Archive

Ireland Screws All Blacks, Unscrews Lightbulbs

Posted 2:29pm Sunday 17th July 2022 by Fox Meyer

After handing the All Blacks their first-ever Dunedin defeat on Saturday 9 July, the Irish national rugby team parked up at Vault 21. And evidently, they weren’t too keen on leaving. Chris Dickie, a bartender at Vault, said that as closing time grew near that night, staff at the bar started Read more...

Everyone’s Favourite $4 Lunch Lady Begins A “New Incarnation”

Posted 2:27pm Sunday 17th July 2022 by Denzel Chung

Jane “J-Ma” Beecroft, long-known as the $4 lunch lady, is beginning a “new incarnation” on campus. She’s hoping her new “chat room,” which she calls “Life, the Universe and Everything”, will help provide a space where students can feel Read more...

Ireland Screws All Blacks, Unscrews Lightbulbs

Posted 1:14pm Wednesday 13th July 2022 by Fox Meyer

After handing the All Blacks their first-ever Dunedin defeat on Saturday 9 July, the Irish national rugby team parked up at Vault 21. And evidently, they weren’t too keen on leaving.   Chris Dickie, a bartender at Vault, said that as closing time grew near that night, staff at the Read more...

SCANDAL! Man Opens Door!

Posted 1:59am Saturday 9th July 2022 by Denzel Chung

An Edinburgh Realty tenant was left feeling “infuriated” after a tradie unlocked her bedroom door to complete some repairs while she was asleep.  Marie* rents in the Station Apartments complex, a set of 5 studio apartments on Anzac Avenue managed by Edinburgh Realty. At first Read more...

GARBAGE! EnviroWaste Red Bins GONEBURGER In Dunedin!

Posted 1:57am Saturday 9th July 2022 by Denzel Chung

At least one provider of Dunedin’s red bins, EnviroWaste, have pulled the plug on signing up new customers. Fears of an impending bin monopoly have been dismissed by EnviroWaste, who said the move is only temporary.  A check of the EnviroWaste website using Dunedin addresses shows an Read more...

WOW! Otago Student Chef makes it BIG TIME

Posted 1:55am Saturday 9th July 2022 by Denzel Chung

While most of us were dumping two-minute pasta into a microwave bowl and serving it with a side of James Speight’s finest, an ex-Otago student has been rubbing shoulders with the likes of Nadia Lim on the latest season of MasterChef New Zealand. Critic Te Arohi caught up with Alice Taylor to Read more...

SOUTHLAND: The Next Silicon Valley???

Posted 1:54am Saturday 9th July 2022 by Fox Meyer

A massive, cutting edge carbon-neutral data centre is slated to open in – of all places – Southland. Otago Uni have already signed up to be one of the facility’s major clients. Despite what some Aucklanders may be thinking, there are actually some pretty good reasons for tech Read more...

Otago Lecturer speaks at Anti-Mandate Protest

Posted 1:35am Saturday 9th July 2022 by Elliot Weir and Denzel Chung

At a demonstration against vaccine mandates and Three Waters legislation, an Otago Uni lecturer spoke for five minutes to "educate" the opposing counter-demonstration across the road by reading the Britannica definition of fascism and sharing a stage with a prominent alt-right Read more...

Protest Standoff! Big Anti-Fash Bash TRIUMPHS Over “Freedom and Rights Coalition”

Posted 11:37pm Friday 8th July 2022 by Zak Rudin, Denzel Chung and Elliot Weir

At 12pm on Saturday 2nd July, around 150 anti-fascist counter-protestors faced off against a “Freedom and Rights Coalition” (FRC) protest, led by Destiny Church’s Derek Tait. With the anti-fascists outnumbering the FRC group five to one, Ōtepoti sent them a clear message: Read more...

Heaps of West Coast Land to be Reclassified

Posted 11:29pm Friday 8th July 2022 by Denzel Chung and Fox Meyer

The Department of Conservation (DoC) is set to reclassify 600,000 hectares of protected “stewardship” land on the West Coast – the size of over 3 Rakiura (Stewart Islands). DoC says that this will provide stronger protections for its natural and historic features, but some worry Read more...

DOCO DRAMA! Filmmakers Condemn Israeli Embassy Funding

Posted 11:27pm Friday 8th July 2022 by Denzel Chung

A group of filmmakers participating in the Doc Edge documentary film festival have written an open letter over its acceptance of sponsorship funding from the Israeli Embassy in New Zealand.  The Embassy is supporting the screening of the film “Dead Sea Guardians”, an Israeli Read more...

Maths Mayhem!

