Archive

Human Nutrition Dept. Launches Cheap Student Meal Kits

Posted 1:41pm Sunday 15th May 2022 by Denzel Chung

The Department of Human Nutrition has launched meal packages to help flats take some stress out of meal prep. It’s one of a long list of initiatives that aim to snap students out of their perennial Indomie addiction. The Feed My Flat initiative is basically the same as My Food Bag or other Read more...

Rally Held For Palestine

Posted 9:35am Sunday 15th May 2022 by Zak Rudin

CW: genocide, ethnic cleansing On Saturday May 7, the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) held a rally from the Museum Reserve to the Octagon. Around 60 people took to the streets with placards, chanting the Palestinian independence slogan: “From the river to the sea, Palestine Read more...

Vegan Bake Sale Raises Money for Animals and Vegans in Ukraine

Posted 9:26am Sunday 15th May 2022 by Zak Rudin

On Saturday 7th May, the Dunedin Ōtepoti Vegan Society (DŌVeS) held a bake sale for Ukraine on the Museum Reserve. What link does veganism have with Ukraine and what does buying baked vegan treats achieve? Critic Te Arohi went along to find out. DŌVeS originally hatched the idea of Read more...

J Day Lights up in the Octagon

Posted 1:37pm Saturday 14th May 2022 by Zak Rudin

J Day hit the heart of the Octagon last Saturday from noon till 4:20 (blaze it, nice). J Day is an event 20 years in the running, calling for weed to be legalised and more generally a celebration of cannabis culture. Critic Te Arohi reported from amidst the smog and bravely conducted interviews over Read more...

Record-Breaking Turnout for UniQ’s Inaugural MS Paint Competition

Posted 1:34pm Saturday 14th May 2022 by Lotto Ramsay

For Art Week, UniQ teamed up with Art Club to host a painting competition. Well, a Microsoft Paint competition anyway. In a beautiful and rather wholesome twist, all four people who entered came out winners. UniQ, Otago’s resident club for members of the LGBTQ+ community, decided that 2022 Read more...

Agnew Street Party Re-Cancelled

Posted 1:18pm Saturday 14th May 2022 by Keegan Wells and Fox Meyer

Students’ attempts to run the Agnew Street party themselves this year have been abandoned. Even though sponsors had been found, security had been considered and morale was high, security concerns raised during a meeting on 9 May resulted in the plan being cancelled. The meeting was attended Read more...

Uni Spent $3 Million on Travel in 2020

Posted 2:44am Sunday 8th May 2022 by Denzel Chung

Otago Uni spent almost $3 million on travel expenses in 2020, including airfares, accommodation, taxis and car rentals. While these numbers were significantly impacted by Covid-19, the Uni is hoping to keep air travel to a minimum even as borders reopen.  University data received by Critic Read more...

Clash of Clubs

Posted 2:43am Sunday 8th May 2022 by Keegan Wells

The first annual Clash of Clubs happened on April 29, with several Otago Uni clubs duking it out in a variety of sports. At stake: honour, glory, and the ability to rub sweet victory into the faces of inferior clubs for a whole year.  Six clubs participated in football, volleyball and Read more...

Protest Demands Immediate End To Live Animal Export

Posted 2:42am Sunday 8th May 2022 by Zak Rudin

On Saturday April 30, around 30 people gathered in the Octagon as part of a nationwide protest to call for an immediate ban on all live animal exports. People held signs with images of animal abuse amidst a number of speeches and chanting. Despite high-profile announcements that the practice would Read more...

Vigil Held For Ukraine

Posted 2:40am Sunday 8th May 2022 by Zak Rudin

CW: War crimes, assault A candle-lit vigil was held in the lower Octagon to commemorate the innocent victims killed in Ukraine by the Russian military. Around 60 people were present at the event, with attendees expressing a mixture of sadness, anger and fatigue over the ongoing, violent Read more...

