Archive

Third Year Pharmacy Students Miss Out on Hospital Placements

Posted 10:39pm Thursday 16th May 2019 by Erin Gourley

Changes to the Bachelor of Pharmacy programme mean thirty-two third year students will miss out on placements in hospitals this year. A new Bachelor of Pharmacy curriculum has introduced clinical experiences earlier in third year. Dean of the School of Pharmacy, Professor Carlo Marra, said that Read more...

Critic Office Broken Into Twice

Posted 10:37pm Thursday 16th May 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

The Critic office has been the target of two break-ins over the past month, with two non-students, reportedly highschoolers with links to youth gang the “Vit-Cs”, facing court action over the second break-in. At the first break-in, which happened over a month ago, the thieves stole Read more...

Eight Cases of Flatmate Violence Reported to OUSA Student Support This Year

Posted 10:36pm Thursday 16th May 2019 by Esme Hall

OUSA Student Support has dealt with eight cases of flatmate violence reported by students so far this year. Acting Manager of OUSA Student Support Hahna Briggs said that flatmate violence is “basically any behaviour where the purpose is to gain power and control over a flatmate,” and Read more...

Students Sent to Proctor for Hayward College-Themed Meme Pages

Posted 10:35pm Thursday 16th May 2019 by Wyatt Ryder

Last week two Facebook meme pages, “Hoyword College Memes” and "Hoyword Confessions, were unpublished from the site and their admins were sent to the Proctor. The admins of the pages were told by Hayward College staff to remove the pages to avoid getting in trouble. The primary Read more...

OUSA Call DCC Parking Proposal “An Absurdity”

Posted 10:33pm Thursday 16th May 2019 by Nina Minogue

Last week OUSA made a submission to the DCC, calling the proposed Tertiary Precinct and Jetty to Police Street parking changes, which would see paid-meter parking rolled out to more streets in the student area, “an absurdity”, and recommended it be changed to benefit the student Read more...

The Future of Thursdays in Black in Question

Posted 10:32pm Thursday 16th May 2019 by Sinead Gill

It’s been well over a year since NZUSA lost a $1.4million contract with ACC to fund sexual violence prevention campaigns on university campuses. They were awarded it on the back of the mahi behind a report NZUSA’s Thursdays in Black (TiB) team released called “In Our Own Read more...

Editorial: Boomers Are Upset About Something

Posted 3:00am Friday 10th May 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

Buying drinks in a bar is like artificial insemination. It’ll cost more than your entire student loan and you’ll end up being disappointed. Last week the media latched onto OUSA pointing out that buying alcohol in a bar costs too much. The ODT ran the inflammatory headline Read more...

Trapped Between Four Walls

Posted 12:35am Friday 10th May 2019 by Nina Minogue

Students have claimed Four Walls Property Management ignored tenant requests for maintenance in a flat at 61 Grange Street that was deemed “unfit to be occupied”. Interim manager of Four Walls Rob Woodhouse described the company’s situation as a “clusterfuck” and Read more...

Stolen Flat Signs Returned, Others Still Missing

Posted 12:33am Friday 10th May 2019 by Wyatt Ryder

Early last week the stolen sign for The Birdcage flat was returned to their doorstep. One of the residents managed to contact a friend of the thief, who convinced them to return the sign. When The Birdcage residents contacted the suspected thief directly, they denied the allegations and told the Read more...

Caity Frickin B from NZUS-frickin-A

Posted 12:26am Friday 10th May 2019 by Sinead Gill

You’re right in wondering what the heck NZUSA is. NZUSA is the New Zealand Union for Students Associations (the daddy of OUSA, if you will). The idea is that there are issues that all campuses share, so the national team based in Wellington does all the lobbying and schmoozing with Read more...

OUSA Fails to Get Extended Opening Hours for Central Library

Posted 12:25am Friday 10th May 2019 by Erin Gourley

On 2 May, OUSA Education Officer Will Dreyer asked for a one-hour extension to Central Library’s hours in a meeting with University representatives. Instead, he came out of the meeting with a trial one-hour extension to the hours of the Marsh over exams. Over the upcoming exam period the Read more...

OPINION: It’s Too Soon For SOULS to Accept Funding from Russell McVeagh

Posted 12:24am Friday 10th May 2019 by Kelly Stitely

In its ninth issue this year, Critic addressed that the Society of University Law Students (SOULS) is considering accepting money from Russell McVeagh after the sexual assault scandals that broke last year. I don’t think that Critic, in its short interview with two random law students, really Read more...

Students Hit Out at DCC Over Parking Proposals

Posted 12:22am Friday 10th May 2019 by Nina Minogue

A public meeting hosted by student activist group Student Voice last week saw students and the DCC go head to head over a parking proposal. As Critic previously covered, the DCC has recently installed more Pay and Display parking meters around North Dunedin, and have proposed that 185 free Read more...

