Archive

Opinion: Are We Making Excuses for Inappropriate Behaviour?

Posted 6:31pm Thursday 8th March 2018 by Esme Hall

The first time I met Professor Mark Henaghan he put his arm around me and kissed me on the cheek. I was 17 years old in my first week of University and he was the Dean of the Law School. It was a University event so the official photographer probably has photos of me looking very Read more...

OUSA Prez: Does the University Really Care About Student Opinion?

Posted 6:26pm Thursday 8th March 2018 by

I don’t know about you, but I don’t see the point in end of semester evaluations of your paper and lecturer if nothing ever gets done about it. Everyone seems to tell you it will be used to improve next year’s class, but does it really? Finishing the feedback cycle isn’t just Read more...

'Health Sci Bible' Causes Controversy

Posted 6:16pm Thursday 8th March 2018 by Joel MacManus

A book on “How to Survive and Thrive in First Year Health Science” has caused controversy after lecturers apparently accused it of being “full of rubbish and mistakes”. The Health Sci Bible was written by second-year students Marcus Ground and Jack Davies as a Read more...

SOULS Law Camp Cancelled

Posted 4:53pm Monday 5th March 2018 by Joel MacManus

SOULS Law Camp has been cancelled after a meeting between the executive of the Society of Otago University Law Students and the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Humanities, Tony Ballantyne.  The SOULS Executive made the following statement in an email to all law students: "The Society of Otago Read more...

Postgrad Students Locked Out of WiFi Days Before Theses Due

Posted 6:02pm Saturday 3rd March 2018 by Joel MacManus

Several postgraduate students found themselves locked out of University WiFi and unable to gain after-hours access to their building just days before their theses were due. The issue appears to have been caused by the automatic reset of the Student ID system on February 23, which cleared 2017 Read more...

University Cracks Down on Initiations

Posted 6:01pm Saturday 3rd March 2018 by Charlie O’Mannin

17 people in 2017 were excluded from University for initiation related events, including nine people from the Debacle initiation that got significant media attention last year, which the ODT called “sadistic”. In comparison, in 2016 and in 2015 not a single person was disciplined for Read more...

THERE HAS BEEN A CRIME!

Posted 5:59pm Saturday 3rd March 2018 by Erin Broughton

A video that surfaced on Facebook’s ‘Cool Skit Group’ showed the first ever glimpse of famous vandal Banksy in the flesh, as he made his mark on a DCC commissioned powerbox artwork advertising Dunedin sound band The Chills. Banksy has long been known for his interest in justice, Read more...

Embers of Couch Fire Culture Pissed Out by Uni

Posted 5:57pm Saturday 3rd March 2018 by Charlie O’Mannin

Couch burning, once so prevalent you couldn’t open your front door without seeing at least three smouldering sofas, a few charred armchairs and an oxidising ottoman, is on the decline. In 2017, 24 fire-related incidents were dealt with by the Proctor, compared with 70 fire-related incidents Read more...

The Otago Student Living in a Boat

Posted 5:56pm Saturday 3rd March 2018 by Esme Hall

Where are you flatting this year? Otago Uni student Malcolm Jones is living on a boat. His boat, the Sea Witch, has a tiny kitchen, a fold-out table, two seats and space to sleep in the bow. There’s a 100W solar panel for lighting, a small coal burner for cold nights, a methylated spirits Read more...

Otago Student Involved in Russell McVeagh Scandal

Posted 5:55pm Saturday 3rd March 2018 by Esme Hall

Top-tier law firm Russell McVeagh, and the law profession in general, has faced criticism after complaints from students of sexual harassment by lawyers have come to light in the past weeks. The initial incidents reported by Newsroom occurred two years ago when two older male lawyers perpetrated Read more...

James Shaw Talks Speight’s, Three-Ways, and Avoiding Political Roadkill

Posted 5:53pm Saturday 3rd March 2018 by Esme Hall

After losing his co-leader just before the 2017 general election, James Shaw was tasked with leading his party alone on a quixotic journey from outsiders to governors. Rather than riding in on a green wave, the party limped across the line, just squeezing above the 5% threshold required to keep Read more...

