Archive

Otago University has an Underground Beer Pong Society, and it’s Really Fucking Strange

Posted 8:13pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Annabelle Vaughan

Turns out, the Otago University Beer Pong Society is real and exactly what you would expect - a bunch of testosterone-fuelled guys who miss their high school sports teams a little too much.  Otago Uni and the student gremlins which inhabit this community have some very odd and highly Read more...

One in Five Chance Your Re-O MDMA Was Bath Salts

Posted 8:11pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Oscar Paul

20% of the drug samples tested by KnowYourStuff during Re-O Week turned out to be synthetic cathinones (a.k.a. bath salts, a.k.a. a bad time). KnowYourStuff detected nine samples of mephedrone and eight samples of a new, unknown cathinone. “This unknown cathinone [detected during Re-O Week] Read more...

Vibe Check: Political Debate Edition

Posted 2:29pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters

I care about things, but I know very little about politics. So when I was asked to attend and take some notes on the ‘Response to Covid’ debate in Union Hall (organised by DebSoc), I was confused, but intrigued. Honestly, I love a bit of drama and as much as David Seymour annoys me, he Read more...

Opinion: It’s Fucked that Dunedin Clubs Don’t have Cloakrooms

Posted 2:22pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Caroline Moratti

It’s a Saturday night, and you’ve been bobbing to Glitter by Benee for the past three hours in Suburbia. It’s been a good night but you’re ready to call it quits and shelve some kebabs before passing out in your best mate’s bed. The issue is that you have to survive the Read more...

OUSA Sexual Misconduct Policy Two Months Away

Posted 2:20pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Erin Gourley

The development of an OUSA sexual misconduct policy began in 2019. Seven months into 2020, club leaders are still waiting. OUSA told Critic that the policy will be “achieved… during second semester” through OUSA’s Affiliated Clubs Council. Last September, Critic covered Read more...

SOCIAL EXPERIMENT: Critic Attempts Crime

Posted 2:02pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Sinead Gill

Last week, Critic received an anonymous tip from someone claiming to be “member of the student community” about a certain “hack” (crime) that allowed people to get Victorian Bitters (VBs) beers for free from Countdown. A week after exposing this “hack” (crime), Read more...

Results Withheld Due to “Unprecedented Volume” of Academic Misconduct

Posted 1:58pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

Due to an “unprecedented volume” of potential academic misconduct cases across all four divisions of the University of Otago, many exam results have been withheld. The University aims to confirm all results by this Friday, 10 July. Students who show “above-average levels of Read more...

“Abusive and Predatory Behaviour”: Report Claims OUSA-Affiliated Club Had a Culture of Abuse

Posted 1:55pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Sinead Gill

Content warning: Explicit descriptions of sexual abuse, violent behaviours and emotional manipulation. After a member alleged they were sexually assaulted, the Dunedin Fire and Circus Club published a preliminary report on internal sexual and emotional abuse, and proposed changes within the Read more...

Southernmost Foosball Club Launched and Free to Play

Posted 1:26pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters

Amidst a global pandemic, a collective social upheaval, and the general decay of the 21st century, there is but one truth: foosball. Otago’s first foosball association, the Dunedin Foosball Association, has finally broken ground. The association, led by Zoology lecturer Paul Szyszka, has Read more...

OUSA Takes Pro-Cannabis Legalisation Stance

Posted 3:04pm Sunday 5th July 2020 by Sinead Gill

Just over a month ago, OUSA asked students whether or not OUSA should take a stance in the upcoming cannabis legalisation referendum. Students said yes. The Exec decided to have a punishingly long discussion about whether or not they should do it, anyway. The Exec had a choice between two Read more...

Residential College Rebate Increases to $200

Posted 3:03pm Sunday 5th July 2020 by Erin Gourley

Students who left their residential colleges for lockdown got $200 per week as a residential fee rebate. This was an increase of $80 from the initial rebate, agreed to after OUSA met with the University to put students’ concerns forward. The original amount the University offered students Read more...

Local Hero Catches Thief Mid-Burglary

Posted 3:01pm Sunday 5th July 2020 by Fox Meyer

A flat a stone’s throw from the Clocktower would’ve been burglarised last week if it weren’t for the heroic efforts of an upstanding young Kiwi. Thom Harrison (6’7”, 120 kg, single) was surprised to see “this fuckin’ random dude just taking shit outta my Read more...

OUSA Exec Are Confused About Their Own Referendum

Posted 2:55pm Sunday 5th July 2020 by Erin Gourley

The OUSA Executive asked students some confusing questions about what they should do and now they are confused about what they should do. The annual OUSA Referendum was held online from 25-28 May. When the results came in, the OUSA Exec realised they had fucked up a few of the questions or were Read more...