Harcourts Markets Illegal Boarding House as a Studio Room

Posted 12:20am Friday 10th May 2019 by Sinead Gill

If you are living in a flat with at least five other people, you share common areas, and you are all on individual tenancy agreements: you are possibly living in an illegal boarding house. Bri was one of these students. Just two weeks ago she had to move out of her flat due to accessibility Read more...

Students Struggle To Navigate Lime’s Claims System

Posted 12:19am Friday 10th May 2019 by Sinead Gill

Critic spoke to two students who tried to navigate the Lime claims system and were unhappy with the result. Sam returned from a night out with mates to find his car damaged in three places. The offending Lime scooter was left at the scene. After completing two separate forms, sending Lime photos Read more...

Saving Private Quackers: Otago DebSoc’s Multi-Day Search and Rescue Operation to Save an Injured Duck

Posted 9:13pm Thursday 9th May 2019 by Owen Clarke

Say you’re a duck, right? Say you’re a duck, and your leg is busted up. Classic. Probably got into a fight with an evil goose gang while trying to defend some helpless babies or something. Either way, on most University campuses, you’d probably be out of luck. But not at Otago, Read more...

Editorial: Critic Announces Bold Plan to Make the OUSA Referendum Suck Less, Again

Posted 2:25am Friday 3rd May 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

The OUSA Referendum is always boring as shit and no one ever submits any questions. Mostly because it seems like it takes actual time and effort and requires a passion for student politics that most people simply don’t have. The thing is, it’s not that hard to get stuff added to the Read more...

DCC Already Back on Their Paid-Parking Bullshit

Posted 12:22am Friday 3rd May 2019 by Sinead Gill

Last week we covered the new Pay and Display parking meters that popped up in North Dunedin seemingly “out of nowhere,” according to one resident. These meters were introduced in portions of Dundas, St David and Union streets, as well as further North along the two one-ways. The DCC said Read more...

Cutlers Pulled ‘Exploitative’ Campaign and Apologised Within Two Hours of Media Attention

Posted 10:12pm Thursday 2nd May 2019 by Sinead Gill

At the start of last week, Cutlers Property Management launched a bidding campaign for the infamous student flat, Debacle. In a Facebook post, the property management company asked groups of students to email them with an offer of rent, with the group that offered to pay the most leasing the Read more...

Yarns With Otago Uni’s #1 Food Trucker

Posted 10:07pm Thursday 2nd May 2019 by Sinead Gill

Catherine Page is not just the leading lady of the People’s Food Truck, Rising Sun Two, but she is also my new best friend. Our interview was so lovely that we finished with a hug before I had time to realise that probably wasn’t the most professional thing to do. But fuck Read more...

The University is Selling Your Email Account to Evil Corporations That Are Trying to Steal Your Soul and Turn You Into a Corporate Drone

Posted 10:06pm Thursday 2nd May 2019 by Owen Clarke

Over the course of the year, you may have received emails on your Otago student email account advertising for various postgraduate jobs and entry-level positional vacancies. Or maybe you haven’t, which probably means your degree (like mine, Interpretive Pole Dancing) is so useless that no Read more...

Series of Well-Known Flat Signs Stolen in North Dunedin

Posted 10:04pm Thursday 2nd May 2019 by Wyatt Ryder

Several North Dunedin flat signs have been stolen throughout April. The thieves are rumoured to be two rival Castle Street flats in a competition to see who can steal the most flat signs. Currently, Critic is aware of at least four stolen signs. The thefts were well planned. One stolen sign, The Read more...

OUSA Pushing for Central to be Open Until Midnight

Posted 10:03pm Thursday 2nd May 2019 by Erin Gourley

OUSA has met with the University to lobby for Central Library’s opening hours to be extended until 12am. Currently, Central is open from 7am until 11pm, when freaky sirens sound, the lights flash on and off, and students are made to leave the library. Last Thursday, OUSA requested a change Read more...

Cumberland College Replaces Reflective Bathroom Ceiling Tiles After ‘Peeping Tom’ Allegations

Posted 10:02pm Thursday 2nd May 2019 by Nina Minogue

A male resident at Cumberland College has allegedly used highly reflective bathroom ceilings to watch fellow showering students. “It’s disgusting and taking advantage of an unfortunate design error,” one student told Critic.  Residents at Cumberland College said that they Read more...

‘What I Was Wearing’ Exhibition Shares Personal Stories of Sexual Violence

Posted 10:00pm Thursday 2nd May 2019 by Nina Minogue

Content Warning: sexual violence, child sexual abuse, rape, intimate partner violence     Thursdays in Black have collaborated with Students Against Sexual Violence (SASV) for Rape Awareness Week, bringing the ‘What I Was Wearing’ exhibition back to campus, Read more...

