Archive

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...

What Happens When Te Roopū Māori Takes the Mystery Out of the Bus

Posted 7:25pm Thursday 27th February 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington

Māori kids looking at the Te Roopū Māori (TRM) calendar for Wiki O (O Week) were shocked to discover there was no Mystery Bus lined up for 2020. Most expected the Mystery Bus to be back for the start of another year. The Mystery Bus brought Māori students squished proximity, Read more...

Hawaiian Stein Rebranded as Silly Shirt Stein

Posted 7:18pm Thursday 27th February 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters

The opening event on the Society of Otago University Law Students (SOULS) social calendar, the ‘Hawaiian Stein’, has been rebranded as the ‘Silly Shirt Stein’.  According to the Facebook event information, the renaming took place on 22 February. That was after Read more...

Vending Machine Prices Rise and Capitalism Wins

Posted 7:10pm Thursday 27th February 2020 by Jack Gilmore

In an egregious act of disregard for the public good and basic ethics, the University has increased the price of every can of drink at campus vending machines to two whole dollars.  The first reports of this occurrence came when a Critic intern attempted to put one humble dollar into the Read more...

Who is NZUSA and Should You Give a Fuck?

Posted 1:16am Friday 21st February 2020 by Fox Meyer

NZUSA is the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations, and they have copped their fair share of shit over the years for being inaccessible, secretive, and - worst of all - sucking hard.  This year, however, President Isabella Lenihan-Ikin and co-Vice Presidents Matthew Schep and Sam Read more...

University Pays Staff Less If They Are Students

Posted 1:07am Friday 21st February 2020 by Wyatt Ryder

The University is paying staff members more than $2 less per hour if they are enrolled as a student. PhD student Kirsten Gibson discovered the wage discrepancy recently, when she applied for a Research Assistant position. Kirsten received her contract only to find that the pay scale had been Read more...

University Sinks Piss-sinking Ship

Posted 12:46am Friday 21st February 2020 by Bonnie Harrison

An advertisement that breached the University’s policy around promoting alcohol on campus has been taken down. The inaugural ‘Dusty Sundays’ gig, headlined by Aussie band Lime Cordiale, will be run by OUSA in association with alcohol brand Part Time Rangers. A big fuck-off Read more...

Goodbye, Salient FM

Posted 11:54pm Thursday 20th February 2020 by Erin Gourley

Salient FM is no more. The student radio station at Victoria University was abruptly shut down in November 2019 after Victoria University Wellington Students’ Association (VUWSA) decided that Salient FM was no longer relevant to students. Salient staff are “gutted” about the shut Read more...

Academic Misconduct on the Rise

Posted 11:47pm Thursday 20th February 2020 by Erin Gourley

Either Otago students are getting worse at plagiarising or the University is getting better at detecting plagiarism. The Academic Misconduct Report 2019 identifies 86 instances of academic misconduct in 2019, which has more than doubled the 34 instances in 2018. The Report was released to Critic on Read more...

Greasy Beaver Sign Gets Dammed

Posted 11:07pm Thursday 20th February 2020 by Naomii Seah

The iconic flat “the Greasy Beaver Lodge” has had their flat name physically and spiritually confiscated by their Property Manager, Jenny Adamson. The flat sign was removed mid-December last year without tenant consultation. What followed was a wild tale of miscommunication, Read more...

Couch Burnings Heat Up 2019

Posted 10:57pm Thursday 20th February 2020 by Bonnie Harrison

Couch fires in North Dunedin have more than tripled in number from 2018 to 2019. After a decade-long gradual decline, recorded incidents spiked from 14 in 2018 to 48 in 2019. University Proctor Dave Scott, a man who has seen some shit, was not too put off by this rise. “In the bad old days, Read more...

Student Skips, Now With Bouncers

Posted 5:24pm Thursday 13th February 2020 by Sinead Gill

The University of Otago announced today that the 11 skips dotted about studentville on the 14th, 21st and 28th of February, will be supervised by Allied Security guards.   This supervision will be on a trial basis, with the aim of ensuring that only students are using these skips, and Read more...