Pint Night Returns for Semester Two

Posted 2:50pm Sunday 5th July 2020 by Annabelle Vaughan

The University has confirmed that Pint Night is on for semester two. Despite fearmongering in the student community that Pint Night was not going to go ahead post-lockdown, a University spokesperson confirmed to Critic that Pint Night will in fact recommence on Wednesday, 8 July, during Re-O Read more...

Where to Not Park if You Don’t Want a Ticket

Posted 2:49pm Sunday 5th July 2020 by Jack Gilmore

An official information act request has revealed which streets and parking meters near campus produce the most amount of tickets. In the past three years, the University Campus area alone has racked up over 10,000 parking violations.  In 2018 and 2019, the most infamous street for Read more...

Otago Polytech Students Launch Rape Prevention Programme in Dunedin

Posted 2:44pm Sunday 5th July 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters

Angel Shot, Ask for Angela, Sophie’s Angels; if you’ve spent any time on social media since 2016, chances are you’re familiar with these campaigns. If not, they offer people a way to leave unsafe or uncomfortable dates. These initiatives provide a code word disguised as a drink Read more...

Non-students Have Paid a Lot of Money at Request of the Proctor

Posted 2:22pm Sunday 5th July 2020 by Erin Gourley

Non-students have paid $1480 in what the Proctor describes as “voluntary reparation” on six separate occasions since the start of 2019, according to information released to Critic under the Official Information Act.  Initially, the University denied that non-students had ever Read more...

R.I.P. Re-Creation Officer Josh Smythe

Posted 2:06am Friday 3rd July 2020 by Sinead Gill

On 26 June, the eve of Re-Flo, OUSA Clubs and Societies Representative Josh Smith (a.k.a Smythe) resigned from OUSA. In an email to his colleagues and Critic he cited “personal circumstances”, specifically his “family, businesses, and charitable activities”. Josh said that Read more...

What the Exec Have Been Up to

Posted 2:00am Friday 3rd July 2020 by Erin Gourley

Every quarter, the OUSA Exec try to convince Otago students that they are busy and important people. As you can imagine, their reports are rollercoasters of tense emotion where each exec member tries to justify the amount of student money we give them. So you don’t have to sit through their Read more...

OUSA to Inspect Financial Records of Dunedin Fire and Circus Club

Posted 1:54am Friday 3rd July 2020 by Erin Gourley

The Dunedin Fire and Circus Club (DFCC), perhaps best known for dreadlocked guys with fire who randomly appear at parties on Castle Street, is having its financial records inspected by OUSA. OUSA decided to inspect the Club’s financial records in an emergency OUSA meeting on Thursday 2 Read more...

Students “Felt Ripped Off” by Late Digital Device Offer

Posted 1:50am Friday 3rd July 2020 by Saskia Rushton-Green

Students who took out extra course-related costs to buy devices “felt ripped off” when it was later announced that they could those same devices for free.  On 15 April, the Government announced that students could take out an extra $1000 for course-related costs, bringing the Read more...

The Best and Worst Anonymous Comments From the OUSA Referendum

Posted 4:44pm Thursday 18th June 2020 by Sinead Gill

The OUSA Referendum happened and it was pretty average. The only real contenscious issue that emerged from the results is whether or not students want OUSA to co-host the Agnew Street party like they do with Hyde (it narrowly failed).  The most consensus students had on a referendum question Read more...

OUSA Exec Almost Asked Students A Question That They Don’t Want to Ask in Referendum

Posted 9:50pm Thursday 21st May 2020 by Sinead Gill

In a 4:15pm emergency executive meeting last Tuesday, the Executive realised that they had no memory of creating or agreeing to include one of the dozen referendum questions. Weeks before each OUSA referendum, the Executive does a call out for student-submitted referendum questions. These Read more...

The University Knows Which Wifi Router You Are Closest To

Posted 9:12pm Thursday 21st May 2020 by Erin Gourley

The University will use the wifi network on campus to contact trace students and staff. Apparently they have always been capable of doing that, but the pandemic has made that capability useful. A University spokeswoman said that “the network [is] one tool among several to meet Government Read more...

Private Residential Colleges Accidentally Made Bank From Wage Subsidy

Posted 9:10pm Thursday 21st May 2020 by Erin Gourley

Otago’s private residential colleges claimed a combined total of $789,893 under the Covid-19 wage subsidy. Turns out a chunk of this was surplus to their needs, so some money will be returned.  The wage subsidy is only available if a business can show a 30% reduction in monthly revenue Read more...