Opinion: National Made the Boring Choice

Posted 5:51pm Saturday 3rd March 2018 by Swaine Chan

As Labour’s poll numbers rocket up to 48%, National has elected Simon Bridges as their new Leader, in an attempt to resuscitate both their polling and their chances for the next election. Sadly, moderate candidate Amy Adams missed out. Adams doesn’t put herself up high just because Read more...

Teams I Hate and Why You Should Hate Them Too : The Chiefs

Posted 5:48pm Saturday 3rd March 2018 by Charlie Hantler

In 1996, something so unbelievably disgusting, so morally reprehensible, and just fucking shit, was created. The Super 12. It had the makings of a great competition, combining teams from New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa. It could have been great, but they made one simple mistake. They Read more...

Editorial | Do Not Put Fruit or Vegetables Up Your Bum

Posted 4:42pm Saturday 3rd March 2018 by Joel MacManus

Last week we published an article about a charity fruit and vegetable scheme run by the Anglican Church. It’s a really great scheme run by amazing volunteers dedicated to bringing you super cheap food. You should totally get on down and sign up. In the header of the article (which was added Read more...

Breakdown of Exec Drama

Posted 12:50pm Monday 26th February 2018 by Charlie O’Mannin

Editor’s Comment: Over the last three weeks, rather than putting their time to productive use, your elected representatives on the OUSA executive have been preoccupied with petty bullshit, infights and arguing.   President Caitlin Barlow-Groome made a minor mistake. She apologised. Read more...

Someone Stole an Ambulance Last Night and Drove it for 40 Minutes Before they got Caught

Posted 8:59am Monday 26th February 2018 by Joel MacManus

O Week 2018 ended with a bang after some loose unit in South Dunedin stole an ambulance and led police on a high speed for almost 40 minutes before they got caught. According to police, the ambulance was stolen at around 11pm and was stopped by road spikes which were set up around Read more...

Opinion: OUSA Exec already drowning in petty bullshit

Posted 4:45pm Saturday 24th February 2018 by Joel MacManus

Over the last three weeks, rather than putting their time to productive use, a number of your elected representatives on the OUSA Executive have been preoccupied with petty bullshit, infighting and personal grudges. They’re wasting the student services fee that you pay, and, frankly, Read more...

The Cook Re-opens Under New Managment

Posted 4:44pm Saturday 24th February 2018 by Esme Hall

On the corner of Albany and Great King Street, a Dunedin legend has lain dormant. Until now. Kicking off with a Connan Mockasin gig on February 2nd, the Captain Cook Hotel has officially re-opened under the management of Michael McLeod. The Captain Cook Hotel was established in 1860. Hopefully Read more...

Fruit and vegetable scheme brings students heavily discounted food

Posted 4:41pm Saturday 24th February 2018 by Sarahmarie Innes

The non-profit All Saints’ fruit and veges scheme is trying to get cheap fruit and veg to people in Dunedin. The scheme puts everyone’s money together and buys produce in bulk from a wholesaler, making it cheaper for the individual. The price also stays low because the produce is Read more...

CPTPP Protest Outside the Convocation Ceremony

Posted 4:39pm Saturday 24th February 2018 by Sinead Gill

It’s the Monday of O-Week. A storm is headed towards Forsyth Barr Stadium, not quite as forceful as Gita, but just as dreaded. A storm of freshers. The PM Cindy Ardern herself is making a speech to the 4000 fresh faces. Despite spending their first night of O-Week bored shitless and sober, Read more...

Re:Fuel Rebrands as UBar

Posted 4:36pm Saturday 24th February 2018 by Charlie O’Mannin

Re:Fuel has been rebranded UBar under new management; the name Re:Fuel was apparently the copyright of the last manager. Adrian Lowrey, UBar’s new manager, emphasises that UBar will provide the same service as Re:Fuel. “Essentially nothing has changed apart from the name. UBar will Read more...

