko Ngāti Mahuta te hapū   Kia ora whānau,  My Read more...

2017 OUSA Executive Election Nominees

Posted 11:37am Saturday 17th September 2016 by Critic

The nominations for the 2017 OUSA Executive have closed, and an array of good-looking candidates have put their name forward to represent you. Below are the positions and the candidates after your votes! Please note—These are the candidates personal views and in no way an endorsement of Read more...

Realising the Refugee Crisis

Posted 11:30am Saturday 17th September 2016 by Rosa Woods

"So here’s the situation, the coastguard has just picked up a boat that upturned on the way over from Turkey. Seventy people were on board; four have drowned. We expect the survivors to be arriving at camp within the next hour or two. Just remember that these people have lost members of Read more...

Porn 101

Posted 11:20am Saturday 17th September 2016 by Anonymous Bird

Throughout history humans have found ways to etch out, carve, draw, paint, record and recreate sex. This can be (fairly loosely) referred to as pornography. But, despite this being a part of the human experience for centuries, how much does your average person actually know about pornography and the Read more...

Swipe right, strap on, sneak out

Posted 11:42am Saturday 10th September 2016 by Anonymous

It was on the front page. It was a story about this new app – meant you could meet people from the comfort of your couch without a single spray of cologne. My girlfriend had just finished reading it. She said: “Would you use it? Ya know, if you were single?” Sensing a minefield I Read more...

The tales of a clothed Stilettos worker

Posted 11:32am Saturday 10th September 2016 by Katie Thain

Towards the end of last year, facing the rapidly approaching Studylink allowance cut-off date, I came to the realisation that I needed a job, and fast. One night after a few too many drinks, and a game of truth or dare that went too far, I found myself waking up the next morning with not only a Read more...

Grindr

Posted 11:10am Saturday 10th September 2016 by Anthony Gordon

You’ve heard of ‘gaydar’, right? It’s the sixth sense gay men supposedly use to detect other men’s sexual orientation. I’m dubious whether it’s real, but then again I thought the tastefully-nude Lady Gaga posters in my teenage bedroom would be enough to Read more...

The Water of Leith: Past and Current

Posted 11:41am Sunday 4th September 2016 by Charlotte Panton

After heavy rain, it’s more than a kayaker’s playground. It’s also the council’s mission, a property-owner’s disaster, students’ soggy socks and an engineering marvel. The Water of Leith has been a temperamental feature of the Dunedin landscape; some days Read more...

Brunch of Champions

Posted 11:36am Sunday 4th September 2016 by Mel Ansell

Good morning! It’s Sunday, the best day of the week. The sun shines brighter on Sundays - the birds tweet a little louder. Po-tee-weet! Can you hear them over the pounding in your head and the snoring of the cretin you went home with last night? Sure, smother the incoming phone call you Read more...

The Sex Lives of Scarfies

Posted 11:27am Sunday 4th September 2016 by Emma Fletcher

“I was just over guys… so over guys.” Now after a year of celibacy, she’s ready to jump back into the game.  Sarah Hill (not her real name) was tired of the same-ol’ casual, drunken sex she encountered during the weekends out on the town in Read more...

Requiem for a Scarfie

Posted 11:20am Sunday 4th September 2016 by Mel Ansell

The first sign of trouble came on Thursday evening when I announced I would not be drinking. My flatmates became concerned by 8:30 when I had not recanted my claim and refused to run down to Quicker Liquor for overpriced Scrumpy. They flocked around me, asked me how I was feeling in low, anxious Read more...

Bargains Chairlifts & Porn

Posted 11:37am Sunday 21st August 2016 by Charlie O’Mannin

Second semester begins yet again, and with it can come unusual urges, like the sudden desire to purchase A Review of Agricultural Practises in the Nelson Land District 1920-1963 for the price of a bottle of scrumpy, or a first edition Folk Ballads of Serbia instead of vodka. Where should you go to Read more...

The Western Anti-Theist Man's View on Islam

Posted 11:30am Sunday 21st August 2016 by Joe Higham

It would, in my opinion, be fundamentally wrong to publish an issue of Critic that has a specific focus of Islamic Awareness Week without the other side of the argument being presented. Before I go on, this absolutely represents my views on Islam, although the feature could, if I had a choice, fill Read more...

Individuals Creating Peaceful & Harmonious Societies

Posted 11:27am Sunday 21st August 2016 by Hashmat Lafraie

Leadership. Ingrained in the minds of young people, is a concept and a characteristic reserved to describe those who are the subject of daily media attention. These are the heads of governments and the representatives of nations, the innovators of business and economy, the spiritual guides of Read more...