Vic’s International Students Petition for 30% Fee Reduction

Posted 9:06pm Thursday 21st May 2020 by Erin Gourley

The VUW International Students’ Association (V-ISA) are petitioning their University to get a 30% fee refund for international students who returned home for lockdown. The petition, hosted on ActionStation, was created on 16 May and has 849 signatures at the time of writing.  VUW Read more...

Students Are Considering Leaving Otago Uni Over “Invasive” Exam Software

Posted 9:00pm Thursday 21st May 2020 by Sinead Gill

As of publishing, a petition that calls for the removal of ExamSoft software from Otago examinations has raised almost 600 signatures. Students are reportedly so unhappy that they are considering transferring University. Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Pat Cragg, denies many of the Read more...

Noise Complaints on the Rise Since Lockdown

Posted 8:53pm Thursday 21st May 2020 by Erin Gourley

Picture this: you’re having a rave with your ten friends. Yeah, it’s loud, but this is North Dunedin ffs. Not like anyone’s gonna call noise control at 10:30 on a Saturday. But then, as you’re blasting Poi E and dancing alluringly in view of the breathas across the fence, a Read more...

Cops Get Back-up From Aviation Security to Monitor Parties

Posted 8:50pm Thursday 21st May 2020 by Erin Gourley

Aviation Security (AvSec) officers have joined Campus Watch and police in foot patrols on the streets of North Dunedin. The AvSec officers, who wear black uniforms without hats and are not trained police officers, do not have the power to enforce Level 2 rules. A police spokesperson confirmed Read more...

University Libraries Reopen

Posted 7:36pm Thursday 21st May 2020 by Jack Gilmore

The University of Otago has reopened many libraries across campus with new social distancing measures in place. At the time of writing Central, Science, and Roberston libraries have fully reopened with new social distancing measures. Libraries initially opened with reduced hours, closing at 5pm. Read more...

Restoring Voting Rights to Prisoners: What Students have to Say

Posted 7:31pm Thursday 21st May 2020 by Wyatt Ryder

New Zealand’s prisoners have been unable to vote in elections for the last ten years. The law that removed their ability to vote was passed in 2010. At the time, the Ministry of Justice estimated that 27,000 Kiwis lost the right to vote. Since then, the New Zealand’s Human Rights Read more...

Proctorial Justice Stocks Just Vibing in University Storage

Posted 7:27pm Thursday 21st May 2020 by Wyatt Ryder

The University has the Proctorial Justice stocks tucked away in storage, and it looks like that’s where they’re staying. The stocks were removed during the first weeks of 2019, when they were loaned out to the Otago Museum as a feature in their Dare to Be Wise exhibition. The Read more...

Referendum Will Ask Students if NZUSA Is Any Use

Posted 2:22pm Tuesday 19th May 2020 by Erin Gourley

OUSA will propose a theoretical alternative to NZUSA at their upcoming referendum.  Three of the draft OUSA referendum questions relate to NZUSA. The first, which is traditionally included in every OUSA referendum, asks whether students think OUSA should leave NZUSA. According to the Read more...

The Future Is Now: University Implements Examination Software For Upcoming Competitive Exams

Posted 1:01am Friday 15th May 2020 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

Fresh off announcing their long-awaited exam timetable, the University lobbed a curveball at Accounting students and the massive Health Science First Year cohort on Tuesday afternoon by informing them that their exams would be surveilled. Many students are concerned. Yes, you read that right. In Read more...

OPINION: As Students Adapt, so Must Student Representation

Posted 12:19am Friday 15th May 2020 by Jack Manning

If I were to list all the ways Covid-19 has impacted students, there wouldn’t be enough room for an actual opinion. To name a few, just think of students who are essential workers, students who are parents, students without devices, the thousands of exchange students (both inward and outward Read more...

Critic Saved an Auckland Uni Student from a “Cult”

Posted 12:13am Friday 15th May 2020 by Sinead Gill

Last week, an Auckland Uni student claimed to have been approached by two girls from Elohim Academy. Elohim Academy is a sub-group of the World Mission Society Church of God (WMSCOG), which is known for its aggressive recruitment strategy, and has been labeled by some as a cult.  Keeara Read more...

CRIME: OUSA are About to Breach their Constitution

Posted 11:41pm Thursday 14th May 2020 by Erin Gourley

OUSA have breached their constitution by failing to have their financial statements audited before the semester one referendum.  OUSA will acknowledge the breach in its referendum. “Disclosure: due to COVID-19 and the nature of auditing needing to be on sight, we have been unable to Read more...

