Archive

The Students Behind the Forsyth Barr Vaccine Clinic

Posted 5:36pm Monday 30th August 2021 by Erin Gourley

The student leaders behind the pop-up vaccination clinic at Forsyth Barr stadium feel that their concerns were ignored by the University. Melissa Lama and Karamea Pēwhairangi gave up on asking the University for help with establishing a student-focused vaccination clinic. They turned to Te Read more...

Main Building of Wellington Campus Evacuated

Posted 9:52pm Sunday 22nd August 2021 by Fox Meyer

Users of the main building on Otago’s Wellington campus were told on Thursday 12 August that they would need to relocate for at least a month. The building was found to be compliant with just 15% of the earthquake safety requirements of New Zealand’s New Building Standard. Staff and Read more...

OUSA Exec Candidates Say, Unanimously, “Please Vote For Me”

Posted 3:00pm Sunday 22nd August 2021 by

In what would prove to be their last chance to greet the voting public before lockdown, OUSA’s candidates for the 2022 Exec took the stage last week to share their plans for the coming year. All of the forums were held in the Main Common Room. The Presidential race was uncontested from day Read more...

The People Demand Health Sci Data

Posted 2:57pm Sunday 22nd August 2021 by Denzel Chung

Over half of the Official Information Act (OIA) requests sent to the Uni through FYI.org.nz revolve around getting into health professional programmes. 40% of these were about getting into med. Under the OIA, any citizen of Aotearoa New Zealand is able to ask for any official information held by Read more...

Castle’s Lockdown-Breaching Party Was “Bound to Happen”

Posted 2:54pm Sunday 22nd August 2021 by Fox Meyer

“It was just like any other Saturday night in Dunedin, but it was on a Tuesday, which is why it felt quite bizarre when the police came in wearing full face-masks.”  Such is the scene set by Emilio*, a second-year Castle Street resident, as he described the inside of the flat Read more...

Liquor Lines Lengthen in Lead Up to Level 4

Posted 2:27pm Sunday 22nd August 2021 by Fox Meyer

Student priorities were made obvious on the night of Tuesday 18 August, following the announcement that the entire country would return to Level 4 for the first time in 477 days. Queues outside of Leith Liquor stretched all the way to the street, with students reporting that the inside of the Read more...

Ominous Uni Email Spooks Students

Posted 2:25pm Sunday 22nd August 2021 by Fox Meyer

With a jarring entry back into Level 4, many students were met with unwelcome news from the University. The announcement said that online learning and exam options were not guaranteed, and that the graduation scheduled for 21 August would be cancelled. Whilst the graduation cancellation was not Read more...

Taco Bell to Compete with Local Eateries

Posted 1:31pm Monday 16th August 2021 by Sunaina Born

The arrival of the chain store Taco Bell to North Dunedin may give small businesses an opportunity to attract more customers, says Burger Plant owner Tom White. Global franchise Taco Bell was recently announced to be opening a store in Dunedin in the former site of Couplands in North Dunedin. The Read more...

Police Chase Leaves Students Baffled

Posted 1:29pm Monday 16th August 2021 by Fox Meyer

Students were excited and slightly concerned about a high speed police chase that went past the Business School on Tuesday 10 August at about 3.30pm. This makes it the second high speed chase down Union Street in just as many weeks. Second year Sam* saw the chase first-hand. “We were just Read more...

Magnolias in Quad Blooming Earlier

Posted 1:28pm Monday 16th August 2021 by Fox Meyer

Each year, bets are taken on when the first Magnolia bloom will appear between the Clocktower and Quad. This year it was August 10. The average blooming date has gotten earlier and earlier since records began in 1995. Gut instinct would attribute this early blooming to climate change. As seasons Read more...

How your OUSA election vote is counted

Posted 1:25pm Monday 16th August 2021 by Gerry Mander

OUSA Elections are coming up. That means you have an exciting opportunity to use the best voting system and exercise your right to elect representatives to spend your student loan. Here’s how it works.  The voting method used in OUSA elections is Single Transferable Vote (STV). This is Read more...

Flat Dildo Stolen

Posted 1:22pm Monday 16th August 2021 by Runze Liu

A group of flatmates have given up hope their dildo will be found safe and well. They remember it fondly. The dildo, described by William as “about eight inches long, fluorescent, a translucent pink colour with veins going down the side, with no balls, a classically sized girth, realistic Read more...

Axolotl Pair Left Out to Dry

Posted 1:20pm Monday 16th August 2021 by Keegan Wells

Two axolotte (plural of axolotl) were left outside on the footpath of Forth Street last week. A rescue was attempted by Amelia Seals, owner of 131 axolotte, but the animals were never recovered. The axolotl is a Mexican amphibian, a type of salamander, and a common house pet. They remain aquatic Read more...