What is it like being a Muslim Student at Otago University?

Posted 11:12am Sunday 21st August 2016 by Critic

Life for me at Otago University is probably quite similar to yours.  Anonymous I have found it quite difficult to write this piece mainly because I do not see myself being any different to the other students here. For me, the environment at Otago has been one that I have been able to Read more...

A Space To Create

Posted 4:11pm Monday 15th August 2016 by Lucy Hunter

Artsenta is a place where people using mental health services can go to do art. The studio is based on an ethos that everybody should be able to access art materials and to use them in any way they want to. Artsenta kindly let Critic in for a chat with the staff. A group of people sat quietly Read more...

Roving Woman

Posted 3:57pm Monday 15th August 2016 by Ceri Giddens

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmkP6atHHig Read more...

OUSA City Gallery Crawl

Posted 3:05pm Monday 15th August 2016 by Critic

Every year OUSA hosts the City Gallery Crawl. It is a night to explore the diversity of the visual art scene in Dunedin. Galleries open late, many have free drink and food, and every one has a feast for the eyes. You can either wander round the galleries at your leisure, or meet at the Dunedin Read more...

Mistakes I made That You Can Still Avoid

Posted 11:49am Sunday 7th August 2016 by Chelle Fitzgerald

This year marks my return to uni, at 31 years of age. It’s a bit daunting to realise that now I’m going to be akin to one of those weird mature-aged students who sit up the front, infuriatingly punctuating the lectures with waffling stories of “life experience” that bear Read more...

Why Local Politics Actually Matter

Posted 11:32am Sunday 7th August 2016 by Jarred Griffiths

At the moment most students see the Dunedin City Council (DCC) as a body that does not serve their interests. And ultimately, that’s the point: it doesn’t. Only one fifth of the elected Councillors are women, none are under the age of thirty, and in photos the lack of diversity is Read more...

Sensational Seagulls

Posted 12:18pm Sunday 31st July 2016 by Mikayla Cahill

When people ask you what your favourite animal is, they definitely aren’t expecting to hear the word seagull; but that is exactly what my favourite animal is. The seagull is an ethereal being, with wonderful powers of persuasion and a cunning attitude. From their snow white and charcoal grey Read more...

Putin's Nonsense Media

Posted 12:06pm Sunday 31st July 2016 by George Elliott

George Galloway, the abrasive former British MP and leader of the leftwing Respect Party, was once a prolific moonlighter. In 2014 he made as much money working for dubious state-run news broadcasters than he did as a British Member of Parliament. Two years later, after a failed bid at becoming Read more...

Coming Up Short

Posted 11:50am Sunday 31st July 2016 by Joel MacManus

In February of 2016, a post on the reddit forum r/newzealand entitled “Are You My Future Baby Daddy?” caused something of a stir. Rather than an inelegant attempt at internet dating, it told the story of a young couple looking for someone, anyone, who was willing to meet up in Wellington Read more...

From devotion to debauchery

Posted 11:42am Sunday 24th July 2016 by James Tregonning

When you think about it, it’s a bit weird that Monkey Bar used to be a church. It seems kind of disrespectful. I sat down with Trevor Geddes, one of the leaders of Dunedin City Baptist Church – the folks that used to be in that building – and asked him what he thought about the Read more...

Drunk Me Is The Poor Man’s Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Posted 11:33am Sunday 24th July 2016 by Michelle Fitzgerald

Anyone who knows me, the eternal party girl, will be aware that this is going to be a pretty massive change of pace for me. Although I’ve tried to cut down a few times in the past, placing certain limitations on myself (never at home alone/only once a week/only classy booze that doesn’t Read more...

Ted Cruz is the Zodiac Killer

Posted 11:15am Sunday 24th July 2016 by Carys Goodwin

The year was 2016. The month, February. And against all rhyme or reason, a poll released by Public Policy Polling confirmed the worst: 38 percent of Floridians genuinely believed Ted Cruz could be the Zodiac Killer-a serial killer who operated in northern California in the late ’60s and early Read more...

The 2016 Darryl Kerrigan "My House My Castle" Awards

Posted 11:51am Sunday 17th July 2016 by Hugh Baird

Since Jesus wore sand shoes, students in Dunedin have been subjected to living in cold, damp and unkempt flats. As part of the OUSA flatting week festivities we decided to run a competition to find those flats and showcase some of the best, and worst of what Dunedin has to offer. Winners of the Read more...