Students Will Vote on OUSA Support for Agnew

Posted 4:02pm Thursday 14th May 2020 by Erin Gourley

The upcoming OUSA referendum is likely to determine whether OUSA will support the Agnew Street Party.  Question 10 of the upcoming OUSA referendum will ask students whether “OUSA [should] investigate co-hosting Agnew Street with the Agnew Street Residents”. The referendum cannot Read more...

RAs Get Pay-out After Controversy

Posted 4:46pm Sunday 10th May 2020 by Erin Gourley

RAs who stayed in their residential colleges for the lockdown are now receiving $20 more per week than RAs who left their residential colleges. The $140 pay-out was announced following the outrage from RAs who remained in their colleges for lockdown and were ineligible for a fee rebate. A group Read more...

Proctor Asked Police to Arrest Students for Couch-Burning

Posted 4:29pm Sunday 10th May 2020 by Erin Gourley

The Proctor asked police to arrest and charge students with couch burning offences, according to emails released to Critic under the Official Information Act. A spokesperson for the University of Otago said that they “continue to expect the Code of Student Conduct to be the principal means Read more...

OPINION: It's Time To Recycle Your Shrine of Empty Bottles

Posted 4:28pm Sunday 10th May 2020 by Henessey Griffiths

When you move into a flat, one of the first things you think about is decoration. You decorate your bedroom with the things you want, in an effort to best describe your personality. You create your lounge area as a communal space that showcases your mutual interests and your identity as a flat. Read more...

Agnew Street 2020 Will Be An Uphill Battle

Posted 3:44pm Sunday 10th May 2020 by Erin Gourley

Agnew Street Party organisers will face an uphill battle against concerns from emergency services, emails released to Critic under the Official Information Act show. Suggestions to stop or mitigate the risks of Agnew include an eight month alcohol ban in the area. “Numbers attending the Read more...

Don’t Be Surprised If International Students Leave New Zealand, Says NZISA President

Posted 3:25pm Sunday 10th May 2020 by Sinead Gill

International students feel like they have been treated like “cash cows”, and the president of NZISA (the New Zealand International Students Association), Sabrina Alhady, believes that New Zealand universities should expect some of their international students to transfer to Australia. Read more...

University Broke Its Own Rules With Delayed Exam Timetable

Posted 11:07am Friday 8th May 2020 by Erin Gourley

Not only has the delayed exam timetable frustrated students, it also breached clause 3(e) of the University’s Administration of Final Examinations Policy. The Policy states that the exam timetable will be provided “six weeks before the first day of final examinations for first Read more...

Level 3 Parties Held Throughout Dunedin

Posted 5:02pm Thursday 7th May 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington

House parties have reportedly broken out during level 3 lockdown around Dunedin’s student area. Despite the restrictions outlined by the government that gatherings of ten people maximum may be permitted for ceremonies, and to only make a small addition to your bubble, some students have Read more...

Vice-Chancellor’s “Frustrating” Response to Exam Timetable Complaint

Posted 12:50pm Wednesday 6th May 2020 by Erin Gourley

Otago University has not yet released their semester one exam timetable. A commerce student went straight to the Vice-Chancellor with his complaint and received a response.   On May 5, Tim Lamb wrote an email to Vice-Chancellor Harlene Hayne outlining his “total dissatisfaction Read more...

RAs Get Pay-out After Controversy

Posted 2:09pm Friday 1st May 2020 by Erin Gourley

RAs who stayed in their residential colleges for the lockdown are now receiving $20 more per week than RAs who left their residential colleges.  The $140 pay-out was announced following the outrage from RAs who remained in their colleges for lockdown and were ineligible for a fee rebate. A Read more...

Uni Releases Details of Covid-19 Special Consideration

Posted 1:33pm Thursday 30th April 2020 by Erin Gourley

Grades of 47.5 can be rounded up to a pass for this semester, according to a staff memo on Covid-19 special consideration. University staff received a memo on 28 April with details of the special consideration they can apply to students. The memo was sent to all academic staff by Academic Deputy Read more...

Alcoholics Are Struggling During Lockdown, and Our Social Media Habits Are Making It Worse

Posted 12:10pm Monday 27th April 2020 by Wyatt Ryder

Social media is the go-to place for keeping in touch with loved ones over the lockdown. But with an increase in alcohol related content online, alcoholics are struggling to stay sober and connected.  Tom Tremewan has been sober for two years and four months. He said that the Covid-19 Read more...

Opinion: Stop Complaining About the Tertiary Package

Posted 5:44pm Friday 17th April 2020 by Annabelle Vaughan

It has been three days since the government dropped the Tertiary student support package as part of their Covid-19 response. Instead of this package being met with gratitude, relief, positivity or thanks, it was met with negativity, spite, and bitching from the student masses. But we, as students, Read more...