University Upgrading Wi-Fi Network

Posted 9:59pm Thursday 2nd May 2019 by Esme Hall

The Uni has been upgrading the University Wi-Fi network to cope with increased student and staff demand. The Uni have increased internet bandwidth, whatever that means, and also completed the installation of wireless in all the Residential Colleges in time for the start of semester one, said the Read more...

Cutlers Pulls ‘Exploitative’ Campaign and Apologises

Posted 12:36pm Wednesday 1st May 2019 by Sinead Gill

Earlier today we published a piece on Cutlers Property Management’s recent tender campaign, where instead of students applying for a flat at a fixed price, they must send Cuttlers their “best offer.” The highest offer, and best ‘quality’ of applicant, will Read more...

Students Call Cutler’s Latest Campaign “Exploitation”

Posted 10:49am Wednesday 1st May 2019 by Sinead Gill

On Monday, Cutlers Property Management launched a ‘tender campaign’ of “arguably the most notorious flat on campus,” the ‘Debacle’, on their student Facebook page. This means that instead of students applying for a flat at a fixed price, students must send them Read more...

Editorial: Student General Meetings Are Very Boring and Very Powerful

Posted 1:11am Friday 26th April 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

In 1999 the Rowing Club’s shed burnt down. It was a little shack on the waterfront with a single shower and space for a couple of kayaks. Jump forward a few years and OUSA had built a giant $1.39 million Aquatic Centre in its place that was, and is, used by only a handful of students. OUSA Read more...

Law Students Considering Accepting Russell McVeagh’s Money Again

Posted 1:10am Friday 26th April 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

The Society of Otago University Law Students (SOULS) is polling its members as to whether they should go back to accepting sponsorship from law firm Russell McVeagh after they cut ties in 2018 when the firm was accused by multiple students, including one student from Otago, of systematic sexual Read more...

DCC Paid-Parking Meters Inch Closer to Student-Ville

Posted 10:23pm Thursday 25th April 2019 by Sinead Gill

The Dunedin City Council has turned three strips of unlimited and limited-time parking into pay and display as a part of a wider set of changes to parking in North and Central Dunedin. In a media release, the DCC explained that this was the result of a survey that indicated a need for improved Read more...

Pasifika Representation Returns to OUSA Executive

Posted 10:11pm Thursday 25th April 2019 by Sinead Gill

After nearly a decade, Pasifika students will see the return of a representative on the OUSA executive: this time, as an ex-officio position, the same system that Te Roopū Māori, the Māori students’ association, uses. The motion to restore the position passed almost Read more...

Quizzing and Shooting The Shit with Daddy Robertson

Posted 10:04pm Thursday 25th April 2019 by Sinead Gill

He turned up bang-on 2:30pm with his PR dude and a warm hello. He seemed completely at ease within moments - possibly a mix of the confidence that comes after decades of interviews, and because he felt at home in our office. As a member of parliament since 2008, and also former OUSA President, it Read more...

Finance Minister Talks About Something Very Interesting That You Should Read the Article to Find Out About

Posted 9:51pm Thursday 25th April 2019 by Sinead Gill

When you flick over this page you’ll find an interview with Grant Robertson, Finance Minister. During this interview, however, Voluntary Student Membership (VSM) managed to dominate the conversation. Because what he had to say was interesting, and also because most people don’t know what Read more...

Drug Testing at Hyde Finds Potentially Dangerous Substance

Posted 9:42pm Thursday 25th April 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

OUSA’s second trial of their new drug testing initiative at the Hyde Street Party found a potentially lethal substance that they were able to put out warnings about over social media. The initiative, run in conjunction with KnowYourStuffNZ and the New Zealand Drug Foundation, was used by 81 Read more...

Craccum Magazine to Throw Off the Chains of Democracy

Posted 9:36pm Thursday 25th April 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

Craccum, the University of Auckland student magazine, has ended the controversial practise of electing its editors, creating new provisions for the editor to be appointed on the basis of merit, like is done at every other student magazine in New Zealand. Craccum Editor Bailley Devon told Critic Read more...

Law Camp 2019 Went Pretty Well

Posted 1:20am Friday 12th April 2019 by Phillip Plant

Despite the tragic events of the Christchurch shootings happening the same day, the 2019 second year Law Camp went smoothly, said students. Camp leaders were informed of the Christchurch shootings when the second years arrived at Starters Bar to be transported to the Wairoa Scout Camp, putting a Read more...