Teaching Kids to Love Learning

Posted 11:36am Sunday 17th July 2016 by Amber Allott

If you, much to your great misfortune, happen to be born poor, there are a lot of opportunities that you are going to miss out on that your more well-off peers will receive. While the differences between the rich and the poor appear much more overt in third-world, they are still very tangible and Read more...

Help, my flat is haunted!

Posted 11:24am Sunday 17th July 2016 by Amber Allott

Dunedin is reputed to be the most haunted city in New Zealand. You could end up living in one of New Zealand’s oldest, most fascinating residential buildings, in various states of disrepair, with a unique and possibly tragic history. You may, like many before you, end up hearing footsteps Read more...

Fairies are scaries

Posted 11:09am Sunday 10th July 2016 by Anonymous Bird

Fairies (or Faeries) are a massive part of our popular culture. The first image that comes to the minds of most people is of Tinkerbelle, or perhaps the fairy godmother in Cinderella. Fairies are seen as cute, pink, little people who exist to help and serve humans. They’re magical Read more...

Why won’t aliens visit us?

Posted 11:03am Sunday 10th July 2016 by Connor Fry

“So I’m certainly not a reptile. I’ve never been in a spaceship, never been in outer space, and my tongue’s not overly long either.” In 2014 a fellow human-being submitted an Official Information Act request for proof John Key wasn’t a reptilian enslaving us, Read more...

Abominable Stories

Posted 10:53am Sunday 10th July 2016 by Anthony Marris

Cryptozology is the study of hidden and mainly mythical animals that mainstream science pays little attention to. Mention cryptozoology in a conversation and people automatically deride you, if they know what the word means. When you can be bothered explaining that it is so much more than the Read more...

An actual real legal high

Posted 11:45am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Sam Fraser-Baxter

I thought I would smell J-Day before I would be able to see it. Like the police burning off a colossal stash of confiscated plants, I imagined Dunedin’s J-Day creating a haze of smoke so large that it would hot box the wider Octagon, a blaze so impressive that it would send a great political Read more...

Personal Statement

Posted 11:35am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Carys Goodwin

When I picture graduate school selection panels, I picture the iconic scene in every genre of movie from Billy Elliot to The Shawshank Redemption – a large, old hall or room; a long desk, with a row of glasses-wearing middle aged examiners sitting behind it; and a single chair, placed Read more...

Breaks & Skates - the revolution of Roller Derby

Posted 11:28am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Jean Balchin

There I stood, gingerly extending my right foot as the wheels rolled across the ground. Clad head to toe in battered protective gear, I resembled a second-rate Stormtrooper, and like the infamous head-bumping guy from Episode IV, I was just as clumsy. I had always envisaged Roller Derby as a sexy, Read more...

Old-Timey Food Tips - From a 1920's health book

Posted 11:34am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Lucy Hunter

In the age of the internet, food can be scary. On one side, we have the cheeseburger lasagnes and all-bacon burgers of Epic Meal Time, on the other side we have the macrobiotic diet of Gwyneth Paltrow and the “chemical” fearmongering of the Food Babe. Don’t you yearn for a simpler Read more...

Starving For Good

Posted 11:25am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Sam Fraser-Baxter

Last week I didn’t eat for 48 hours. It was my first fast.For those two days I didn’t consume a single calorie. They were two of the most peculiar days of my life. By the end of my fast I wasn’t quite the empty skulled, staggering zombie I dreaded becoming when I began, but Read more...

Shout It From the Rooftops: I Am A Vegan

Posted 11:12am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Joe Higham

In February this year, I was sat at a restaurant on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, which winds itself through the sprawling metropolis of Bangkok. It was a typically hot and humid day, and the sun was just setting behind and between the concrete skyline. The menu before me was filled with Read more...

Consent On Campus

Posted 11:41am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Amber Allott

Rape and sexual assault on campus is not a nice topic, but one that everybody at the university needs to think about. Amber Allott discusses consent, the myth of the “grey area”, and resources available for sexual assault survivors.  A little over a fortnight ago, I was scrolling Read more...

I Never Remember A Face

Posted 11:34am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Lucy Hunter

Human beings rely on being able to recognise other people by their faces for normal social interaction. Lucy Hunter talked to three prosopagnosics, people who have difficulty recognising faces, about some of the problems their condition causes in their Read more...