Illegal Employment and “Toxic” Work Environment at ReBurger

Posted 11:53am Thursday 16th April 2020 by Erin Gourley

Former employees from ReBurger Dunedin have spoken to Critic about illegal employment practices, a lack of training in food safety, inappropriate comments made by the owner, and a high-pressure work environment. The eight employees who spoke to Critic worked at the restaurant from the end of 2017 Read more...

Otago Uni Has a Student Hardship Fund in the Works

Posted 11:21am Thursday 16th April 2020 by Sinead Gill

The University of Otago has confirmed to Critic that there will be a student hardship fund available for students, the details of which will be announced next week. The fund will help Otago Uni students cover living expenses.  Last week, the Otago Uni began soliciting donations from Read more...

Opinion: The Government’s Tertiary Package Is a Joke, Not Support

Posted 4:26pm Wednesday 15th April 2020 by Erin Gourley

The government’s tertiary student support package for Covid-19 dropped yesterday. To get support, students need to take on $1000 of debt that cannot be used to pay rent or buy food. The government has also made changes so that Studylink will not penalise students for dropping courses by Read more...

Students Across New Zealand Are Angry About the Tertiary Student Support Package

Posted 9:52pm Tuesday 14th April 2020 by Sinead Gill

The Government’s Covid-19 tertiary support package has been met with feelings of disappointment and anger by students. Students believe that the Government is ignoring their concerns during the Covid-19 pandemic. NZUSA (the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations), claim to have been Read more...

Opinion: Seasonal Affective Disorder Got Me Fucked Up

Posted 10:11am Wednesday 8th April 2020 by Henessey Griffiths

We’re closing in on just over a week into the nationwide lockdown, and things are weird. We can’t leave the house for more than a short walk, everywhere is shut, and there is an overwhelming anxiety that looms over everyone. It’s a strange time to be alive. When the lockdown first Read more...

Shitposting Page Turned Cultural Ambassador for New Zealand

Posted 12:00pm Tuesday 7th April 2020 by Sean Gourley

Last Saturday, premier shitposting Facebook page, Could be keen, streamjacked an American music review page, Rock it or knock it music review, with instructions to “hijack [their livestream] by requesting them to listen to drum and bass.” The music reviewers’ initial reaction to Read more...

Students Resort to Typing Assignments on Phones

Posted 1:34pm Saturday 4th April 2020 by Erin Gourley

Students left to type assignments on their smartphones feel that universities have failed to consider accessibility in the transition to online learning. Mapihi, a student at Otago, said she had to make “major adjustments to [her] learning”. Her laptop broke the week before the Read more...

International Students Locked Down In Dunedin Blame Uni

Posted 4:37pm Friday 3rd April 2020 by Wyatt Ryder

Some international students stuck in Dunedin for lockdown are frustrated by the lack of Covid-19 communication from the University. Anthony is a dentistry student from Canada. He lives in a Uni Flat with two other international students. Their Kiwi Host left for the lockdown. In the week of the Read more...

Opinion: I Didn’t Want to Leave Dunedin

Posted 5:44pm Monday 30th March 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington

Last week, thousands of students left Dunedin. Many of them did not want to. For many, their parents had bought tickets for them, and getting on that plane was not a choice. However, it seems that for most students, as soon as their flatmates packed their bags, they packed a bag, too. There was no Read more...

Students Who Are Flatting Are Being Asked to Register with Otago Uni

Posted 5:06pm Friday 27th March 2020 by Sinead Gill

Students who are flatting are expected to sign up to daily wellness checks with Ask Otago. Many students are sceptical about how effective the Uni will be. In an email circulated yesterday by Andrew Ferguson, Otago Uni's emergency and business continuity coordinator, students were told Read more...

Kiwi Host Given 10 Hours to Move from Uni Flat

Posted 8:20pm Thursday 26th March 2020 by Sinead Gill

Kiwi Host Kayli was told 10 hours before New Zealand went into a nation-wide lockdown that she had to move flat. The University’s response to this situation revealed that they are “creat[ing] whole empty flats to handle self-isolating or sick students and their families as could be Read more...

Opinion: Otago Fucked Up with Covid-19

Posted 1:48pm Thursday 26th March 2020 by Erin Gourley

The University of Otago fucked up their response to Covid-19.  Otago’s approach was: we’re waiting for the government to tell us to shut. As soon as they tell us, we’ll do it, but we will not second guess the government. The University wanted to stay open until the last Read more...