OUSA Finance Officer Will Enrol Anything that Breathes to Vote

Posted 1:18am Friday 12th April 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

OUSA Finance Officer Bonnie Harrison has proven that she will stop at nothing to get students enrolled to vote in the upcoming Dunedin City Council elections, going so far as to ambush people with voting papers while they’re lining up to get their tickets for Hyde. Desperate to understand Read more...

Editorial: We Created a Nudist Community

Posted 1:14am Friday 12th April 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

Honestly, when we first brainstormed the cover for the Sex Issue, we were thinking of having only five or six people. I thought most of them would have to be people I knew who would be fine getting naked. But I put out the call on Facebook anyway, just in case. My inbox was immediately flooded Read more...

Otago Staff and Students Rally For Postgrad Allowances

Posted 1:14am Friday 12th April 2019 by Sinead Gill

On Thursday, April 11, almost 800 kilometres from Parliament steps, OUSA marched a group of students and staff from the Union Lawn to the Leith steps across from the Clocktower. There, almost fifty people rallied for the return of Student Allowances for postgrads in sync with those who turned up in Read more...

Residents Said Uni Best Practice Not Enough to Prevent or Discipline Sexual Violence at Knox

Posted 1:11am Friday 12th April 2019 by Esme Hall

CONTENT WARNING: rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment     Multiple survivors of sexual violence from Knox College reached out to Critic since our last story, and their experiences show the University of Otago’s sexual misconduct procedures were not applied consistently Read more...

Student General Meeting Cracking Up To Be Slightly Interesting

Posted 12:59am Friday 12th April 2019 by Staff Reporter

Last week, Critic speculated what the second floor of the University Book Shop could be developed into now that it is owned by OUSA. This week, someone has answered our prayers. This Wednesday, 17 April, at midday in the Main Common Room, students will be able to vote on whether or not they want Read more...

Random Shit the Uni Spends Money On

Posted 7:18pm Thursday 11th April 2019 by Critic

A tonne of milk in Otago Business School: $5,800 per year Have you ever walked past a fridge and decided to take a sneak peek inside? That’s what Critic did in-between lectures in the Business School. To this reporter’s shock it was completely packed with upward of a dozen two-litre Read more...

Opinion: OUSA Exec Meetings Are So Wholesome It’s Cringe

Posted 6:19pm Thursday 11th April 2019 by Esme Hall

Are you sitting there wondering why we haven’t reported very much on this year’s OUSA Exec? Yeah, thought not. But, for the three of you who actually care, it’s because they’re being so nice to each other there’s no juicy drama to report. The apparent harmony of the Read more...

Opinion: There Should Be a Pacific Rep on the OUSA Exec

Posted 6:18pm Thursday 11th April 2019 by Zayna Lam

Pasifika people are Aotearoa’s fourth largest ethnic population, 66% of whom are born in Aotearoa and over 50% are under 25. This growing population has, and will continue to have, an increasing presence in tertiary institutions. Education for Pasifika people is a priority area of work for the Read more...

Opinion: Knox College: Accepting our Flaws while Loving our Floors

Posted 6:16pm Thursday 11th April 2019 by Jack Manning

The last few weeks, our Facebook feeds have been filled with posts from UoO: Meaningful Confessions about the Critic Knox article. We’ve seen people defending the college, apologising on its behalf, and denouncing traditions and managerial problems that would allow sexual assaults to occur and Read more...

Enrolment Numbers Are Slightly Up

Posted 4:21pm Tuesday 9th April 2019 by Sinead Gill

It’s April, baby, and you know what this means: the University can now confirm how many students have enrolled at Otago for 2019. Yeet. Critic may only be reporting on it to beat the ODT to it but pettiness aside, here are some facts. Otago has seen a rise in 166 equivalent-full-time Read more...

What Should OUSA Use the Second Floor of the University Bookshop For?

Posted 2:01am Friday 5th April 2019 by Sinead Gill

Ever wondered what was upstairs from the University Bookshop on Great King Street? Critic can reveal that it is currently a beautiful 500 square metres of untapped potential. We believe that since student fees helped OUSA buy the building a few weeks ago, it should be up to students to decide what Read more...

Tutors Call Out Humanities Human Resources and Geography Department

Posted 1:57am Friday 5th April 2019 by Sinead Gill

A few weeks ago Critic looked into inconsistencies in tutor and demonstrator pay rates, and generally found that those who are getting a bad deal are the exception, not the rule. However, those on the worst end of the spectrum could be missing out on hundreds of dollars each semester. Nadia Read more...

Dental and Oral Health Students Go Head to Head Over Fillings

Posted 1:56am Friday 5th April 2019 by Erin Gourley

A turf war is shaping up among Dental School students over whether oral health therapists should be able to perform fillings, tooth extractions, and crowns (restorative treatment) on adults. If a new Dental Council proposal succeeds, oral health therapists (i.e. hygienists) would be able to do Read more...