Re-capping The Capping Show

Posted 11:24am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Mikayla Cahill

This week you’ll have the chance to see the 122nd annual Capping Show. “Making Grad” is the latest installment in a long tradition of irreverence and hilarity where nothing and nobody is immune to ridicule. Is it all just good fun? Mikayla Cahill investigates the history of the Read more...

Volunteer’s Experience

Posted 12:06pm Sunday 8th May 2016 by Natasha Cox

What made you volunteer in the first place? Growing up I was privileged to have the opportunity to travel with my parents, and various other school groups. This taste of the world, and all of the amazing cultures, peoples, and natural beauties it holds, instilled in me a passion for travelling Read more...

Sayonara, Dignity!

Posted 11:59am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Critic

A rash in Australia I was in Sydney with my new boyfriend and we ended up having sex in a park and falling asleep because it was so warm. I was itchy all over all night and I thought it was because I was hot and sweaty under my clothes. We woke up and there were a pack of Ibis looking at us Read more...

Dating a Backpacker

Posted 11:53am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Vicky Ransom

"Hi mum and dad, meet my boyfriend. He lives in hostels and there's a chance he may have to leave the country one day, but I love him so let's try look past that." No, this isn't the tagline to a cheesy rom-com, this is my reality. I'm dating a backpacker, and let me tell Read more...

Voluntouring the World

Posted 11:45am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Amber Allott

In a recent article, UK newspaper 'The Daily Express,' claimed that the most common regret of people over sixty was not travelling and seeing more of the world.  As such, it is really no wonder that travel has become an essential life experience for those in their twenties, especially Read more...

Exchanging Yarns

Posted 11:33am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Lana Young

In my second and third year I took the opportunity to study at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Think of it as a balmy version of Dunedin but on the beach with your own campus surf-break and the occasional pug riding a skate-board.  Every other weekend was a camping trip to Read more...

Sir Ray Avery

Posted 11:38am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Hugh Baird

Sir Ray Avery is a scientist, inventor and a social entrepreneur of the highest order. He developed affordable intraocular lenses that by the year 2020 will have brought sight to 30 million people. He also revolutionised baby incubators to save countless lives in third world countries . He was Read more...

Interview With A Ghost

Posted 11:34am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Lucy Hunter

In the office, Ceri, Laura, Tash, Joe, Jean, Bij and I sat around waiting. Red light from the candles flickered on our faces and over the board. My workmates and I had had a couple of wines each and were trying to get scared. We held hands, breathed deeply and closed our eyes. “We are here in Read more...

Escaping the Cult of Accelerated Christian Education

Posted 11:22am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Jean Balchin

Picture this: gray walls rising up on three sides of you as you sit, hunched over your schoolwork - a science worksheet repudiating the theory of evolution, using the Loch Ness Monster as an example for why Darwin was horrifically, inexcusably wrong.  As you fill in the blanks, copying Read more...

The Big Banana Blow Out

Posted 11:11am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Mikayla Cahill

You may want to sit down for what I’m about to smack you in the face with: bananas are dying, and it isn’t the most a-peel-ing situation. Bananas all around the world are starting to die from a deadly and uncontrollable new strain of Fusarium Oxysporum f.sp. Cubense (Panama Disease) Read more...

In Defence of Self-Defence

Posted 11:33am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Lucy Hunter

A piece of advice for all you female-identified people – get good at yelling. You don’t have to be ‘ladylike’ if someone is disrespecting your boundaries. You have a right to get mad! Unleash the beast and yell from your belly like a frickin’ dragon. In the debate Read more...

What Becomes of the Unwanted

Posted 11:23am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Louise Lin

Louise Lin went to the Green Island Landfill to talk to the people who deal with the waste products most people prefer to ignore If you want to be attacked by irate pukeko, the Green Island landfill is the place to go. Jennie Upton, Education and promotion officer at the DCC, is showing me Read more...

Nudity & Rudity

Posted 11:15am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Kirsty Gordge

After spending some time in a nude sauna in Finland, Kirsty Gordge explores public nudity in New Zealand, asking the big question: Why don’t Kiwis get naked more often?  Boobs: perky, droopy, and wrinkled. Nipples: dark, pink and small. Bums: tight, big, and saggy. Hair: thick, black Read more...

Guidance for Jobseekers

Posted 11:34am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Anonymous Bird

It's getting to the time when, while students are stressing about assignments and exams, they have run out of course related costs and are frantically applying for part time work and graduate employment. Job hunting can be a dreary and disheartening process, but you’ve got to stick at it Read more...