Everything is Cancelled Including Keep Cups

Posted 12:45pm Sunday 22nd March 2020 by Erin Gourley

Dispensary Cafe is refusing to fill keep cups because of Covid-19. Both Dispensary cafes (the cafe on Albany Street and the cafe in the Dunedin Hospital) have implemented the new policy. The new policy was implemented on Monday 16 March with a notice attached to the cabinet and the counter of the Read more...

New Vending Machines Filled With Ice Cream

Posted 12:41pm Sunday 22nd March 2020 by Phillip Plant

New ice cream vending machines have appeared in the Link, the Business School, and the Science Library. When first introduced to campus at the start of March, the vending machines were empty. By March 11, they had pricing. The vending machines are now filled with ice cream products, ranging from Read more...

Lecturers Sneak Lectures Online Against Uni’s Wishes

Posted 12:37pm Sunday 22nd March 2020 by Sinead Gill

Some departments and lectures across multiple divisions have reportedly “pushed the ‘go’ button” on distance learning, despite the University telling them not to. Students are praising these acts of rebellion. A limit of 100 people attending indoor events was announced by Read more...

Turf War in the Hunter Centre

Posted 12:34pm Sunday 22nd March 2020 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

Medical students are unhappy that the University is allowing non-medical students to book rooms in the Hunter Centre.  The University took over administration of the Hunter Centre from the Division of Health Sciences at the start of 2020. By bringing the Centre under the jurisdiction of the Read more...

Exchange Students Given Ultimatum to Return to Otago

Posted 12:29pm Sunday 22nd March 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters

The University of Otago gave New Zealand students on exchange overseas two days to decide whether to return to study in New Zealand in light of Covid-19. Alex, who was on exchange in Texas, received emails recommending she return because flights were being dramatically cut, saying there was a Read more...

Tenants caught in battle between Cutlers and CrestClean

Posted 12:27pm Sunday 22nd March 2020 by Wyatt Ryder

Several students who rented with Cutlers in 2019 are waiting to receive their full bonds back because of a dispute over cleaning bills. A group of six tenants were issued a cleaning bill for $879.50 by Cutlers Property Management. That bill has turned out to be just one of many large bills issued Read more...

Students Working in Hospo Fear for Their Jobs

Posted 8:38pm Thursday 19th March 2020 by Erin Gourley

Students working at cafes, bars, and restaurants are worried that their workplaces will close as a result of Covid-19. “Although I know it’s smart for bars to close and large social gatherings to be reduced, it's my job and I don't know if I’m going to get any Read more...

Students Still Waiting for StudyLink

Posted 6:57pm Thursday 19th March 2020 by Sinead Gill

A large number of students are still waiting for their first Studylink payment to come through, despite a month passing since classes began. One student called it “a fucking stitch up”, another student suggested “maybe Studylink needs to employ a few more people so that they can Read more...

Which Squiddies Chip Bag is the Best Value for Money? A Statistical Breakdown

Posted 6:50pm Thursday 19th March 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters

Squiddies: an Otago student institution that supplies chips (and other things) for students of all dispositions and dietary requirements. Squiddies has an impressive range of chip bag sizes available. The question: which one gets you maximum chip for minimum cash? Using the statistical Read more...

OUSA Endorse Mysterious “Charter” That You Are Not Allowed to Know About

Posted 6:46pm Thursday 19th March 2020 by Sinead Gill

The OUSA Exec has endorsed a “Charter”, the name and contents of which are confidential and will remain so until further notice. Wikipedia defines ‘Charter’ to mean the "grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognises the prerogative of the Read more...

AUSA Copies OUSA’s Covid-19 campaign

Posted 6:44pm Thursday 19th March 2020 by Erin Gourley

The Auckland University Students’ Association (AUSA) has launched a covid-19 campaign that reuses ideas from OUSA, Critic, and the internet.  AUSA President George Barton admitted that AUSA had copied the ideas. He said in defence that “if we're going to look for originality Read more...

Otago has $41.7 million to spend

Posted 3:06pm Sunday 15th March 2020 by Critic

The University of Otago reported a surplus of $41.7 million in last week’s University Council meeting. Things the University could buy with $41.7 million include:   $3 lunches for every Otago student for two years. 83.4 million Chupa-Chups. Tom Hanks’ medical bills Read more...

ASA Withdraws From NZUSA

Posted 8:23pm Thursday 12th March 2020 by Erin Gourley

The Albany Students’ Association (ASA) has given notice of its withdrawal from New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA). This is the first withdrawal from NZUSA for 2020. ASA represents the students who study at the Massey University campus in Auckland. They are an Read more...