10 Aggressively Bold Sports Predictions For 2018

Posted 4:34pm Saturday 24th February 2018 by Charlie Hantler

It’s a true pleasure to be bringing you the shittiest sports chat in the country for another year. It’s been a huge summer for sport, with Fed confirming himself as the men’s tennis GOAT, the Black Caps pasting some mediocre opposition, and the big dogs in leagues such as the NBA Read more...

These Scarfies Planted a Rice Paddy In Their Flooded Backyard

Posted 9:48am Friday 2nd February 2018 by Joel MacManus

A group of students in a South Dunedin flat took advantage of the flooding that filled their backyard yesterday by planting what they believe to be Dunedin’s first rice paddy.   Flatmates Siana Fitzjohn, Charlie Montague, and Harry Young said their new paddy was not only a new Read more...

Jacinda Ardern is Pregnant. Mark Richardson was still wrong.

Posted 12:26pm Friday 19th January 2018 by Esme Hall

All pre-election questions about 37-year-old PM’s baby plans came into a new light after she made the announcement on Instagram and Facebook this morning.   2017 saw Ardern go from Labour MP, to Leader of the Opposition, to Prime Minister, and 2018 will see her become a Mum. In Read more...

Tui Catch a Million Catch Zone Will Include 70% of the Embankment at University of Otago Oval

Posted 2:42pm Friday 12th January 2018 by Joel MacManus

The majority of the embankment at the University of Otago Oval in Dunedin will be set aside as a “catch zone” for the iconic Tui Catch-a-Million promotion, with 30% set aside as a family zone where catches will not be eligible for prize money, according to Tui Brand manager Jonathan Read more...

Chase & Status, Young Thug, Peking Duk to Headline O Week 2018

Posted 12:10pm Thursday 11th January 2018 by Joel MacManus

English drum and bass duo Chase & Status are set to bring their high energy set to North Dunedin as the Headline Act for O Week.   Chase and Status are Will Kennard, Saul Milton and MC Rage. They are one of the most successful British bands of the past decade. Their ground-breaking Read more...

University to Close Centre for Material Sciences Despite Student Opposition

Posted 4:30pm Tuesday 12th December 2017 by Joel MacManus

The Centre for Material Sciences and Technology at the University of Otago has been disestablished following a 16-3 vote at the University Council. Outgoing OUSA President Hugh Baird was one of just three council members to vote against shutting the programme down. The Centre promoted Read more...

Student Association Confirms Being a Student Is Still Worse Than Being Unemployed

Posted 4:06pm Tuesday 28th November 2017 by Charlie O’Mannin

Jonathan Gee, the President of the New Zealand University Students’ Association (NZUSA), has taken issue with the National Party’s recent attack on the government's proposed $50 a week increase to the student allowance, arguing that National’s numbers do “not show the Read more...

Students Ditch First Past the Post for OUSA Elections

Posted 5:21pm Monday 20th November 2017 by Joel MacManus

From 2018 onwards, OUSA elections will be held using Preferential Voting, replacing the old system of First Past The Post. The change comes after students voted overwhelmingly for a constitutional change in the October 2017 OUSA referendum.   Of the 1350 students who took part in the Read more...

Totally Execrable

Posted 1:32pm Friday 3rd November 2017 by Joe Higham

After the usual formalities of OUSA Executive meetings, the group began with a discussion around the establishment of an ‘Internship Coordinator Position’, a proposal for which describes it as a 20 hour a week, fixed term, position to begin ideally from “early next year [but] could Read more...

Totally Execrable

Posted 11:07am Tuesday 17th October 2017 by Joe Higham

The ongoing debate over whether OUSA’s ‘Executive Travel Expense Policy’ is too frugal continued into Tuesday’s meeting, as Administrative Vice President William Guy reported back on the travel policies of other students’ association executives across New Zealand. Read more...