University Scraps Proposal to Cut Marine Science Staff

Posted 4:01pm Wednesday 27th November 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

The University of Otago has retracted its plan to cut 6-7 effective full-time staff members in the Marine Science staff department as part of a Management of Change process.   The announcement followed significant public opposition to the move, with a 6.5 thousand signature Read more...

250 Students and Staff Rally Against Marine Science Cuts

Posted 4:19pm Friday 25th October 2019 by Sinead Gill

Three weeks ago, the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Sciences, Richard Barker, proposed a management of change that would see a significant cut to the Department of Marine Science faculty. The proposal would reduce the department’s academic staff to 8.0 or 9.0 ETFS (equivalent full-time status). Read more...

Students Oppose Significant Cuts to Marine Sciences Department Proposed By University

Posted 9:28pm Wednesday 9th October 2019 by Sinead Gill

Students and staff are rallying against a “management of change” (MOC) proposal which would result in significant cuts to staff and papers in Otago’s Marine Sciences Department. An anonymous academic from the department told Critic they felt the cuts were ‘ironic’ Read more...

EDITORIAL: Goodbye

Posted 5:59pm Sunday 6th October 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

Critic has been around for 94 years. Over that time we’ve changed dramatically in every way possible. We’ve gone from a journal to a newspaper to a magazine. We’ve been wildly successful and we’ve been mediocre and we’ve been absolute shit. I’ve worked at Read more...

Te Roopū Māori Elect a New Executive

Posted 5:13pm Sunday 6th October 2019 by Caroline Moratti

Te Roopū Māori (TRM), the Māori Students Association, has results for their Te Rito executive for 2020. Karamea Pewhairangi was elected as Tumuaki, Miria Te Pou as Kaitiaki Pūtea, Maia Tipene as Kaituhi, Tutawake Dickel-Smith as Communications, Iritana Bennett-Fakahua as Read more...

James gives OUSA the old Heath Ho: An Exit Interview

Posted 10:03pm Thursday 3rd October 2019 by Nina Minogue

OUSA President James Heath is departing OUSA after three years of executive bullshit. Critic’s intrepid reporter Nina Minogue sat down with the local sex symbol to talk about the year that has been and the years to come.    What’s your best memory of being Read more...

OPINION: We Should All Care About West Papua Because We Are All Pacific Islanders

Posted 10:01pm Thursday 3rd October 2019 by Otessa Tuisila

“I’m a Pacific Islander, and so are you.” New Zealand is an island that sits in the biggest ocean in the world, making you a Pacific Islander. If not ethnically, then geographically. On Monday 23 September, our Dunedin community came together to learn more about what is Read more...

Student Arrested For Shitposting

Posted 9:59pm Thursday 3rd October 2019 by Sinead Gill

Picture this: a student wakes up to a pounding on his front door. He is sluggish from a late night of powerpointing for a presentation later that day, but drags himself to the door. On the other side are three police officers who greet him with tasers. Hours later, he is officially arrested and Read more...

Radio One Not Sure if They’re Played in More Campus Spaces Since Swearing Ban

Posted 9:56pm Thursday 3rd October 2019 by Esme Hall

Radio One has not surveyed radio play-out on campus to establish whether more people are tuning in because there is less abrasive content, said Station Manager Sean Norling. “As for the abrasive/explicit content itself, this continues to be a work in progress, with most of the heavy lifting Read more...

“Legitimacy and Integrity” of OUSA Elections Compromised, Report Reveals

Posted 9:55pm Thursday 3rd October 2019 by Sinead Gill

Last week the post-election report of the OUSA Returning Officer Ben Baker, the independent arbitrator of OUSA elections, revealed how close students were to having a false representative announced on election night. Allegedly, on the final day of voting, one of the candidates and/or their Read more...