Art Piece Installed, Then Vandalized, Then Re-installed

Posted 1:05pm Monday 16th August 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

If you’ve been walking around Uni in the last week you might have noticed the plywood signs placed on the Union Lawn and outside the museum. Masters of Fine Art candidate Maggie Covell spoke to Critic about her project, saying that the installation centres on mental health and body autonomy Read more...

Serial Central Shitter Confusion

Posted 1:03pm Monday 16th August 2021 by Sean Gourley

A serial shitter has struck Central Library multiple times. In at least two separate incidents, a large poo of considerable size and girth has been left on the toilet seat of the men’s disabled bathrooms on both the first and second floors of Central Library. It is possible that many more such Read more...

Mouldy Mattress on Floor Not Landlord’s Fault: Tenancy Tribunal

Posted 1:01pm Monday 16th August 2021 by Denzel Chung

A mysterious carpet stain caused two Dunedin tenants to take their landlord to the Tenancy Tribunal, asking for $12,000 in compensation. The landlord responded that this stain formed because the tenant slept with his mattress on the floor for seven months — which the Tenancy Tribunal agreed Read more...

Extreme Home Makeover: Make Your Tenants Pay For It Edition

Posted 12:51pm Monday 16th August 2021 by Denzel Chung

A recent Tenancy Tribunal ruling showed a landlord tried to claim $13,000 of damages from a NEV flat, but failed because the damage was only worth $4,000.  The landlord “did not wish the tenants’ names to be published,” so their names were redacted from the Tribunal ruling. Read more...

Hero’s Banner Tear Causes Fascist Tears

Posted 8:31pm Sunday 15th August 2021 by Oscar Francis

An Auckland man revealed he ripped down an Action Zealandia banner on Sunday as the group ran away, high-fiving each other on a job poorly done. This event follows Critic’s exposé on the neo-Nazi group last week. On Sunday 8 August, Spicy Johnson* was driving along State Highway One, Read more...

Ice Hockey Draws Record Crowds

Posted 1:36am Monday 9th August 2021 by Fox Meyer

Ice hockey’s popularity in Dunedin is only growing. The Dunedin Ice Stadium was chock full on Saturday 31 July for the last home game of the year. Over 700 people donned their warmest layers to watch the Phoenix Thunder (Dunedin) play the Skycity Stampede (Queenstown), a record for a regular Read more...

Covid And Other Diseases Under Study At University

Posted 1:11am Monday 9th August 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

Ever wondered what all the pipes are above the Microbiology Building? Turns out they’re top-of-the-line vent systems for the University’s not-so-secret penthouse lab devoted to in-depth study of seriously infectious diseases such as Covid-19.  The Physical Containment Laboratory Read more...

Earthquake Monitoring System Deployed

Posted 1:10am Monday 9th August 2021 by Fox Meyer

The Otago Earthquake Science Group, and Property Services, have installed four new “shake-sensors” on campus. Canterbury Seismic Instruments will monitor the accelerograph stations and help emergency services respond to a seismic event. You can see one of these new stations in the Read more...

New Parking Wardens Spotted in Training

Posted 1:07am Monday 9th August 2021 by Sophia Carter Peters

Fresh parking warden hatchlings have been spotted by local drivers, much to the distress of anyone who has received a parking ticket. The usually-lone parking rangers on their “motorised scooter” have been partnered up this week with trainees. This means that your risk of a parking Read more...

DCC Makes Bank From Parking

Posted 1:06am Monday 9th August 2021 by Sean Gourley

The Dunedin City Council raked in $1.81 million in parking fine revenue over the 2019 – 2020 period. This represented a decrease in revenue from the last two years. The cost of running the parking service has steadily increased by $210,000, from $1.95 million in 2017 – 2018 to $2.16 Read more...

Nurses’ Strike About More Than Just Better Pay

Posted 1:02am Monday 9th August 2021 by Oscar Francis

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) is planning a strike for 19 August after it rejected the government’s latest pay offer. According to NZNO’s Lead Advocate David Wait, “while the DHBs [District Health Boards] had made promising moves on pay, the offer contained too many Read more...

Young Nats At Odds With Old Nats Over Conversion Therapy

Posted 12:59am Monday 9th August 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

Thursday 5 August was a historic day for the LGBTQ+ community in New Zealand. The Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill was up for its first reading in Parliament, a big step towards outlawing the horrific practice forever in our country. But despite calls from their youth wing to Read more...