Posted 11:25pm Friday 8th July 2022 by Nina Brown

Six mathematics alumni and current students have sent an open letter to the University of Otago expressing their concerns over its alleged disregard of the importance of maths education. Critic Te Arohi spoke to Elliot Marshall, a signatory of the letter, about claims that inadequate funding and the Read more...

Guard who Dispensed "Sauce Fines" Apparently Unlicenced

Posted 11:24pm Friday 8th July 2022 by Denzel Chung and Fox Meyer

The security guard who allegedly called a student “stupid” and “selfish” after issuing her a $300 fine for “stealing” a packet of tomato sauce no longer appears to be working at Night N’ Day or Pak ‘N Save, where he was also employed.  This may Read more...

Fake News Tourbus Chased Out of Dunedin

Posted 1:37pm Saturday 4th June 2022 by Denzel Chung

A nationwide tour by Counterspin, a group promoting Covid-19 misinformation and often violent rhetoric, was forced out of Dunedin city after sustained public pressure caused several hosts to pull out.    The nationwide tour, titled “Let’s Not Forget,” had stopped in Read more...

Uni’s Emissions Boss Responds To Govt’s Emissions Reduction Plan

Posted 4:58pm Sunday 29th May 2022 by Zak Rudin

Last week, the Government released their first Emissions Reduction Plan (ERP) since passing the Zero Carbon Act in 2019. Critic Te Arohi spoke with Craig Cliff, the Uni’s Net Carbon Zero Programme Manager, on the impact of the plan and whether it goes far enough to address the existential Read more...

Kind Company Rebrands To “Kindred”

Posted 4:55pm Sunday 29th May 2022 by Zak Rudin

Around two weeks ago, Kind Company, a vegan cafe on George Street, became Kindred. They’re now a “mostly” vegan cafe that serves some meat and dairy. Critic Te Arohi spoke to Penelope, the owner of Kindred, about the change. Penelope, told Critic Te Arohi the rebranding was an Read more...

“Storm Hyde St” Event Page Gets the Axe

Posted 4:52pm Sunday 29th May 2022 by Keegan Wells

A pisstake of a Facebook event page has been taken down after its creator received a stern talking to by the Campus Cop, who was worried it could “put the future of Hyde Street in jeopardy”. The page encouraged students to storm Hyde Street, as “they can’t stop us Read more...

Dunedin Jobs Facebook Group Invaded by Camgirls, Spammers

Posted 4:49pm Sunday 29th May 2022 by Sean Gourley

A local Facebook group meant for promoting job opportunities has been swamped by spam and ads promoting WhatsApp camgirls.  Dunedin Jobs, which boasts almost 18,000 members, is a “a group that facilitates posts for everyday jobs for everyday people”. More recently, they seem to Read more...

PHARMAC Simplifies Criteria To Access HIV Prevention, Treatment

Posted 4:48pm Sunday 29th May 2022 by Denzel Chung

PHARMAC, Aotearoa’s national drug-funding agency, will simplify the criteria for patients wanting to access pre-exposure prophylaxis of HIV (PrEP). The changes, which will take effect from 1 July, are being labelled as “a massively positive change for [the LGBTQI+]  Read more...

Ōtepoti hosts Festival of Anarchy

Posted 4:34pm Sunday 29th May 2022 by Zak Rudin

On Saturday 21 May, from midday to sundown, people congregated at 111 Moray Place for the Ōtepoti Festival of Anarchy (or A-Day, as the cool kids call it). Despite the cold, the festival delivered on providing food, music, workshops and free stuff. What more could you ask for? Critic Te Arohi Read more...

Otago Uni Students* Say No to Microbreweries and te ao Māori papers, Yes to Freshers at Pint Night

Posted 4:32pm Sunday 29th May 2022 by Keegan Wells

The results of OUSA’s referendum have been released, with students voting on everything from mental health accessibility and compulsory recording of lectures to Pacific law school entry pathways, compulsory te ao Māori papers and two-week semester breaks.  The exciting admin stuff Read more...

Two Students Shave $6k Worth of Hair

Posted 4:28pm Sunday 29th May 2022 by Nina Brown

Two third-year students managed to raise almost $6,000 for Leukaemia and Blood Cancer New Zealand, as part of Shave for a Cure. Critic Te Arohi spoke to the two do-gooders to find out how they pulled it off.  What started as a comment about how much easier it would be to gender-bend with a Read more...

Ill Bus Drivers Cause Wave of Cancellations

Posted 4:26pm Sunday 29th May 2022 by Denzel Chung

Bus commuters in Dunedin have been having it rough lately, with a wave of cancellations and delays hitting local services. These have been blamed on “high levels of illness” among bus drivers.  The cancellations have been happening since at least May 17, when Orbus Read more...