Lecturer Claims His Book About Censorship Was Censored

Posted 9:54pm Thursday 3rd October 2019 by Erin Gourley

Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Politics Jim Flynn caused a stir last week when he asserted that his book had been banned. His manuscript, In Defense of Free Speech: The University as Censor, was rejected by UK publishing house Emerald Press because it might infringe hate speech laws or provide Read more...

OUSA Welfare Officer Resigned, Cited Ableism and “Bullying”

Posted 9:51pm Thursday 3rd October 2019 by Sinead Gill

The 2019 Welfare Officer Kerrin Robertson-Scanlon has resigned, blaming the Exec for pushing her out after having her pay cut completely for not doing her work.  There will be no by-election to replace her. OUSA rules dictate that elections can only take place during normal semester time, Read more...

Property Managers Slap Bogus Cleaning Fees On Tenants

Posted 9:43pm Thursday 3rd October 2019 by Esme Hall

Throughout Critic’s reporting on tenancy issues this year, we have heard numerous stories of property managers slapping bogus cleaning fees on tenants. Alex* fought down a cleaning fee from $230 to around $60 this year. He said he “witnessed a pattern of unprofessional and Read more...

Opinion: The OUSA Exec Will Never Be Truly Held Accountable

Posted 11:26pm Sunday 29th September 2019 by Sinead Gill

Before May 2018, the OUSA Exec only got paid for the hours they actually worked, as a measure to hold them to account. This is no longer the case, and it’s causing problems. Back then, every year was broken into quarters, and the Exec would only be paid at the end of each quarter in a lump Read more...

Department of Anatomy At Risk of Being Shut Down After Critical Safety Non-Compliance

Posted 11:17pm Sunday 29th September 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

The Otago Department of Anatomy is at risk of being shut down by the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) after being issued with a “Critical Non-Compliance” with safety regulations during their latest audit. The Critical Non-Compliance was issued because the Department has had three Read more...

EDITORIAL: Don’t Vote For Lee Vandervis

Posted 11:14pm Sunday 29th September 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

Look. I know this is the third time in a row that I’ve written a boring editorial about an election. I’m sorry. I know all you really want is content about hit Canadian reality TV show Mantracker. To make it up to you I will include a fact about Mantracker in between each boring Read more...

Canta Wins Bid for Editorial Independence

Posted 10:48pm Thursday 26th September 2019 by Esme Hall

Canta Editor Samantha Mythen said she is “super stoked” that her bid for editorial independence has been formally backed by the University of Canterbury Students’ Association (UCSA) Executive. In last Monday’s meeting the UCSA Exec instructed management to “prepare a Read more...

45 Administrators Have Moved Department Since Implementation of Support Services Review

Posted 10:46pm Thursday 26th September 2019 by Sinead Gill

According to an Official Information Act request made by Critic, 45 administrators have been internally moved from one department to another within the University of Otago in just one year. Last year, the University completed a Support Services Review (SSR) and completely shook up how they Read more...

Queer-Friendly Gig Round 2 Goes Off Without A Hitch

Posted 10:44pm Thursday 26th September 2019 by Sinead Gill

Attendees “had a great time” at OUSA’s most recent Queen of Hearts queer-friendly gig at Starters bar. The first Queen of Hearts gig at Starters was hosted in late July and received flak from attendees, who cited “malicious” and “homophobic” harassment Read more...

OUSA Secures A Voting Booth On Campus

Posted 10:41pm Thursday 26th September 2019 by Erin Gourley

OUSA have secured a voting booth on campus for the local elections. This will be the first time that a voting booth has been stationed on campus that is open for more than one day. “Voting on campus, through a traditional voting booth, is leagues more engaging than postal elections,” Read more...

OUSA Welfare Officer Refuses To Resign

Posted 10:40pm Thursday 26th September 2019 by Sinead Gill

OUSA Welfare Officer Kerrin Robertson-Scanlan has been stripped of her duties and 20-hour a week pay, but will keep her title unless she resigns, which she has so far refused to do. Last Tuesday, the OUSA Exec formally rejected Kerrin’s third quarterly report for being Read more...