New Disc Golf Club Nets Cash

Posted 12:57am Monday 9th August 2021 by Keegan Wells

The Otago University Disc Golf Club (OUDGC) has gained rapid traction in the student body, and has received a $1,400 OUSA grant to buy new equipment. Critic sat down with Matt Watson, the President and Founder of OUDGC, to find out why people enjoy throwing plastic into metal so goddamn much that Read more...

Uni Owns Shares in Weird Mouth-Clamp Device

Posted 12:55am Monday 9th August 2021 by Denzel Chung

Otago University, along with two researchers responsible for the DentalSlim Diet Control Device, holds shares in the company holding the global patent for the DentalSlim mouth-clamp.  The device uses magnets to clamp a patient’s jaw shut. It is designed to help weight-loss efforts. It Read more...

Investigation Sheds Light on Aotearoa’s Largest Neo-Nazi Group

Posted 12:49am Monday 9th August 2021 by Elliot Weir

A note on aliases: Members of Action Zealandia use aliases to obscure their identities, even from other group members. In the article aliases are signalled by the use of single quote marks the first time a name is mentioned, e.g. ‘Marc’.  Read the companion feature article Read more...

DCC Proposal Would Re-Route SH1

Posted 3:39pm Sunday 1st August 2021 by Sean Gourley

In a new plan, the Dunedin City Council will divert traffic from the one-way systems and increase pedestrian access to the Uni.  According to the DCC, the ‘Harbour Arterial Project’ should reduce pressure on the one-way systems. A spokesperson said that “as part of the Read more...

Taco Bell Coming to Dunedin

Posted 3:35pm Sunday 1st August 2021 by Fox Meyer

Taco Bell is opening a store here. It will be New Zealand’s second Taco Bell, following the one in Christchurch, which opened earlier this year.  Critic drove to Christchurch over the weekend to scope it out, in anticipation of Dunedin’s newest fast food joint. We specifically Read more...

Online Mental Health Project set to Launch

Posted 3:28pm Sunday 1st August 2021 by Susana Jones

The Uni is set to roll out a ‘Caring Universities Aotearoa’ project sometime within the next couple of weeks. The project aims to improve the mental health of University students, and involves the provision of e-health apps. The e-health apps will provide access to online cognitive Read more...

Medical Extension Rules Debated

Posted 3:24pm Sunday 1st August 2021 by Mehara Salpadoru

A new policy is being discussed that would enable students to have up to a week-long extension without presenting a medical certificate, a source from a faculty meeting at Victoria University revealed to Critic.  It's not unusual to see Student Health waitlists look like the Night Read more...

No Aotearoa in Mustang World

Posted 3:16pm Sunday 1st August 2021 by Fox Meyer

Wax Mustang’s Re-O performance featured a spinning globe backdrop, which appeared to be missing a certain eastern Australian state. A Critic reporter attended the gig and spotted the apparent error. The globe was see-thru and rotating, so that you could see the continents facing you as well Read more...

Trans Rights Picnic Dwarfs TERF Meeting

Posted 3:12pm Sunday 1st August 2021 by Erin Gourley

The trans rights festival in protest of the Speak Up For Women (SUFW) meeting at the Dunedin Town Hall ended up dwarfing the original event, with around 350 attendees outside the Town Hall on Saturday 24 July. The Ōtepoti Festival for Trans Rights and Liberation, organised by Environmental Read more...

Queer Space Finally Opens, Students Say It’s “Pretty Cool”

Posted 3:09pm Sunday 1st August 2021 by Erin Gourley

The queer space officially opened on Friday 23 June, after a blessing. This was followed by a speech from OUSA President Michaela Waite-Harvey. The space is located on the second floor of the Union building, opposite the Terrace Lounge. It has a microwave, a mini-fridge covered with The Office Read more...

Dunedin Hospital Doesn’t Want to Watch Haywardians Shag

Posted 1:32am Saturday 31st July 2021 by Fox Meyer

The Paediatric wing of Dunedin Hospital has clear views into Hayward College. Disaster was inevitable. A request from the Children’s Unit at Dunedin Hospital called for Hayward residents to “please close your curtains,” especially during “certain naked activities at Read more...

Free Scooters for Jabs

Posted 1:29am Saturday 31st July 2021 by Denzel Chung

E-scooter operator Neuron announced that they will offer 10,000 $10 vouchers to people wanting to scooter to their Covid-19 vaccination appointments. They’re encouraging everyone eligible to take them up on the offer, including over-60s.  Beginning from July 30, people who have the Read more...

Six60 Goes Landlord

Posted 1:26am Saturday 31st July 2021 by Fox Meyer

Six60 have bought their old flat and will be renting it out to Performing Arts students. The four new tenants each year will receive a $10,000 scholarship and mentorship from the band. Official numbers on rent weren’t clear, but current tenants pay $205 each per week. The flat is Read more...