Hundreds Hospitalised By Flu, Worst Yet To Come

Posted 4:23pm Sunday 29th May 2022 by Denzel Chung

Hot on the heels of Omicron, a flu outbreak is now ripping its way through North D. Dunedin Hospital has already admitted nearly 200 emergency cases, with many more expected in the community.  Across Aotearoa, after our immune systems enjoyed a cushy two years with zero influenza cases Read more...

Hekate Opens Doors

Posted 5:07pm Saturday 21st May 2022 by Fox Meyer

A period health clinic on Albany Street has recently rebranded. Despite the flashy new look, they’ve promised they’ll continue to offer services to menstruators from all backgrounds.  Hekate presents itself as “New Zealand's leading private, nurse-led health clinic with Read more...

Uni Makes Big Economy Go Boom Boom

Posted 5:04pm Saturday 21st May 2022 by Keegan Wells

Otago Uni’s 2021 Economic Impact Report found that they contributed a whopping $1.79 billion to the New Zealand economy last year. In other news, the new Budget plan means that everyone earning under $70,000 a year is getting a free $350, which you can then give straight back to the Uni. How Read more...

Dough-No!

Posted 5:00pm Saturday 21st May 2022 by Fox Meyer

It’s been a rough few weeks for Mama’s Donuts. After struggling with staff shortages due to Covid, the icing on their donut came when their donut-slinging caravan was blown off the road en route to Milton. Rachel from Mama’s Donuts told Critic Te Arohi that her son was driving Read more...

Flu Vaccine Shortage Resolved

Posted 4:59pm Saturday 21st May 2022 by Sean Gourley

Student Health has now replenished their stocks of flu vaccines. This comes after supply shortages caused roughly thirty students to be turned away from a vaccination clinic set up in the Dental School.  Head of Health Services Manager Margaret Perley said the shortage was due to a series of Read more...

Mandatory Masks Removed, Mask Usage Declines

Posted 4:56pm Saturday 21st May 2022 by Zak Rudin

Even though it doesn’t feel like it, Covid-19 is still spreading amongst the student community – now joined by an old friend of ours, the flu. In-person lectures have resumed and the Government’s mask mandate has now been dropped. Meanwhile, the official advice from the University, Read more...

Filipino Students Concerned After Marcos Jr Wins Election in the Philippines

Posted 4:53pm Saturday 21st May 2022 by Zak Rudin

*Note: the views expressed in this article do not represent the opinion of the whole Filipino community* On May 9, the Philippines elected Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, the son of previous president Ferdinand Marcos, as their new President. Sara Duterte, daughter of outgoing Read more...

Cowards Steal from Charitable Beekeeper

Posted 4:50pm Saturday 21st May 2022 by Fox Meyer

Someone has stolen an entire hive of bees – queen included – from the Peace Garden Albany street sometime in the last month. A three-box hive is worth about $500 at the moment, so it’s a significant loss to the man who voluntarily keeps the bees and gives away the honey for Read more...

New Vice-Chancellor Hanging by a Thread

Posted 4:48pm Saturday 21st May 2022 by Fox Meyer

Vice Chancellor David Murdoch strapped in for a 35m abseil down the Forsyth Barr Stadium on 17 May. The ‘Toss the Boss’ event was hosted by the Malcam Trust to fundraise for their youth development mahi in Dunedin. David was one of dozens of local bosses taking the plunge, and his Read more...

Students React to Potential Abortion Ban in the USA

Posted 4:45pm Saturday 21st May 2022 by Zak Rudin

A leaked United States Supreme Court draft majority opinion has revealed plans to overrule Roe v Wade, a 1973 Supreme Court decision which upholds the right to an abortion as a constitutional right. The decision, if followed through on, is expected to have wide-reaching implications for other human Read more...

Cowards Steal from Charitable Beekeeper

Posted 2:30pm Tuesday 17th May 2022 by Fox Meyer

Someone has stolen an entire hive of bees – queen included – from the Peace Garden Albany street sometime in the last month. A three-box hive is worth about $500 at the moment, so it’s a significant loss to the man who voluntarily keeps the bees and gives away the honey for Read more...

Edinburgh Asks Students To Re-Sign by May, Backtracks

Posted 7:50pm Sunday 15th May 2022 by Quintin Jane

Edinburgh Realty was sending letters to students telling them to decide whether they would re-sign their flats in May. They were forced to backtrack after admitting that their demands violated the Residential Tenancies Act.  In the letter sent to tenants, Edinburgh Property Management asked Read more...

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...