Mysterious Castle Street Shitter(s) Strike Again

Posted 2:34am Sunday 8th May 2022 by Anon

Castle Street residents have been confronted with the emergence of human shits on their cars and driveways. Little is known about the identity of the culprit(s), or their motive.  The first incident occurred on Saturday 10 April, on what had been a seemingly normal night of debauchery on Read more...

Mysterious Naked Tree Not So Mysterious Now

Posted 2:33am Sunday 8th May 2022 by Keegan Wells

A little over a month ago we reported on a mysterious tree that showed up in a student’s bed on a Saturday night. Our crack detective team turned up no leads until the case was blown wide open by an anonymous online confession. Seth reported finding a large tree branch in his bed after a Read more...

University’s Art Club Overcomes Challenges, Brings Artistic Minds Together

Posted 2:31am Sunday 8th May 2022 by Anna Robertshawe

The Covid-19 pandemic, the fast pace of uni life and a lack of a Fine Arts programme at Otago Uni are all challenges for Arts students here. Despite these barriers, the Otago University Art Club continues to make space for creative expression and facilitate connection through art.  The club Read more...

Outcry Forces Vape Shop to Remove TikToks

Posted 2:02pm Sunday 1st May 2022 by Sean Gourley

A new vape shop has taken down all of its TikToks after a Stuff investigation found kids under 18 were interacting with their posts, potentially breaching the law as a result. The owners have said they’ll be changing their ways from now on, with a removal of most of their posts in a social Read more...

Muslim and Atheists Students’ Associations Assigned to Share a Table

Posted 2:01pm Sunday 1st May 2022 by Denzel Chung

The Muslim Students’ Association (MUSA) and the Society of Atheists, Rationalists and Skeptics (SARS) were assigned to sit together during OUSA’s clubs week. Despite the potential for awkwardness, both sides seemed to brush it off easily.  In issue 7, Critic Te Arohi reported on Read more...

Student Visa Backlog due to “Capacity Issues”

Posted 1:59pm Sunday 1st May 2022 by Zak Rudin

Despite borders reopening and Aotearoa once again officially ‘open’ to international students, eager student travellers have hit one critical snag: Immigration New Zealand (INZ). Processing struggles have left many overseas students in limbo as a result.  Since April 12, Aotearoa Read more...

Ditch the Indomie and Cook Like A Granny

Posted 1:55pm Sunday 1st May 2022 by Denzel Chung

A South Dunedin charity is aiming to teach life skills using the most potent source of wisdom known to humankind: grannies.They’re hoping their cooking workshops, focusing on cheap, sustainable recipes, will be a hit with eco-conscious, cash-strapped students.  The adorably-named Read more...

Toilet Prices Behind Hyde Ticket Price Increase

Posted 1:53pm Sunday 1st May 2022 by Keegan Wells

Last week Critic Te Arohi reported that Hyde Street ticket prices have jumped this year by 10% ($5) for students and a whopping 35% ($7) for street residents. To get to the bottom of this, we spoke to Jason Schroeder, Events and Venues Operations Manager for OUSA. Just like any good conspiracy, Read more...

Local Councillor Apparently Editing his Own Wikipedia Page

Posted 1:43pm Sunday 1st May 2022 by Fox Meyer

A Wikipedia user by the name of “Leevandervis” has been making edits to the Wikipedia page of Lee Vandervis, a Dunedin city councillor with a history of making controversial headlines.  Critic received a tip about edits made to Vandervis’ Wikipedia page on April 26, listed Read more...

Study Hopes to Pave Way for Blood Donation Equity

Posted 1:41pm Sunday 1st May 2022 by Denzel Chung

A new study involving the University of Otago is hoping to collect data on HIV prevention among men who have sex with men (MSM). A key aim of this study is to change policies which have, until now, prevented many MSM from donating blood.  The Sex and Prevention of Treatment Study (SPOTS) is Read more...