“No Real Ethical Issues” to Having Jaws Clamped Shut, Said Otago Researchers

Posted 1:24am Saturday 31st July 2021 by Denzel Chung

The Otago-led research team behind the ‘DentalSlim Diet Control Device’, a magnetised jaw clamp that prevents people from eating solid food, claimed in their ethics committee application that their product would have “no real ethical issues” and presents “no significant Read more...

Free Scooters for Jabs

Posted 8:52pm Thursday 29th July 2021 by Denzel Chung

E-scooter operator Neuron announced that they will offer 10,000 $10 vouchers to people wanting to scooter to their Covid-19 vaccination appointments. They’re encouraging everyone eligible to take them up on the offer, including over-60s. Beginning from July 30, people who have the Neuron Read more...

Government Finalises Tertiary Pastoral Care Code

Posted 4:24pm Sunday 25th July 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

After a lengthy submission period, the Government has finally wrapped up their tertiary pastoral care code, called the Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Leaners) Code of Practice 2021. They now expect compliance from tertiary institutions throughout New Zealand. While there Read more...

Students Join Kate Bush Cult

Posted 4:14pm Sunday 25th July 2021 by Asia Martusia King

A Kate Bush flash mob, held in the Octagon on Saturday 17 July, was described as “euphoric” by student attendees. The Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever is an event held at locations around the world, where participants recreate the music video for musician Kate Bush's 1978 song Read more...

3000 Holy Sausages Distributed

Posted 4:11pm Sunday 25th July 2021 by Denzel Chung

You know what they say: Give a man a sausage, he eats for a day. Teach a man to grill, and he’ll love Jesus for life. A group of young people from Dunedin churches — mostly students — handed out an estimated 3,000 sausages and 1,000 hash browns, free-of-charge, over Re-O Read more...

Silverline Draws Criticism

Posted 4:01pm Sunday 25th July 2021 by Denzel Chung

A student who attended the Silverline Festival is accusing organisers of not providing enough mental health support for attendees, but Silverline say feedback from their event was overwhelmingly positive. Last week, Critic Te Arohi reported that the event cost $26,000. The student reached out Read more...

Fire in the Link Last Sunday

Posted 3:53pm Sunday 25th July 2021 by Runze Liu

New Zealand Police and Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) are investigating a fire that occurred in a rubbish bin in the Information Services Building at around 8pm last Sunday 18 July. According to FENZ, the bin in the female bathrooms on the Cumberland St side of the Link caught fire, Read more...

Students Angriest on Sunday, According to AskOtago Data

Posted 3:46pm Sunday 25th July 2021 by Erin Gourley

Data released to Critic under the Official Information Act shows that the smiley faces at AskOtago mostly receive dark green, very happy responses, but on Sundays the number of dark red, very angry responses skyrockets.  Critic requested the data from the AskOtago smiley kiosks for March Read more...

Farmers Really Wanted Students To Care About Their Protest

Posted 3:28pm Sunday 25th July 2021 by Denzel Chung

Nearly 700 tractors, utes and four-wheel drives passed through the heart of Studentville two weeks ago, participating in Aotearoa’s largest farmer-led protest — and those behind the wheels had many hot-takes to offer to a mostly oblivious student community.  Students accosted on Read more...

No Fines for Lawn Litter

Posted 3:23pm Sunday 25th July 2021 by Fox Meyer

A proposed change to the Code of Conduct would have made it possible for the Uni to fine you for having a littered front lawn. The University didn’t go through with that change after receiving negative feedback from students, releasing their response on 10 July. Ultimately, the University Read more...

No Backpay for Offshore PhD Students

Posted 3:19pm Sunday 25th July 2021 by Fox Meyer

Remote PhD students will not be receiving a stipend from the University, even with a scholarship. 89 students have commenced their PhD at Otago remotely since the pandemic began. 13 have managed to enter New Zealand, and only seven of those students will be receiving a monthly stipend, according Read more...

@OtagoUniStudAss: The OUSA Twitter Account that May or May Not Be Official

Posted 4:00pm Sunday 18th July 2021 by Erin Gourley

OUSA have an old Twitter account. Or do they? The handle is OtagoUniStudAss, a joke so bad that it seems like Critic came up with it. There are fifteen tweets in total. The profile picture is someone jumping on a roof at the Hyde Street Party. They posted a photo of a burning couch in Read more...

Catering Waste Thrown in Tips

Posted 3:07pm Sunday 18th July 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

Thanks to a tip-off from a student, Critic now knows what happens to extra food from University-catered events. A concerned student asked us to look into the apparent waste of food at University events. They reached out after they witnessed staff loading crates with uneaten food, apparently to be Read more...