Pride in Prison?

Posted 11:06am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Nath B

Content warning – accounts of rape and physical violence The acronym LGBT is used through-out the article in an all-encompassing manner to refer to the queer community.  LGBT is used in lieu of writing lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, pansexual, genderqueer, asexual, Read more...

Spilled Soup, Secrets & Schadenfreude

Posted 11:18am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Jean Balchin

Jean Balchin on that gleeful feeling of happiness when something horrible happens to someone else. Imagine, if you will, a cold, blustery day in the city. With the wind howling and the rain coming down in horizontal sheets, the interior of the bus seems positively luxurious. From your Read more...

A Special Pass For God

Posted 11:13am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Joe Higham

Joe Higham discusses the exceptional treatment religion gets in the media, and how it turns us into hypocrites. It was 1988 and Salman Rushdie, a British-Indian author, was sat in a secure, undisclosed safe house somewhere in the British Isles, under overwhelming police protection. He was only Read more...

Harm Reduction

Posted 11:00am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Lucy Hunter

Lucy Hunter looks behind the doors of the Dunedin needle exchange Needle exchange programmes were created to reduce harm and to educate people on taking drugs in the safest way possible. I spoke to Manager Barbara Smith and one of her colleagues Dene Barnes from the Dunedin Intravenous Read more...

Cos It's All About The Play

Posted 12:07pm Sunday 3rd April 2016 by Victoria Ransom

The smell of makeup, face paint and coloured hairspray fills the air. Masses of people are all flocking to one place for a day of excitement, laughter and all out craziness.  For those of you thinking these are the sights and smells of the annual Hyde Street party, you are sadly mistaken. We Read more...

Intercontinental Drift

Posted 11:55am Sunday 3rd April 2016 by Norman H. Maclean

“They change their sky but not their soul who cross the ocean.” When Roman poet, Horace penned these words over two millennia ago, he could scarcely have envisaged the chaos unfolding in our time as hundreds of thousands clamour for salvation in the West, carrying with them both faith Read more...

A Week In The Life Of A Sex Store Employee

Posted 11:41am Sunday 3rd April 2016 by Chelle Fitzgerald

“Wow, that is so cool! What’s it like? Are all the customers hella kinky?” This is the most common response I hear when people find out what I do for a living. To be fair, it’s a natural reaction, as so many people have never set foot inside an adult store. Many people Read more...

Breaking News: The News Is Broken

Posted 12:43pm Sunday 20th March 2016 by Amber Allott

Admit it. You know you regularly choose to read entertaining trash over reminders of how the world is turning to shit. Amber Allott investigates if we are entirely in control of our ignorant habits, or if they are the result of capitalism and political manipulation within the media. ‘How Read more...

Reiki’n It In

Posted 12:22pm Sunday 20th March 2016 by Lucy Hunter

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that adherents believe also promotes healing. Reiki (rhymes with nakey) was developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui. It uses a technique often called “palm healing” or “hands-on-healing”. Read more...

The Human Garbage Receptacle

Posted 12:05pm Sunday 20th March 2016 by Anthony Gordon

You haven’t seen the nasty side of human nature until you’ve worked a job dealing with hungry people who do not give a fuck about who you are. The little social niceties that stop people from succumbing to their momentary anger and verbally abusing their mate’s girlfriend Read more...

No Pain, No Gain

Posted 1:36pm Sunday 13th March 2016 by Jean Balchin

It wasn’t until I felt the sharp sting of lemon juice trickling down into my eye made me realise I had made a terrible mistake. Inelegantly slumped over the bathroom sink, I squinted through my tears at the woebegone girl in the mirror and vowed never to bleach my freckles again. Although only Read more...

The Secret Life Of Bees

Posted 1:26pm Sunday 13th March 2016 by Amber Allott

The leader of the group got to her position of power by violently murdering her sisters. She was born in a cell and fed nothing but jelly by thousands of identical nurses. The bodies of her dead children are picked up and tossed outside the institution they were born in. When she is too old to work Read more...

The Path To Fashion Week: OP to iD

Posted 12:45pm Sunday 13th March 2016 by Brittany Pooley

iD Fashion Week is Dunedin’s own annual celebration of New Zealand fashion. It presents two major Fashion shows; the iD International Emerging Designer Awards and the iD Dunedin Fashion Show otherwise known as Railway Each year designers from all over the world are invited to put forward their Read more...

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...