Editorial: What is the Least Sexy Part of the Human Body?

Posted 1:54am Friday 5th April 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

Honestly, the human body is so gross. It’s too soft and too hard in the wrong places, it’s often difficult to maneuver, and it involuntarily secretes too much fluid - and that’s just the outside. No one even knows about the horrors lurking beneath the surface (yeah, you heard me, Read more...

Opinion: You Should Give a Fuck about Post Grads Getting Student Allowance

Posted 9:38pm Thursday 4th April 2019 by Dermot Frengley

Being a postgraduate student isn’t easy. The workload is challenging and, to add to the stress, postgraduates aren’t entitled to Student Allowance. This lack of financial security hurts us. I know some real horror stories of postgrads who have had to face challenging and damaging mental Read more...

Spider Infestation Season Hits North Dunedin

Posted 9:36pm Thursday 4th April 2019 by Fox Meyer

“I realised I couldn’t get rid of them so I sorta just let them live here now.” This is the stellar attitude of the self-proclaimed “Spider Queen of North Dunedin.” Many North D flatters have reported an up-swing in the residential arachnid population. This comes at Read more...

Bagpipers Bail on U-Bar

Posted 9:33pm Thursday 4th April 2019 by Owen Clarke

Bagpipers took over Dunedin’s airwaves (and sanity) last weekend. Though they appeared to be very dedicated to their rehearsals and performances, the pipers apparently weren’t as committed to keeping up with their reservations at U-Bar. The Annual Pipe Championships hosted by the Read more...

High-Profile Prisoner and Legal Advocate Arthur Taylor Allegedly Declined From Studying Law at Otago

Posted 10:29pm Thursday 28th March 2019 by Oscar Francis

Ex-convict and self-styled jailhouse lawyer Arthur Taylor has told Critic that his plan to study Law at Otago was derailed by the new University of Otago Faculty of Law Dean. He told Critic he is now preparing to continue his studies extramurally at the University of Auckland. Taylor told Critic Read more...

Wheeler Dealers Steal Student Bikes From Campus

Posted 10:27pm Thursday 28th March 2019 by Nina Minogue

Several students told Critic that they felt they had misplaced their faith in Campus Watch and the CCTV rollout after their bikes were stolen from campus, despite being locked at bike sheds. Two students Critic spoke to said their bikes were stolen in the last three months. They were both stolen Read more...

Is Good One a Shit One?

Posted 10:04pm Thursday 28th March 2019 by Sinead Gill

Between the sunset of Flo-Week and the dawn of O-Week, a familiar black and yellow poster quietly returned to the OUSA bollards: the “Good One” campaign. “Good One” is a party register campaign run by a squad of OUSA, the Police, and the Proctor’s Office, and is Read more...

OPINION: It’s Disappointing Knox Hasn’t Changed

Posted 10:02pm Thursday 28th March 2019 by Georgi Hampton

The report of Critic’s Knox investigation was a difficult read for me. I was a resident of Knox College from 2007 to 2008. I have good memories of my time there, and met some wonderful individuals I still consider friends today. However, the collective culture of Knox when I lived there was Read more...

Boozed-Up Breathers Breathe in Law Lecture, Campus Watch Called

Posted 9:58pm Thursday 28th March 2019 by James Joblin

Campus Watch were called to the 4pm LAWS101 lecture three Thursdays ago after a group of inebriated students heckled Professor Ceri Warnock mid-lecture. The boys were observed sitting at the back of Castle One drinking Billy Mavs and brew-filled Pump bottles and calling out, clapping, and Read more...

Two Muslim Chaplains Added to Chaplaincy Team

Posted 9:55pm Thursday 28th March 2019 by Esme Hall

The University Chaplaincy Services are welcoming two part-time volunteer Muslim chaplains, one man and one woman, onto their team as of Monday 1st April. University Chaplain Reverend Greg Hughson said that the role of the new chaplains, Najib Lafraie and Hajjah Salmah Kassin, will be to offer Read more...

Uni Replaces Health Sci Papers with Anatomy and Physiology for Physical Education Students

Posted 9:52pm Thursday 28th March 2019 by Esme Hall

The University has introduced Anatomy and Physiology papers into the first year Physical Education curriculum, replacing PHSE191 and PHSE192, which were based on Health Sci papers HUBS191 and HUBS192. The change is part of the School of Physical Education Sport and Exercise Sciences major Read more...

Radio One FM to Clean up Their Frequency

Posted 9:51pm Thursday 28th March 2019 by Sinead Gill

In last week’s OUSA executive meeting there was an announcement that shocked all except Radio One staff and boomers; Radio One is going to scrub their station of naughty words. This isn’t necessarily because the word “fuck” is pissing people off, but because it’s Read more...