OUSA Elections Coming Up Soon

Posted 3:05pm Sunday 18th July 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

Nominations will open on August 4 for the ten positions available on the OUSA Executive. The Exec brought the dates forward from their usual September date for elections in their Exec meeting last Monday, in order to have a larger overlap between the new Exec and the old Exec. The students Read more...

Queer Space Will Open On Friday

Posted 2:58pm Sunday 18th July 2021 by Elliot Weir

After almost three years of planning, delays, and bureaucratic hurdles, an official opening of the Campus Queer Space has been announced by OUSA for 23 of July at 10.30am.  The space, which is located near the terrace lounge (upstairs from the link), includes furniture, decorations, and Read more...

Chlöe Swarbrick Proves A Hit At Re-O Clubs Day

Posted 2:56pm Sunday 18th July 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

The Young Greens had the most success, of all the youth political parties, of recruiting people to join them at Clubs Day. It’s that time of year when clubs desperately attempt to get students to bolster their sometimes meagre ranks. The “young” branches of the political Read more...

Otago Students Apparently Doing Great

Posted 2:53pm Sunday 18th July 2021 by Fox Meyer

Otago Uni topped the charts in three of four “key indicators” of success at New Zealand universities, according to the annual ranking published by the Tertiary Education Commission. We had the best rates of qualification completion, first year retention, and progression.  People Read more...

Is Living in A Twin Room Hell?

Posted 2:47pm Sunday 18th July 2021 by Erin Gourley

Living in a twin room might seem like your worst nightmare, but you do save a lot of money compared with the usual price of living in one of Otago’s residential colleges.  “I can’t image paying full price,” said Carolina*, who lives in a twin room in Aquinas. She only Read more...

Otago Not Surprised At Auckland Abandoning NZUSA

Posted 2:44pm Sunday 18th July 2021 by Runze Liu

Otago Uni Students’ Association (OUSA) is unsurprised that Auckland Uni Students’ Association (AUSA) is giving 12 months’ notice to leave the New Zealand Union of Students’ Association (NZUSA). OUSA President Michaela Waite-Harvey stated this is “not a shocking turn Read more...

What’s (Still) Wrong with Freshers?

Posted 2:37pm Sunday 18th July 2021 by Fox Meyer

Six months ago, we asked O-Week freshers what the biggest problem in their life was. Most of them said that their biggest problems were making friends, missing family, or other social issues. Critic hit up the line outside Union Hall on 14 July to check back in, and see if anything had changed. One Read more...

Student Volunteers Prop Up Science Festival

Posted 2:29pm Sunday 18th July 2021 by Asia Martusia King

The vast majority of volunteers at the New Zealand International Science Festival were students. The festival, which took place from 8 to 18 of July, saw a total number of 92 volunteers. Volunteer Coordinator Hannah says that around 80% of these were studying at Otago University.  This is Read more...

No Arrests After Rugby

Posted 2:26pm Sunday 18th July 2021 by Fox Meyer

Nobody was arrested at the stadium following the All Blacks vs Fiji game on Saturday, 10 July. Great job, everyone. There were still some dickheads, though. A statement from the Police said that “several people” had to be removed from the stadium by staff or officers for “poor Read more...

Landlord Fails to Make Tenants Pay for Lockdown Freezer Leak

Posted 2:25pm Sunday 18th July 2021 by Denzel Chung

A North Dunedin landlord discovered damage to a flat during last year’s lockdown and unsuccessfully took the tenants to the Tenancy Tribunal for $1800.  The tenants, who were granted name suppression by the Tribunal, were not even at the flat at the time of the damage. The landlord Read more...

$26,000 For Silverline Mental Health Festival

Posted 2:16pm Sunday 18th July 2021 by Denzel Chung

Silverline, a student-led mental health advocacy group, spent $26,000 on a two-day festival centred around mental health. They are optimistic about the level of student engagement that the festival received. The 2021 Silverline Festival was held at the St David Complex on 21-22 May this year. Read more...

Counterprotestor Injured at Groundswell Protest is “Disappointed” in Behaviour

Posted 5:43pm Friday 16th July 2021 by Oscar Francis

The Dunedin woman whose sign reading “NO FARMING ON A DEAD PLANET” was ripped from her hands by a Groundswell protester says she is “disappointed in their behaviour”. Groundswell Convenor Bryce McKenzie claims Groundswell is "not responsible". The Read more...

OUSA Finds Flaws in Government Drug Testing Policy

Posted 11:15am Tuesday 13th July 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

OUSA wasted no time in giving feedback on the Government’s new Drug and Substance Checking Legislation Bill, hoping to make the bill less likely to screw students over.  The submission, prepared by OUSA Political Rep Mhairi Mackenzie Everitt, outlines OUSA’s history with drug Read more...