Vape Juice has More Nicotine than You Think

Posted 1:38pm Sunday 1st May 2022 by Fox Meyer

If you’ve always wondered why vapes are such a tough habit to kick, here’s a possible reason why: it contains a fuckton of nicotine. To be precise, you’d get as much nicotine from a bottle of 30mg vape juice as you would smoking almost ten pouches of rolling tobacco, or over 700 Read more...

Ukraine War Casts Spectre Over OUSA ANZAC Service

Posted 1:34pm Sunday 1st May 2022 by Denzel Chung

Around 200 people of all ages, from students, to staff, to elderly servicepeople, attended OUSA’s 2022 annual ANZAC Day service. Held by the Memorial Walk outside the Staff Club building, this service was the first to be held outdoors since 2019. The weather was mostly sunny, although the Read more...

Drink Spiking Incident Correction

Posted 1:31pm Sunday 1st May 2022 by Fox Meyer

Last issue, Critic published a story about an OUSA club-organised BYO in which two people suspected their drinks had been spiked. The girl who suffered the worst of the two experiences got in touch with Critic to correct some major details of the story. Jamie* did not make it home ok, as Read more...

Ayo New Hyde St Just Dropped

Posted 2:21pm Sunday 24th April 2022 by Keegan Wells

OUSA has confirmed that the Hyde St party is back for another year. After some uncertainty over dates, it’s finally been locked in to happen just a week before semester one exams.  OUSA confirmed on April 12 that the Hyde St Party will go ahead this year. After previously postponing Read more...

Uni Spent Almost $750k On Dairy in 2021

Posted 2:19pm Sunday 24th April 2022 by Denzel Chung

Figures obtained by Critic Te Arohi show the Uni spent almost $750k on milk and dairy products in 2021.  Peer into almost any fridge in Uni and you’ll see it: bottle after bottle of Meadow Fresh milk. From hall breakfasts and morning coffees to office tearooms, the white stuff seems to Read more...

Food Sci 4th Years Fight Food Waste

Posted 2:16pm Sunday 24th April 2022 by Fox Meyer

A group of Food Science 4th year students have designed a food box - like Hello Fresh - based entirely around NZ’s most commonly-tossed consumables. They plan to use local foodie social media accounts to promote their sustainable selection of goodies. “One of our main messages is that Read more...

New “Pop-Up” Youth Space Pops Up

Posted 2:14pm Sunday 24th April 2022 by Zak Rudin

An after-school creative space, the Ōtepoti Youth Space, is being launched in Dunedin. Focused on high-school aged rangatahi, the aim is to make this a supportive and constructive space to engage with rangatahi and “celebrate… their creative talents”.  Hailey Xavier, Read more...

Ship Carrying ‘Blood Phosphate’ Arrives in Port Chalmers

Posted 2:12pm Sunday 24th April 2022 by Zak Rudin

The ship Stony Stream has just landed in Port Chalmers, carrying 25,000 tonnes of phosphate from Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara. This phosphate, which critics call “blood phosphate,” has been linked for decades to serious human rights abuses. Aotearoa is one of the last countries in Read more...

Suspected Drink-Spiking at BYO Leaves Club Baffled

Posted 2:10pm Sunday 24th April 2022 by Fox Meyer

Two people suspect that their drinks were spiked at a BYO at the start of the year. According to Dunedin Hospital, rates of alcohol-related admissions spike around student party weekends like O-Week and St Paddy’s. The Otago University Snow Sports Club (OUSSC) hosted a public BYO at the Read more...

Stag Totals Students’ Car on West Coast

Posted 2:08pm Sunday 24th April 2022 by Keegan Wells

A group of students survived a harrowing car crash with a stag on the West Coast over the mid-sem break. The crash claimed most of their car’s front end, but amazingly left it intact enough to drive a further 50km to the nearest town. On April 14, Ali was heading up the West Coast with her Read more...