Kabbadi for Dummies

Posted 11:43am Sunday 8th October 2017 by Charlie Hantler

One of the greatest sports of all-time has burst onto the world scene in recent years. Every year around June the sporting world gets really shit - The NBA, NFL and NHL are all in their off-seasons, while baseball is enjoying its stupid mid-year break. All us sports nuts are stuck with two options Read more...

France’s State of Emergency Becomes Permanent

Posted 11:36am Sunday 8th October 2017 by George Elliott

In response to the spectre of terrorist attacks, France has made its current legal exceptions permanent, kicking the judiciary out of the process and expanding warrantless practices. A state of emergency has been in place since November 2015, when hundreds were killed or wounded in a coordinated Read more...

Critic Interviews: OUSA President Hugh Baird

Posted 11:13am Sunday 8th October 2017 by Joe Higham

OUSA President Hugh Baird speaks to Critic about what the successes and failures of his presidency, whether he considered running again, and his advice for President-elect Caitlin Barlow-Groome. Joe Higham: How different was the year from what you had expected it to be when you were in Read more...

5 Star Hotel Declined but Developer Not Giving Up

Posted 11:07am Sunday 8th October 2017 by Joel MacManus

A controversial proposal by Tekapo businessman Anthony Tosswill to build a new five star hotel in the Centre City has been rejected by a panel of independent commissioners, but the developer says he isn’t giving up, and hopes to put forward a revised plan soon. The original proposal was for Read more...

OUSA Election Report Details Complaints of Discounted Chocolates, Harassment, and Media Bias

Posted 11:04am Sunday 8th October 2017 by Joe Higham

The OUSA Executive Elections had their fair share of controversy, and although Critic promised that we’d stopped talking about it, we lied. That’s because Kyla Mullen, OUSA’s Returning Officer for the election, has released her report, detailing the complaints she received and Read more...

OUSA Give Away Van For One Year After Lengthy Competition

Posted 10:58am Sunday 8th October 2017 by Joel MacManus

Otago Student Will Bowsey is the proud new owner of a van for the next year, after winning ‘The Great Silver Bullet Giveaway’ last Tuesday. He will receive a free 12 month lease on the van, fully covered by OUSA insurance. The OUSA branding will be removed. Contestants had to keep at Read more...

Management of Change Proposal Could See Shakeup to Mental Health Treatment, Redundancies

Posted 10:53am Sunday 8th October 2017 by Joe Higham

Seven staff at Student Health could be made redundant if a proposal for a Management of Change (MoC) process is enacted in its current form. The proposal was submitted by University of Otago’s Director of Student Health Dr Kim Maiai, and claims the changes will allow Student Health to Read more...

Execrable | Issue 26

Posted 10:50am Sunday 8th October 2017 by Joe Higham

Colleges Officer James Heath wanted to know why the Executive were not told about OUSA’s ‘Great Silver Bullet Giveaway’ event (OUSA Give Away Van For One Year After Lengthy Competition), in which the association gave away a van for one year to the person who had their hand Read more...

When Does Super Become Anything But?

Posted 10:32am Saturday 30th September 2017 by Charlie Hantler

“In this fall, this is very tough, in this fall I'm going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat.”   On 8 July 2010, LeBron James altered the NBA landscape. Not in any minor way – he does that on a daily basis, but in a significant way that we are Read more...

Post-election debrief: Dunedin North MP David Clark Speaks to Critic

Posted 10:25am Saturday 30th September 2017 by Joe Higham

Joe Higham: What are your thoughts on how the election campaign went? David Clark: It’s been a rollercoaster. When we began last November, we had a different leader and we had a plan we’d been working on for a couple of years, and it’s only a couple of months ago that we changed Read more...

General Election Purgatory: Filling the Void with Speculation

Posted 10:18am Saturday 30th September 2017 by George Elliott

We are at a stage where, for all the analysis, all the hearsay and all the expertise, things are just uncertain. It’s both frustrating and rapturous; plain and radical. Winston Peters, the leader of NZ First, is waiting for the special votes to be finalised on 7 October and is consulting with Read more...