OUSA Gets Its Reo On

Posted 8:21pm Thursday 12th March 2020 by Erin Gourley

OUSA is paying $7,900 to translate its constitution into te reo Māori: approximately 20,462 words. The current OUSA Executive were handed this task from the previous Executive. Last year, the Exec voted to include a clause in the Constitution that required the Constitution to have both a te Read more...

1600 Students Will Get A Pay Rise

Posted 8:20pm Thursday 12th March 2020 by Sinead Gill

Tutors and demonstrators have officially been given a pay rise, ranging from a $1.30 to a $2.99 increase. Although the scales have only just been updated, the scales will be applied from February 1 2020 onwards. Tutors and demonstrators will be back paid to that time. It is unclear when scales Read more...

University of Auckland Introduces Code of Conduct

Posted 8:16pm Thursday 12th March 2020 by Erin Gourley

The University of Auckland has introduced a Code of Conduct (COC) to regulate the behaviour of both staff and students.  The Code is designed to foster a “safe and inclusive” University environment. It sets out four pillars of manaakitanga, whanaungatanga, kotahitanga, and Read more...

The Christchurch Mosque Massacre: A Year On.

Posted 7:16pm Thursday 12th March 2020 by Norhan El Sanjak

By Norhan El Sanjak and Ala Ghandour A year since the attacks and the wound still feels fresh. The terrorist attacks took 51 lives, left dozens injured and scarred countless families, friends and communities. One of those people, Ala Ghandour recounts the tragedy from her perspective (as shown in Read more...

UniPrint Pusheen the Limits of Copyright Law

Posted 7:09pm Thursday 12th March 2020 by Jack Gilmore

UniPrint may be using an unlicensed image of Pusheen in order to teach students how to print, which may be illegal. Last week it came to Critic’s attention that the Central Library division of UniPrint was using the cartoon cat, Pusheen, as a mascot on posters explaining to freshers how to Read more...

Dunedin Has a Student Housing Shortage

Posted 7:08pm Thursday 12th March 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington

There is a rental crisis in the Dunedin student area. Many students have reported that they struggled finding a liveable flat to stay in for 2020, and some students currently remain homeless.  A leading cause is the demand for student flats. There has been a steady growth of students Read more...

Students Can Now Check Whether the Exec are Doing Work

Posted 7:07pm Thursday 12th March 2020 by Erin Gourley

The OUSA Executive have agreed to tell students what they have been up to on a fortnightly basis. Historically, the Exec only do this once every three months. Students and Execies alike have been calling for an accountability policy for some time. In the past two years there have been calls for Read more...

Anatomy Department No Longer at Risk of Being Shut Down

Posted 7:04pm Thursday 12th March 2020 by Sinead Gill

At the end of last year, the Department of Anatomy popped their pussies and reversed their Critical Non-Compliance issue. Now, they have a clean slate and are considered fully compliant. Last year the Anatomy Department was at risk of being shut down by the Ministry of fucking Primary Industries Read more...

Albany Street Crossing Not Likely Until 2021

Posted 7:03pm Thursday 12th March 2020 by Naomii Seah

Plans to install a pedestrian crossing on Albany Street beside the OUSA Clubs and Socs building will not go ahead until 2021. 78.6% of students felt that the crossing was necessary in the 2019 OUSA referendum. Following the referendum, then-OUSA President James Heath approached the DCC. They had Read more...

Health Sci Students Affected by Travel Ban to Defer Studies to 2021

Posted 9:34pm Tuesday 10th March 2020 by Sinead Gill

Some Health Science students who are unable to enter New Zealand because of the COVID-19 travel ban are facing a deadline of March 30 to arrive in New Zealand, or may need to defer their studies to 2021. An email leaked to Critic revealed this deadline for “late starts”. In the email, Read more...

STIs on the Rise

Posted 1:45pm Saturday 7th March 2020 by Naomii Seah

The number of STI cases in North Dunedin has risen over the last few weeks. This is normal at the beginning of the first semester, according to a spokesperson from Student Health.  The rise in STIs is mostly caused by an increase in chlamydia and primary herpes cases. Critic suspects the Read more...

Starters Swindles Students with Speight’s Stamp Card

Posted 1:43pm Saturday 7th March 2020 by Erin Gourley

It was a gloomy day in Tent City when Caroline was swindled by Starters. Tents stretched skyward; freshers milled around on the grass lawn in front of the Museum; Speight’s t-shirts hung overhead; the Starter’s logo, emblazoned on a black tent, stood out. It was eye-catching. Caroline Read more...

Otago Uni Illness Breakdown

Posted 1:38pm Saturday 7th March 2020 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

Students are dropping like flies with fresher flu and, for two students, the mumps.  A spokesperson from Student Health has confirmed two cases of mumps on the Dunedin campus within the last two weeks. The symptoms are similar to the common cold, but also include fever and painful, swollen Read more...