GROSS MISMANAGEMENT OF THE HIGHEST ORDER

Posted 10:37pm Thursday 26th September 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

In what might possibly have been described as “the biggest mistake the University has ever made” and “an unforgivable sin” by someone who felt that way about the issue, the bathrooms in the Richardson building have required further maintenance after new taps were installed Read more...

Editorial: Oh Shit, Jack Won

Posted 5:06pm Saturday 21st September 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

Last week I said that the OUSA presidency was anyone’s game, that any of the three candidates could pull it off. In the week since then I forgot my own good advice. The OUSA bubble were convinced that it wasn’t going to be Jack; most people thought that Will was a safe bet, and if Read more...

Te Roopū Māori Student Election Postponed Due to Lack of Nominations

Posted 4:49pm Saturday 21st September 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

Te Roopū Māori, the Māori Students’ Association, has decided to postpone their student elections after they had almost no one nominate themselves, meaning that they couldn’t piggy-back on the OUSA election website and will have to use a paper-ballot. Taylor Terekia, Read more...

OPINION: Why Don’t More Women Run For OUSA Leadership?

Posted 4:43pm Saturday 21st September 2019 by Sinead Gill

This year Otago’s student union had no female presidential candidates. Empowering women and people of colour to run for any OUSA position is an annual talking point for the Executive, typically brought up in the weeks leading up to nominations or, in the 2019 Exec’s case, not brought up Read more...

OPINION: Archway Shop Shut For No Reason And I Am Mad

Posted 4:37pm Saturday 21st September 2019 by Sinead Gill

It turns out the University do not actually have a plan for the Archway Shop space. A few weeks ago Critic covered the closing of the Archway Stationery Shop in the Link. The University’s closed a useful store with one particularly friendly employee and replaced it with some cash-grab. At Read more...

Jack “The Poor Man’s James Heath” Manning Wins OUSA President in a Boring, Boring Result

Posted 10:48pm Friday 20th September 2019 by Critic

It’s more of the same for OUSA as Jack Manning takes the Presidential Crown. Jack, who prides himself on being described as “the poor man’s James Heath,” proved to be the most vanilla presidential candidate and won on being everyone’s second choice in the single Read more...

University Reveals How the New CCTV Policy is Being Used

Posted 10:42pm Friday 20th September 2019 by Erin Gourley

Most of the CCTV footage of non-University streets released by the Proctor’s office is in response to requests by residents to property damage or theft, according to an Official Information Act request made by Critic. Between the rollout of increased CCTV coverage of the student area at the Read more...

Canta Editor Calling For Editorial Independence

Posted 10:39pm Friday 20th September 2019 by Esme Hall

Samantha Mythen, the Editor of Canta (the University of Canterbury’s student magazine), is fighting for editorial independence. She is alleging that, since her time as Editor, UCSA have stopped her publishing stories that are critical of the students’ association or even of the Read more...

Come Fly With Me: A Semester in the Life of Harlene Hayne

Posted 8:50pm Friday 20th September 2019 by Sinead Gill

Like binge watching shitcunts on reality TV over and over again, there is something cathartic about peeking behind the curtain and laying bare the lives of the rich and famous. Unfortunately, Critic doesn’t know many rich people, and the most famous people we know (Joel MacManus and James Read more...

OPINION: I Hate that the Uni Wasted 42k on Some Promo Screens

Posted 7:14pm Sunday 15th September 2019 by Nina Minogue

Over the last few weeks the Uni installed a massive nine panel screen in the Link that cost $42,000. It plays exclusively ads for the Uni – you know, that place you already go. I have a conspiracy. The University is slowly but surely turning the Link into a massive man-cave. Think about it, Read more...

EDITORIAL: The OUSA Presidency is Anyone's Game

Posted 6:50pm Sunday 15th September 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

This week is the Otago University Students’ Association student elections. For those that don’t really give a fuck (fair), OUSA is the student union that represents you, entertains you, and fights for you. OUSA runs O-Week, Starters Bar, Student Support, and Clubs and Socs, as well as Read more...