Display Name Spoofing Scam Hits University Staff

Posted 9:49pm Thursday 28th March 2019 by Esme Hall

The University has issued a warning that its staff be careful after a spate of ‘display name spoofing’ scams. University staff have been receiving emails where the display name is made out to be that of a senior staff member, while the actual email address has no relationship to the Read more...

Starters Bar Making Bank

Posted 9:47pm Thursday 28th March 2019 by Sinead Gill

The Cook, U-Bar and other student locales beware and be shook; Starters may be on track to being one of the most successful bars on campus following it being purchased by OUSA, despite only having been open for one and a half months. OUSA CEO Debbie Downs said that Starters’ current Read more...

Editorial: The Business School Lives in Upside Down-Land

Posted 9:43pm Thursday 28th March 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

I was in the new Otago Business School building recently and it was like entering another world. Where was the dripping, slippery pit I was used to? (Only 2017 kids will understand.) What was this soft, elegant, open-plan palace? I was in a wonderland, drifting through plush air, spinning past Read more...

Christchurch Photo Essay

Posted 1:09am Friday 22nd March 2019 by Aiman Amerul Muner

On March 15, New Zealand was rocked by a terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch which claimed 50 lives and left dozens more injured. Worshippers at the Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Mosque were attacked by a gunman during Friday prayers. The city of 400,000 was left in collective Read more...

Editorial | Issue 05

Posted 11:28pm Thursday 21st March 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

Christchurch took a long time to sink in. When I first heard the news I didn’t react at all, I just went about my normal day; I hung out on my back deck, I listened to a podcast, I walked down to the Critic office. It was only as I was walking that it hit me and I started to Read more...

A Letter From the Muslim University Students’ Association

Posted 9:54pm Thursday 21st March 2019 by Muslim University Students’ Association

Today, we went to the mosque to pray for all our brothers and sisters affected by the tragic massacre of Muslims in Christchurch. Today, we went to the mosque and we saw hundreds of flowers outside the main gate. We saw hundreds of people from all walks of life who came to support our community Read more...

A Muslim Perspective

Posted 9:43pm Thursday 21st March 2019 by Ala Ghandour

I have many words, but at the same time I have none that can truly convey the hurt in my heart. Yesterday, I was shocked. I was confused and lost and could not wrap my head around any of it. “How did this happen here? This isn't something that would happen in NZ,” I kept Read more...

Editorial: Sparknotes of the Knox Story

Posted 12:36am Friday 15th March 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

This week Critic’s news section is a little different. Instead of our normal news stories we’ve got a seven-page investigation into the culture of Knox College, a story that Critic has been working on for the past month. There are so many elements to this story, and there were even Read more...

Sexual Assault and Rape Went Undisciplined at Knox College

Posted 12:34am Friday 15th March 2019 by Esme Hall

Apology Critic Te Arohi did not approach the former Deputy Master referred to in "Anne's" story for comment before publishing this story in the 15 March 2019 issue of Critic. Critic apologises to the Deputy Master for not giving her the opportunity to comment on the aspects of Read more...

Some Tutors Getting Better Pay Deal Than Others

Posted 9:27pm Thursday 14th March 2019 by Sinead Gill

Tutors and demonstrators across departments and divisions do not have consistent pay, meaning some tutors are getting a better deal than others, even across similar subjects. While the University has ‘payment guidelines’ for tutors, the final call is made by the department, meaning Read more...

Drug Testing Finds a Quarter of Substances Not What People Think They Are

Posted 9:24pm Thursday 14th March 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

26% of drugs taken to OUSA’s O-Week drug testing service were not what people thought they were. 61 people used the service which was “well received” according to Finn Boyle of KnowYourStuffNZ, who ran the service for OUSA alongside the New Zealand Drug Foundation. Of the 26% Read more...

Uni Flats Still Has “Draconian” Wi-Fi Policy

Posted 10:48pm Thursday 7th March 2019 by Nina Minogue

Despite residents paying normal rates for internet use, Wi-Fi at Uni Flats is provided by the University network, which is subject to “draconian” restrictions, in the words of former student Anton Hovius. During University ‘working hours’ (Monday to Friday 8.30am-12pm, Read more...

Uni Flats Residents Unhappy with Unexpected Landlord Visits

Posted 10:34pm Thursday 7th March 2019 by Esme Hall

Uni Flats residents have complained of unannounced visits from landlords and Property Services. Uni Flats is the University of Otago’s housing service for international students, where a local ‘Kiwi Host’ lives with a group of international students. Its goal is to “ensure Read more...