Traffic Goes Up 50% When Students Return

Posted 11:12am Tuesday 13th July 2021 by Quintin Jane

Traffic was almost 50% up on State Highway One as students poured in for the start of the term.  Radio One reported that 8,068 vehicles sputtered along SH1 by Kilmog Hill on Friday the 19th of February, the day before O Week began at the start of the year. This is 43% higher than the 2020 Read more...

Lime Scooters Hoon Out of Dunedin

Posted 11:09am Tuesday 13th July 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

Citing “careful consideration” and the “weighing up [of] many factors”, Lime has decided to retreat from Dunedin. But anyone with half a brain knows that the real reason because we threw so many of their scooters in the Leith.  Lime is a self-proclaimed “global Read more...

Police Target Otago Students With More Breathalysers

Posted 11:04am Tuesday 13th July 2021 by Erin Gourley

Otago students will be targeted for drink driving in a new police campaign, the Campus Cop has warned. This is a big PSA that there will be more breathalyser stops on the streets around campus, starting from Re-O Week. The new campaign will see cop stops with breathalysers stationed around North Read more...

The Exec Did Stuff and Wrote About It, Now Read About Us Reading About It

Posted 11:00am Tuesday 13th July 2021 by Fox Meyer

Nobody set the minimum page count of the Exec’s second quarterly reports of 2021 at seven pages, but they chose to write that much, anyway. We read through all of them to let you know who’s doing what. Points were given exclusively for brevity, because that’s the only thing we can Read more...

Wife Guy, Luthier, Doctor, Dean: Meet Your New Vice-Chancellor, David Murdoch

Posted 10:53am Tuesday 13th July 2021 by Erin Gourley

Professor David Murdoch has many hats on his plate to juggle.  He’s still working in clinical practice for the Canterbury DHB, and he’s still the Dean of Otago’s Christchurch Campus. He’s a pathologist, a career that has recently become very relevant and interesting Read more...

Police Target Otago Students With More Breathalysers

Posted 2:29pm Thursday 1st July 2021 by Erin Gourley

Otago students will be targeted for drink driving in a new police campaign, the Campus Cop has warned. This is a big PSA that there will be more breathalyser stops on the streets around campus, starting from Re-O Week. The new campaign will see cop stops with breathalysers around North Read more...

Centre City New World Allegedly Denied Leave Requests for Exams

Posted 1:09pm Friday 18th June 2021 by Denzel Chung

Dunedin's Centre City New World denied students’ requests for leave to sit exams, according to a student working at the supermarket. The supermarket owner denies this claim.  An employee had applied for leave three weeks in advance for a University exam, said an anonymous student Read more...

The Spat Behind Music for the People’s Relocation from New New New

Posted 1:47pm Friday 11th June 2021 by Oscar Francis

A very public falling-out between a venue owner and a local artist on Facebook has seen Starters stepping up to the plate to save the Music for the People gig, which is taking place this weekend. Person Will, Music for the People’s organiser, put New New New founder Ian McKinlay on blast in Read more...

Shosha Selling Cream Canisters Again, Now With Paperwork

Posted 4:52pm Wednesday 9th June 2021 by Erin Gourley

Shosha has started selling cream canisters again, after removing the product from their shelves on 16 May due to concerns about recreational use. The vape store has put measures in place to make sure that their customers are using them for “hospitality/baking/catering purposes” Read more...

Fees Increase for International Students Despite Protest

Posted 5:33pm Tuesday 8th June 2021 by Erin Gourley

70 students showed up to the University Council meeting today in protest of raising international student fees, but the University Council voted to raise the fees anyway. The Council will raise the fees in a new way. For international students returning to Otago, their fees will be Read more...

University RAGE at Heavy Handed Government Policies, Polite Bureaucrat-Speak Mask Comes OFF to Reveal COMPLETE BREAKDOWN of Relationships at Education Coalface

Posted 5:02pm Sunday 30th May 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

Last week Critic wrote about OUSA’s submission on the Government’s new policy around tertiary students, and the gist was that while they liked the vibe, they didn’t like the details. The Uni seem to agree, saying that the Code is “eminently sensible” but also has a lot Read more...

Yikes! Blood Donations Still Restricted for Trans Women and Gay Men

Posted 5:00pm Sunday 30th May 2021 by Erin Gourley

The New Zealand Blood Service are "planning a review" of their approach to gay and transgender donors. A trans student at Otago, who was a frequent plasma donor before they transitioned, said that “it's just fucked at the moment.” Another student noted that the Read more...

A SORDID TALE OF SQUALOR: Landlord Binned Bottle Collection … Or Did He?