New Building for Health Sciences Remains a Mystery

Posted 1:27pm Saturday 7th March 2020 by Wyatt Ryder

In November of last year, the University stated that it was considering a new Health Sciences building project with a budget of $138,661,000. $138,660,000 is a lot of money. That is the same price as 63,027,727 packets of Bluebird Salt and Vinegar Chips, or 63,027,726 packets of chips and a Read more...

Otago Uni Invite Alumni to Piss Up on the Grave of Gardies Tavern

Posted 1:25pm Saturday 7th March 2020 by Sinead Gill

Last Wednesday, the University invited all alumni to the Marsh Study Centre to come “Re-live your student days at the Gardies!” and have a free drink. Former and current students are outraged. For those who don’t know, the Marsh Study Centre on Castle Street used to be a pub Read more...

The Southernmost Foosball Club in the World to Start Up in Dunedin

Posted 1:24pm Saturday 7th March 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters

New Zealand’s first foosball (aka table soccer) club will make its debut in Dunedin. The club, once started, will be the southernmost foosball club in the world. Dunedin Foosball will take the southernmost title from Foosball Australia, a club based in Tasmania.  Otago Zoology Read more...

How to Make Money from Your Shitty Landlord

Posted 1:19pm Saturday 7th March 2020 by Erin Gourley

A Dunedin landlord has been ordered to pay exemplary damages (i.e. a lot of money because he fucked up and broke the law) for the third time. On 13 February, the Tenancy Tribunal ordered Kamal Slaimankhel to pay his tenants $1000 as exemplary damages in addition to their bond refund. The tenants Read more...

CRIME: Critic Intern’s Flat Broken Into

Posted 1:15pm Saturday 7th March 2020 by Jack Gilmore

On Friday evening, a Critic intern’s house was unlawfully entered and burglarized by an unknown assailant in an event that is all too common for students. The intern said he felt a “bit sad”. The intern’s band’s two guitar amps were taken, as well as a cordless Read more...

NZUSA Calls For Tertiary Student Exemption On Travel Ban

Posted 9:56pm Thursday 27th February 2020 by Sinead Gill

Last week, NZUSA called for a tertiary student exemption on the ban on foreigners travelling to New Zealand from China. NZUSA don’t fuck with the ban because it “feeds racism”, directly jeopardises approximately $1.6 billion dollars from the tertiary sector, and because it means Read more...

The Official Otago Uni Shitlist for 2019

Posted 9:53pm Thursday 27th February 2020 by Erin Gourley

Some of the concerns highlighted in the University’s 2019 Discipline Reports have been targeted by the University with new policies.  One example is the skips around campus at the beginning and end of the year. The Report notes that the skip “service was abused” in 2019, Read more...

Liam Wairepo: Youngest Ever [REDACTED] Party Candidate

Posted 9:01pm Thursday 27th February 2020 by Sinead Gill

Liam Wairepo looks just like any other 21 year old Politics and Science student. No, not like a cunt – like someone with a big dream and a big brain. He is an RA at Salmond College and his favourite snack is toasted cashews. He may also be the youngest ever candidate for the [REDACTED] party, Read more...

Agnew may be an Ag-no in 2020

Posted 8:09pm Thursday 27th February 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington

There is a cloud of doubt over whether the Agnew Street Party will go ahead in 2020. The annual Agnew Street Party is often referred to as Hyde’s “ugly step-sister”. Last year’s event raised safety concerns, with the low temperatures and rain creating a slipping hazard on Read more...

Down in the Dumps

Posted 8:04pm Thursday 27th February 2020 by Jack Gilmore

Critic has an exclusive insight into the life of a skip security guard after talking to, and observing, a guard at work during O Week. The skip security guards have been sizing up people dumping rubbish at the orange skips around campus in an attempt to cut down on rubbish from non-students. The Read more...

Increased Police Presence During Flo and O

Posted 7:55pm Thursday 27th February 2020 by Erin Gourley

Students have noticed an increased number of police on the streets of North Dunedin during Flo and O Week. The police confirmed that they have been trying to prevent the situation that led to Sophia Crestani’s death at the Manor last year.  “Since the tragic event at the Read more...

Controversial Poi Performance An “Uncomfortable” Experience

Posted 7:52pm Thursday 27th February 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington

Students in the audience of the Pacific Students’ Welcome were left “uncomfortable” after members of the Otago Pacificana group brought out poi and danced to ‘Poi E’ by Patea Māori Club. The Pacific Students’ Welcome for 2020 was held on Thursday 20 Read more...