Student Reports “Outrageous” Abortion Experience

Posted 12:49am Saturday 23rd April 2022 by Keegan Wells and Fox Meyer

A student trying to get an abortion has criticised Dunedin Hospital for a “disgusting” and “disrespectful” experience. She is currently undergoing her third procedure for the same pregnancy, which she believed could’ve been avoided if information was presented Read more...

University Emissions Report: Behind the Pretty Numbers

Posted 12:47am Saturday 23rd April 2022 by Zak Rudin

In our last issue, Critic Te Arohi reported that the Uni’s carbon emissions dropped 40% in 2020 compared to 2019. We spoke with Craig Cliff, the Uni’s Net Carbon Zero Programme Manager, to help us understand what is going on. The report showed that most of the 40% actually came from a Read more...

Woof! has “Busiest Week of Year” after Hit with Anti-Vax Negativity

Posted 12:37am Saturday 23rd April 2022 by Annabelle Vaughan

Local Dunedin bar Woof has faced some backlash for continuing to use vaccine passes, despite the government dropping vaccine mandates on April 4. Owner Dudley Benson spoke to Critic Te Arohi about what it’s been like, and how vital the community’s support has been in this Read more...

Greens, Student Assocs Launch Student Wellbeing Inquiry

Posted 12:35am Saturday 23rd April 2022 by Fox Meyer

A group of 33 student unions have rallied together to launch a People's Inquiry into student wellbeing, alongside the Green Party. They said that students have been “betrayed” by a government that promised to provide support, that incremental increases in student loans were Read more...

Castle Residents Pitch In To Clean Up Their Street

Posted 12:32am Saturday 23rd April 2022 by Ruby Werry

At noon on a Friday, most breathas would have still been sprawled in bed, wincing at the sunlight streaming through their ratty curtains. But on April 8, several hundred students instead had brushes and rubbish bags in hand, cleaning up the streets of North D.  The group of students, mostly Read more...

Otago Uni Shifts Back to In-Person Learning, Drops Vaccine and Mask Mandates

Posted 5:34pm Wednesday 13th April 2022 by Denzel Chung

The Government’s shift to Orange has paved the way for sweeping changes to life at Otago Uni, including a transition back to “mostly on-campus teaching,” as well as dropping vaccine and mask requirements for most students.    Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins Read more...

Otago Uni Shifts Back to In-Person Learning, Drops Vaccine and Mask Mandates

Posted 5:33pm Wednesday 13th April 2022 by Denzel Chung

The Government’s shift to Orange has paved the way for sweeping changes to life at Otago Uni, including a transition back to “mostly on-campus teaching,” as well as dropping vaccine and mask requirements for most students.    Covid-19 Minister Chris Hipkins Read more...

Arise Church Responds To Critic After Ghosting Other Journalists, Begins Independent Review

Posted 10:15am Tuesday 12th April 2022 by Denzel Chung

Arise Church has sent a lengthy statement, written by a PR company, responding to allegations of abuse. The detailed statement came to us after enquiries sent by a high-profile journalist were initially ignored. Pastor John Cameron has since stated that he is “broken and devastated by these Read more...

“House DJ” Grateful that Red Settings are Still in Place

Posted 1:24pm Sunday 10th April 2022 by The Critical Tribune

Local breatha Thomas Bangerson has been using his somewhat upcoming, mostly failing career as a house DJ as his prime drawcard on Tinder. The only reason he isn’t playing the big stage, he claimed, “was because we’re in red, so I’m at the same level as Subsonic, Read more...

Parking Wardens Suspected as Cause for Pedestrianisation

Posted 1:22pm Sunday 10th April 2022 by The Critical Tribune

Sources close to the Mayor claim that the attempt to make George Street pedestrianised occurred after a run-in with DCC parking wardens. Mayor Hawkins’s close confidants reported that the recent attempts to remove cars from George Street is an attempt to put parking wardens out of a job. Read more...