Editorial: Uni Flats Are Flats, Not Residential Colleges

Posted 10:32pm Thursday 7th March 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

This week we’ve got two stories about areas of tenancy that are technically legal but are still fucked, and in both cases the tenants are the ones who lose out. Erin Gourley looked into tenants being ordered by the Tenancy Tribunal to pay the rent that vanished flatmates have left unpaid, and Read more...

UniCol Drops Residential Assistant Numbers While Piling on Academic Work

Posted 10:29pm Thursday 7th March 2019 by Esme Hall

University College (UniCol) has only hired 18 Residential Assistants (RAs) this year, down from 21 last year, and has given the RAs more responsibility for academic mentoring on top of their pastoral care role. Master Andy Walne said, “University College did not seek to reduce the number of Read more...

2018 OUSA Exec: Where Are They Now?

Posted 6:43pm Thursday 7th March 2019 by Sinead Gill

Even if you don’t fuck with OUSA, there is no denying that people who wind up on the executive have gone on to do fancy things. Here’s an insight into the 2019 plans and goals for the future leaders of our country.   Caitlin Barlow-Groome: President This year Caity is the Read more...

Otago Polytechnic Too Successful for Its Own Good

Posted 6:41pm Thursday 7th March 2019 by Owen Clarke

Last Tuesday Education Minister Chris Hipkins visited Otago Polytech to address concerned students, faculty, and staff, following the Government proposing a merger of all 16 of New Zealand’s polytechs. The controversial merger bodes ill for standout polytechs like Otago, which are Read more...

Dundas Street Construction Is a Pain in the Ass

Posted 6:41pm Thursday 7th March 2019 by Sinead Gill

As Flo Week dawned on the student population, construction on the Dundas Street Bridge began, blocking it off as a part of the Leith Flood Protection Scheme. The long-term benefits of construction are probably worth inconveniencing a few dozen residents for six months, but that doesn’t make it Read more...

Proctorial Justice Stocks Removed For 150th Exhibition

Posted 6:40pm Thursday 7th March 2019 by Wyatt Ryder

The Proctorial Justice stocks were removed from outside the Proctor’s Office in mid-January to be included in a historical exhibition for the University’s 150th anniversary. A University spokeswoman said, “The removal of the stocks was unrelated to the protest held outside Read more...

Law Camp Going Ahead With New Changes

Posted 6:37pm Thursday 7th March 2019 by Esme Hall

Law camp will go ahead for 2019, with new changes from the Society of Otago University Law Students (SOULS) after last year’s Law Camp was cancelled amidst a media furore that erupted when a 2012 attendee told the New Zealand Herald the camp was like “an American fraternity house,” Read more...

10Bar Reopens as Catacombs

Posted 9:24pm Thursday 28th February 2019 by Sophia Carter Peters

A bright and shiny new bar ‘Catacombs’ has risen from the rotten carcass known as 10Bar. The morgue-turned-nightclub has had some serious renovations including new floors, white marble bars and some macabre decorations.  Andre Shi, the owner of Catacombs and Vault 21, drew Read more...

Not Enough People Voted in Boring Referendum so OUSA Will Hold Boring Meeting

Posted 9:23pm Thursday 28th February 2019 by Esme Hall

OUSA is holding a Student General Meeting (SGM) after low turnout meant that its October referendum was invalid.  The meeting will be held at 12:30 p.m. in the Main Common Room, or outside if weather permits, on Thursday 21 March with the aim of “start[ing] our year off right,” Read more...

Which Dunedin Workplaces Allow Office Dogs: A Critic Investigation

Posted 9:22pm Thursday 28th February 2019 by Esme Hall

Reading Critic, you may start thinking University is about ‘the drugs’ and ‘the alcohol’. Don’t be fooled. Everyone knows that University is really about launching yourself into the job market. To do that, you need to be informed. That’s what Critic’s really Read more...

No One Disciplined for Initiations in 2018

Posted 9:20pm Thursday 28th February 2019 by Nina Minogue

In a marked drop from 2017, zero initiation-related events reached the Proctor’s Office last year. In 2017, seventeen students were excluded from University for initiation-related incidents, following an initiation at Cumberland Street flat Debacle that was called “sadistic,” Read more...

University Closes Two Dance Studios With No Plans for Redevelopment

Posted 9:19pm Thursday 28th February 2019 by Esme Hall

The University has vacated and closed its P.E. and Dance facilities, locking out community groups, but has no plans for redeveloping the buildings as yet. “With the finishing of the dance curriculum near the end of last year, the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences has Read more...

Opinion: AskOtago is a Shiny Piece of Nothing

Posted 9:17pm Thursday 28th February 2019 by Sinead Gill

Students have paid almost a million dollars for a Band-Aid. The new AskOtago hub looks pretty, but that’s about all it’s good for. It’s cut down our study space and replaced knowledgeable Departmental Administrators with people on casual or short-term contracts reading off a Read more...