Critic Breaks Down the OUSA Presidential Debate

Posted 12:58am Friday 13th September 2019 by Erin Gourley

Are Jack, Will and Sam the characters from a boring nursery rhyme? No, they’re the OUSA presidential candidates for 2020. It was repeatedly brought up that Jack Manning, Will Moffett, and Sam Purchas were “stale, pale, and male” during the daytime presidential forum - mostly by the Read more...

Critic Watches Student Politicians Fight Each Other

Posted 12:56am Friday 13th September 2019 by Critic

At last week’s forum debates, almost 20 students fought each other for the honour of fighting for you as your OUSA representatives. Critic was there through all of them, through the awkward roasts and the boring empty speeches. This year saw an unprecedented number of positions go Read more...

Otago Medical Students Association Denies that Electoral Fraud Influenced Election

Posted 11:32pm Thursday 12th September 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

The Otago University Medical Students Association (OUMSA) has said that a “very small percentage” of students exploiting a loophole in the system to vote twice in the recent MOUSA elections “were not counted towards the final results of the position” and that even if they had Read more...

DCC Mayoral Forum Makes Critic Lose Faith In Democracy

Posted 6:08pm Sunday 8th September 2019 by Critic

Critic’s winners of the DCC Mayoral Forum, hosted by OUSA and the University, are Mandy Mayhem-Bullock and Aaron Hawkins, with an incredibly honourable mention to Bob Barlin. But, to be honest, hearing fourteen people talk for about five minutes each doesn’t give a great idea about who Read more...

‘Near-Misses’ Provoked Walk Your Wheels Campaign, Rather than Actual Injuries

Posted 1:01am Friday 6th September 2019 by Esme Hall

The University has said that “near-misses” provoked its ban on skateboards, bikes and scooters on campus, the “Walk Your Wheels” campaign, rather than actual injuries. An Official Information Act request to the University of Otago revealed that there have only been two Read more...

Great Peanut Purge at Residential Colleges

Posted 1:00am Friday 6th September 2019 by James Joblin

Peanuts have been taken off the menu at University-managed residential colleges to protect students with severe nut allergies. As of 2 September, residential college kitchens are no longer serving peanut products, except Toroa and Abbey colleges, which do not currently house students with peanut Read more...

OUSA To Lobby For Independent Investigator on Sexual Violence at Unis and Polytechs

Posted 12:55am Friday 6th September 2019 by Esme Hall

The OUSA Exec wants an independent body to investigate sexual violence against students and staff, rather than incidents being handled by universities and polytechnics internally. In their meeting over the break, the OUSA Exec agreed to start lobbying the University of Otago, the New Zealand Read more...

More CCTV rolling out on Castle

Posted 12:53am Friday 6th September 2019 by Sinead Gill

A blind spot in the CCTV network in studentville has been identified, and Campus Watch are rubbing their hungry hands together in glee – more cameras are coming to Castle Street. Specifically on the corner of Castle and Duke Street, and the corner of Castle and Dundas street. In a letter Read more...

Harlene Tells High Schoolers to Piss Off

Posted 12:50am Friday 6th September 2019 by Nina Minogue

Before this year’s O-Week, Vice-Chancellor Harlene Hayne sent a letter to all Dunedin secondary schools asking them to encourage their students to stay away from university parties. The letter was a response to Campus Watch reporting an alarming rise in uninvited high school students Read more...

How Much Are Breathas Paying For Flats? A Critic Investigation

Posted 12:47am Friday 6th September 2019 by Sinead Gill

Some truths are eternal when it comes to being a University of Otago student. You’re going to gain 20 kilos in your first year, only old people call us Scarfies, and living in a ‘notorious’ flat on Castle street is going to be expensive as fuck. But why is that? Not the 20 kilos Read more...

The Tea So Far: 2020 OUSA Executive Candidates

Posted 12:45am Friday 6th September 2019 by Esme Hall

Critic will reserve a full judgement until the forums this week, but here is what you need to know about the returners and insiders of OUSA who are running. All the Presidential candidates are men (gross): Will Moffett, Jack Manning, and Sam Purchas. All we could find out about Will online, from Read more...