Plot to Overthrow the New Zealand Government Discovered at MenuDeliverEats Offices.

Posted 1:21pm Sunday 10th April 2022 by The Critical Tribune

Agents of the Crown have recently unearthed plans for MenuDeliverEats employees to institute a coup in the highest levels of the New Zealand government. This has confirmed the suspicions of local residents, who said “They don’t fear anything. I’ve seen one park on double yellow Read more...

ABBA Awards Richardson Building Highest Architectural Honours

Posted 1:19pm Sunday 10th April 2022 by The Critical Tribune

The Richardson building has just received an award from the Appreciation of the Blind for Building and Architecture, or ABBA for short. This came as a shock to most people who have ever seen the building, but the Richardson building defended its title. “Most people don’t see me in my Read more...

Clubs Week Helps Weakened Clubs

Posted 1:40am Saturday 9th April 2022 by Hugh Askerud

Last week, OUSA Clubs and Socs held a ‘Clubs Week’ celebrating the various oddities and misfits who call Otago home. Housed on the edge of the Link, each club was given 90 minutes to win over the hearts of passers-by heading through campus.  As Critic Te Arohi has reported Read more...

SHOCKER: Study Finds “Students Shivering inside Cold, Damp Homes”

Posted 1:38am Saturday 9th April 2022 by Zak Rudin

A recent study conducted by Otago Uni has found that many students live in miserably cold, damp and mouldy homes. Most students also don’t know that StudyLink can help with massive power bills.  The nationwide study, led by Dr. Kimberley O’Sullivan, was conducted by He Read more...

Multi-Million Dollar Church Reportedly Tells Students to Donate their Course-Related Costs

Posted 1:36am Saturday 9th April 2022 by Elliot Weir

Journalist and documentary filmmaker David Farrier has published an exposé of Arise Church. The piece alleges exploitation of their interns and attendees, including an account from an Otago Uni student who attended their Dunedin branch. Arise Church is one of the largest churches in Read more...

Uni’s Carbon Emissions Dropped In 2020

Posted 1:35am Saturday 9th April 2022 by Denzel Chung

A new report has found the Uni’s carbon emissions dipped by 40% in 2020, to 30,661 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e). Reasons for the decrease include a lockdown, fewer jet-setting employees and a coal phaseout. The Uni’s latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory was released in Read more...

PRANK101: Chewbacca Impressions Chew Student’s Ear Off

Posted 1:33am Saturday 9th April 2022 by Keegan Wells

Chewbacca, affectionately known as Chewie, is known for his big heart and unwavering loyalty to his friends. Critic Te Arohi hopes Tom still feels the same way about his mates, after his flatmate put his phone number all over campus advertising a Chewbacca impression contest. A box of Major Majors Read more...

Easing Covid Restrictions: What Does it Mean for Disabled Students?

Posted 1:31am Saturday 9th April 2022 by Zak Rudin

For many, the Government lifting most Covid restrictions has been a welcome relief. But for those who are disabled and immunocompromised, it represents a scary step into a world now fraught with risk.  Sean Prenter, co-president of the Otago University Disabled Students Association (OUDSA), Read more...

Night ‘n Day Sauce Stories Continue to Spill

Posted 1:29am Saturday 9th April 2022 by Zak Rudin

After reading about Flynn’s misadventure at Night ‘n Day, Ruby and Angus reached out to Critic Te Arohi to share their suspiciously similar stories. Turns out, there are quite a few people who have faced a saucy fine from the 24hr store. Ruby described going to the Night ‘n Day Read more...

Muslim Students Ring in the Month of Ramadan

Posted 1:28am Saturday 9th April 2022 by Denzel Chung

This year, April 1 marked the beginning of the month of Ramadan, a sacred month for Muslims across the globe. Critic Te Arohi checked in with the Muslim Students’ Association (MUSA) to see how students are spending this time.  MUSA, alongside the Otago Muslim Association, are hosting Read more...