Editorial: We Will Deliver You the AskOtago Domains Unscathed. Do Not Tell Anyone. Do Not Call the Police.

Posted 7:47pm Thursday 28th February 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

Last year after a tip off from a concerned citizen, Critic bought the domain names askotago.com and askotago.co.nz for US$24.76, because apparently whoever was in charge of doing that sort of thing was made redundant in the Support Services Review.  We then used our new platform to answer Read more...

Editorial: Just Say No to Mysterious White Powders

Posted 10:04pm Thursday 21st February 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

A few years ago I bought some transparent crystals off a guy in a white subaru who insisted on giving me long renditions of his encounters with the police as he rummaged through a big box of miscellaneous baggies.  He had apparently been pulled over on his way to see me, but the officer had Read more...

General Student Offending on the Decline, Sexual Offending Up

Posted 9:57pm Thursday 21st February 2019 by Nina Minogue

The University Proctor’s 2018 Discipline Report saw overall offending down but the first sexual offences referred to the Provost since 2015. With total offending down from 2017 by 14% overall, rates of fire, glass breaking and theft are the lowest they’ve been in years. This continues Read more...

Best and Worst of Flo Week 2019

Posted 9:28pm Thursday 21st February 2019 by Critic

Before a plague of freshers and the grotesque huckster’s paradise that is Tent City, North Dunedin was overwhelmed by Flo-Week. An age-old tradition (as in it’s been happening for more than a year), Flo-Week (short for Flatting O-Week) occurs a week before actual O-Week. Powered by Read more...

Another Victory in the Tenancy Tribunal Against the Elusive ‘Studio Apartment’

Posted 9:21pm Thursday 21st February 2019 by Sophia Carter Peters

Another property rented as a ‘studio room’ has been ruled a boarding house by the Tenancy Tribunal, continuing a trend of Dunedin landlords requiring tenants to sign illegal fixed term contracts when renting studio rooms that turned out to not actually meet the legal definition of a Read more...

Sexual Consent Workshops Back in the Saddle After Failed 2018 Run

Posted 9:19pm Thursday 21st February 2019 by Owen Clarke

Te Whare Tāwharau sexual consent workshops are back in 2019 after a botched attempt last semester, which then-OUSA Colleges Officer Norhan El Sanjak blamed on students’ “lack of interest”. 2019 will see three #WannaKnow workshops offered: CommUNIty102, Bringing in the Read more...

Emergency Phones Are Apparently Useful

Posted 9:14pm Thursday 21st February 2019 by Sinead Gill

The University has confirmed that Emergency Phones are reliable after members of Campus Watch told new staff members not to use them in an emergency. Critic was informed that members of Campus Watch had told new University staff they were better off using their cell phones in emergencies, rather Read more...

OUSA Ran Drug Testing for O-Week

Posted 9:06pm Thursday 21st February 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

The Otago University Students’ Association (OUSA) ran a drug testing service over O-Week, the first time this has been offered in New Zealand outside of music festivals.  Debbie Downs, OUSA CEO, said that “It’s all very well for people to say ‘just don’t take Read more...

Interview: Paula B at Wiki-O

Posted 8:59pm Thursday 21st February 2019 by Hot for Paula

The moment it was announced that Paula Bennett herself would be making an appearance at Tent City, this Critic reporter knew they had to get an interview with her. As she would only be around for two hours, my window of opportunity was as slim as the cut of her pantsuit.  Once I got to the Read more...

Pride Flag Survives Minor Vandalism

Posted 8:52pm Thursday 21st February 2019 by Sinead Gill

Like most students in a new flat, Arvan and his flatmates set about making their mark on their home. In mid-January they hung a pride flag on the edge of their property. Within a fortnight, someone tried, and failed, to burn it and then tear it down. To Arvan, the failed attempt is laughable. Read more...

Starters Bar Opens Under OUSA Management

Posted 8:50pm Thursday 21st February 2019 by Charlie O’Mannin

Starters Bar opened for business last Monday after being purchased by OUSA late last year, ending years of OUSA Presidential candidates promising they’ll buy a student bar and then forgetting about it.  OUSA CEO Debbie Downs said that Starters opened with a full house and that the Read more...

Hannah Morgan Beats the Foveaux Strait

Posted 8:36pm Thursday 21st February 2019 by Erin Gourley

About halfway through her swim, Hannah Morgan was ready to give up. Foveaux Strait was a special kind of hell made of seasickness, sub-Antarctic water, and a final landmark that never seemed to get closer. But her cause motivated her to make it to the end.  On February 12, Hannah became the Read more...