Posted 4:57pm Sunday 30th May 2021 by Denzel Chung

A student had their bottle collection wrecked by a landlord who “did not believe they were still on the property at the time,” according to a Tenancy Tribunal ruling. Their landlord has hit back, saying “the Tribunal has got it half-right”.  Louis’ tenancy for Read more...

“I’ve changed,” Sobs Veggie Boy in Teary Tell All Interview

Posted 4:54pm Sunday 30th May 2021 by Fox Meyer

The cheapest coffee in town will now cost more than a coin, as Veggie Boys raises its price by a dollar. A regular is now $3, and a large comes in at $4. The price increase comes during a change of management. Supreet, the new manager at Veggie Boys, told Radio One that the previous owners Read more...

Peace-loving Professor Pans Parliamentarian for Lukewarm Take on KILLER ROBOTS

Posted 4:51pm Sunday 30th May 2021 by Adam Currie

Last Wednesday, Hon Phil Twyford gave a lecture on disarmament in Archway Two. It was mostly attended by politics nerds and mature students. Twyford is the Government's Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control.  Twyford spent most of the time talking about his work to stop “killer Read more...

National Coordinator of Thursdays in Black: SHOCK RESIGNATION

Posted 4:49pm Sunday 30th May 2021 by Erin Gourley

The Coordinator of Thursdays in Black Aotearoa, Jahla Tran-Lawrence, has resigned. Thursdays in Black Aotearoa will have a by-election on 17 June to find a new leader. Thursdays in Black is a student-run campaign that aims to prevent and respond to sexual harm in universities and polytechs in Read more...

ECONOMIC LIPOFILLING: Landlords Rub Hands Together With Glee and Lick Lips Lasciviously at 2022 Riches as Jacinda and Grant Let Loose the MONEY PUMP

Posted 4:44pm Sunday 30th May 2021 by Sean Gourley

Student allowances are set to increase by $25 in April 2022. Most students can be confident that this change will see a similar rise in rent across most of Dunedin.  The average increase in rent for next year appears to be between $10 and $20 per person, according to the students interviewed Read more...

Transphobic Leaflets Left by Losers SLAMMED by Literally Everyone Who Isn’t a Twisted Far Right LOONY

Posted 4:33pm Sunday 30th May 2021 by Erin Gourley

Over the past few weeks, transphobic pamphlets have been appearing on noticeboards around campus.  One student has reported the pamphlets to Critic Te Arohi twice. Both times, the pamphlets were put up on the Hunter Centre noticeboard. On May 12 they said “we noticed some rather gross Read more...

Tutes and Dems Plead Poverty, But Will It Fall Upon DEAF EARS From RUTHLESS NEOLIBERAL UNIVERSITY?

Posted 4:26pm Sunday 30th May 2021 by Fox Meyer

The Otago Tutors and Demonstrators Network has collected a lot of data. It found a lot of things — namely that most tutes and dems think they aren’t paid enough. The Uni changed the payscale for these positions, so pay now depends on commitment to the paper, not prior experience or Read more...

Clocktower SILENT During Super Duper Blood Moon, Panned for Refusing to Take a Stance

Posted 4:14pm Sunday 30th May 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

There was trouble in paradise on Wednesday as the clocktower failed to chime for most of the day. To the dismay of the student population, the clocktower’s ringing was absent on the eve of the super blood moon. Built in 1879, the bongs of the clocktower have graced the ears of hundreds of Read more...

Study SLATED as Bullshit by Demented Grad Students

Posted 4:09pm Sunday 30th May 2021 by Fox Meyer

A study released last week surveyed 4,499 Kiwi students to see if their mental health got worse when they worked on their PhDs. The data said: no, their mental health was not affected. “You’ve gotta be fuckin’ kidding me, right?” asked Dan, a fourth-year. “Is that Read more...

North Dunedin Pests Targeted In New Research Project

Posted 4:02pm Sunday 30th May 2021 by Denzel Chung

City Sanctuary volunteers have been installing backyard traps in student flats on Castle and Leith, as part of a research project investigating attitudes towards community trapping in Dunedin.  Critic Te Arohi joined Kate and Toby, two volunteers, as they installed their 27th trap of the day Read more...

Protest! Dunedinites Show Up in Support of Palestine

Posted 3:32pm Sunday 30th May 2021 by Aiman Amerul Muner

Amidst chanting and handmade protest signs, Rawaa Elhanafy made her point clear: “From the land to the sea, Palestine Will Be Free.”  Rawaa, a third-year Pharmacy student, was one of the organisers of the Dunedin March for Palestine. She and hundreds of others marched down George Read more...