More Tenants Come Forward With Landlords Trying to Rent Boarding Houses on Illegal Contracts

Posted 12:43am Friday 6th September 2019 by Erin Gourley

The problem of landlords trying to rent boarding houses on fixed-term leases is widespread, with three tenants telling Critic that they realised they were living in a boarding house after reading our boarding house article last week. One tenant told us that she lived in a boarding house in 2018 Read more...

Second Year Law Exam Timetable Mix-Up Creates 24 Hours of Panic

Posted 12:42am Friday 6th September 2019 by Erin Gourley

Second-year law students were shocked to find all of their exams scheduled within one week when the exam timetable was released on the Tuesday of the break. “A lot of people lost their shit,” said one second-year student. The mix-up was quickly resolved after a barrage of complaints Read more...

OUSA To Solve Climate Change

Posted 12:40am Friday 6th September 2019 by Sinead Gill

OUSA have stepped their pussies up and are not just encouraging students to ditch class, but TELLING them to not go to class and go to Union Lawn on the 27th of September, 11:30am, for climate change. They’re doing it as a part of the School Strike 4 Climate campaign, which sees high Read more...

Guest Editorial: Don't Just Learn Māori this Week, Learn It Every Week.

Posted 10:22pm Thursday 5th September 2019 by Taylor Terekia

Kia ora e te whānau! (Hey fam) It's your one and only Tumuakz or Tumuaki, not to be confused with Tumauki (iykyk) of Te Roopū Māori. It's that one week of the year people seem to remember te reo Māori is a national language. You'll find Māori language Read more...

Library Opening Hours Extended

Posted 12:06am Friday 30th August 2019 by Esme Hall

The University Central Library will trial being open from 6am to 12pm seven days a week in the lead up to exams. The change in hours, which were previously 7am to 11pm, comes after OUSA President James Heath and Education Officer Will Dreyer negotiated with the Library Executive. “The Read more...

Clubs Vote Against Having to Attend Boring OUSA Meetings at a Boring OUSA Meeting

Posted 12:05am Friday 30th August 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

In what has been described as both a resounding victory and a crushing defeat for boring OUSA meetings, 88% of people at a boring OUSA meeting voted against forcing representatives from OUSA Clubs and Societies to attend boring OUSA meetings. The rejected proposal was to have OUSA grants funding Read more...

DCC Candidates Commit to Student Pledges

Posted 11:53pm Thursday 29th August 2019 by Erin Gourley

This article was originally published in Issue 21 (02/09/2019). More candidates have made pledges, therefore this article has been updated (Issue 24, 23/09/2019). OUSA have released the seven local body election pledges they will ask candidates to sign. “Take that, Lee Vandervis,” Read more...

Students Choose Politics Over Equity

Posted 11:45pm Thursday 29th August 2019 by Sinead Gill

The week before mid-semester break, OUSA had a Student General Meeting (SGM). Critic, along with the 100-and-a-bit other students, went for the free pizza, dumplings, and hot goss. Although the motion to tie SGM attendance to club grants was the real reason why so many people turned up, in the Read more...

Employee of the Month: Ella Roding

Posted 11:43pm Thursday 29th August 2019 by Sinead Gill

Everybody stop what you’re fucking doing. There is a doggo at OUSA student support (5 Ethel Benjamin Place) every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and she has an employment contract. Ella Roding, a rescue dog from a Community Led Animal Welfare organisation in South Africa (CLAW), had an Read more...

Spiked Drinks At Student Event Raises Alarms

Posted 11:41pm Thursday 29th August 2019 by Sinead Gill

In May of this year there was a student event hosted at a Central Dunedin venue. During this event, the water dispenser was allegedly spiked, and multiple attendees ended up in the Emergency Department. Jenny* was one of the students whose drink was spiked. She said that she was lucky her friends Read more...