Burmese Activists Organise Solidarity Concert

Posted 2:25pm Thursday 27th May 2021 by Denzel Chung

A concert this Thursday, May 27, aims to raise funds for democracy activists in Myanmar. Dunedin’s small Burmese community have been working non-stop for the last two months to make it all possible. The Solidarity Myanmar concert will be held at the Dunedin Town Hall, with a line-up Read more...

Huawei Phones Struggle to Connect to University Wifi

Posted 11:47pm Sunday 23rd May 2021 by Asia Martusia King

Huawei phones cannot reliably connect to University wifi, a student told Critic. Toby noticed last Thursday that his Huawei phone, which is usually able to connect to the wifi, was unable to connect to the University wifi in the Robertson Library. He went to Central Library but had no luck Read more...

Student Nurses Support Strike in June

Posted 11:46pm Sunday 23rd May 2021 by Hannah Johns

Student nurses have called for the government to take the eight-hour strike planned for June seriously, or face losing graduates to Australia.  The New Zealand Nurses Organisation voted to strike on June 9 for eight hours after the government offered a 1.38% pay increase, a percentage just Read more...

OUSA Subwarden Committee Formed

Posted 11:43pm Sunday 23rd May 2021 by Fox Meyer

Subwardens now have official representation on a committee and can approach OUSA more easily with their issues. Subwarden means RA. RA means Residential Assistant. Residential Assistant means friendly, not friend. OUSA President Michaela Waite-Harvey said that subwardens are “a good liaison Read more...

No Tutus in the Selwyn Ballet This Year

Posted 11:41pm Sunday 23rd May 2021 by Fox Meyer

As you may have noticed, there was a distinct lack of tutus worn by the Selwyn Ballet performers at this year’s capping show.  Luke McLelland, Warden of Selwyn, said that OUSA told Selwyn that they got feedback from last years show indicating that people didn’t really vibe with Read more...

Debate Magazine Left Without Designer for Five Weeks

Posted 11:38pm Sunday 23rd May 2021 by Erin Gourley

Debate Magazine, the student magazine at AUT, has only produced four issues this semester after the AUT Students’ Association (AUTSA) failed to hire a new designer for the magazine. The situation left Editor Rebecca Zhang unable to make a magazine for five weeks.  In her first Read more...

Free Rat Traps For North D Pests

Posted 11:36pm Sunday 23rd May 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

City Sanctuary, a Predator Free Dunedin project set up by the Dunedin City Council is offering free rat traps to Studentville residents in an attempt to eradicate the crafty little bastards from polluting pristine North D. In the coming weeks, City Sanctuary will install at least eighty traps Read more...

OUSA Criticises “Paternalism” in Code of Pastoral Care

Posted 11:34pm Sunday 23rd May 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

OUSA has submitted in support of the proposed Education (Pastoral Care of Tertiary and International Students) Code of Practice 2021, but proposed several changes to the wording of the policy.  “OUSA considers the implementation of the Code as necessary, especially in addressing spaces Read more...

Students Upset at Proposed Freedom Camping Rules

Posted 11:32pm Sunday 23rd May 2021 by Sean Gourley

Students, known for being broke, have raised concerns that proposed changes to freedom camping regulations will limit their ability to see New Zealand.  The changes were proposed by Minister for Tourism Stuart Nash. He is from Napier, so must know a lot about places people want to visit. The Read more...

131,610 Standard Drinks Worth of Hand Sanitiser Bought by Uni in 2020

Posted 11:29pm Sunday 23rd May 2021 by Denzel Chung

The Uni spent almost $100,000 on hand sanitiser in 2020, according to figures obtained by Radio One. Despite Covid-19 restrictions having eased this year, they are on track to spend almost the same amount in 2021.  According to Property Services Manager Dean Macaulay, $98,128 was spent on Read more...

Mid-May Madness for Massey Students

Posted 11:27pm Sunday 23rd May 2021 by Erin Gourley

A lot of shit is going down with Massey University’s various students associations. The General Manager of the Massey University Students’ Association (MUSA) left his job (or was made redundant), students were mad at their students’ associations, and now all four of their students Read more...

Musicians Push Back Against Noise Control Regime

Posted 11:25pm Sunday 23rd May 2021 by Denzel Chung

A “Save Live Music Forum” brainstormed ways for musicians and venue owners to do something about noise control regulations, which musicians claim create an atmosphere of “fear about what is allowed” in Dunedin.  Hosted at the Dog with Two Tails on Saturday 16 May, the Read more...

Budget Buzz Brokers Broke Breathas

Posted 11:22pm Sunday 23rd May 2021 by Elliot Weir

The government released their 2021 budget on Thursday, announcing the first meaningful benefit increases in decades, as well as increased spending on rail, Māori housing, Pharmac, and other areas. Amongst all the big numbers and dollar signs, there is some stuff for students to be excited Read more...