OUSA Referendum

Posted 9:56am Saturday 30th September 2017 by Critic

The second OUSA Referendum for the year will be held between the 9th-11th October. For those of you who have questions or concerns about particular questions there will be a forum on Wednesday (4th October) at 12pm which will be held downstairs at the OUSA Clubs and Societies Centre on Albany Read more...

Opinion: OUSA Needs the Alternative Vote

Posted 9:50am Saturday 30th September 2017 by Joel MacManus

The OUSA Referendum, held between 9 and 11 October, will include a question about whether we should change the way we vote for future OUSA elections; giving students the chance to keep the current voting system, First Past the Post (FPP), or the Alternative Vote (STV), also known as Preferential Read more...

Te Roopū Māori Update

Posted 9:46am Saturday 30th September 2017 by Te Roopu Maori

Tēnā koutou katoa e ngā tauira o Te Whare Wānanga, On Wednesday 6 September, Te Roopū Māori sent 29 tauira to represent the University of Otago at Te Huinga Tauira o Te Mana Akonga. Te Huinga Tauira is the annual National Māori Tertiary Students’ Read more...

University of Otago Researchers Criticise ACC for Computer Model Trouble

Posted 9:42am Saturday 30th September 2017 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

Researchers from the University of Otago have criticised the new computer model that ACC uses to profile and target clients. The computer model uses risk predictions in order to profile and target clients as well as to help staff manage the claims that they receive. However, it has caused Read more...

Liquor Store Owner Claims Unfairness as Planned New Store is Denied

Posted 9:36am Saturday 30th September 2017 by Joe Higham

The Dunedin District Licensing Committee has denied an application for the opening of another Super Liquor store at the site of the former McDuff’s Brewery on Great King Street. The applicants, McCarthy Enterprises, have breached the Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012 on seven previous Read more...

Labour Landslide at University of Otago Polling Booths

Posted 9:29am Saturday 30th September 2017 by Joel MacManus

Preliminary election results have shown that a resurgent Labour Party dominated the vote at polling stations within the University of Otago. A total of 5,728 votes were cast at the three polling stations on campus, which included Unipol, the Link, and Otago Polytech. Labour romped home with 46.9 Read more...

National Comfortably Win Party Vote at Two Uni Campuses

Posted 9:25am Saturday 30th September 2017 by Joe Higham

With the General Election now over and provisional results in, we have a wealth of data on the attitudes and politics of the nation’s cities, towns and suburbs. The results from the nation’s university campuses provide an interesting snapshot of party preferences, and some of the Read more...

Aung San Suu Kyi: Myanmar’s Fallen Angel

Posted 11:24am Sunday 24th September 2017 by George Elliott

Aung San Suu Kyi, the de facto leader of Myanmar (a.k.a. Burma), was once the Asian darling of the Western liberal order. She was a saintly freedom fighter who would bring democracy (and presumably free enterprise) to a Southeast Asian nation that had been ruled by military dictatorships since 1962. Read more...

Dunedin Channel 39 Survives Online

Posted 11:05am Sunday 24th September 2017 by Critic

A Critic article entitled ‘Local TV station Channel 39 is “Essentially Dead” – NZ on Air CEO’  was based on outdated information. While the statements quoted were correct, they did not reflect the changes Channel 39 had made to transform from a TV broadcaster to an Read more...

Otago Student Wins Brain Research Award

Posted 11:04am Sunday 24th September 2017 by Lucy Hunter

PhD student Ashwini Hariharan was awarded the Best Student Poster Presentation at the 35th Australasian Winter Conference on Brain Research held in Queenstown between 1-6 September 2017. Hariharan’s research is in brain vascular dysfunction; problems in brain blood flow and Read more...

Pharmacy Students Launch Awareness Campaign

Posted 10:59am Sunday 24th September 2017 by Joel MacManus

University of Otago Pharmacy students want people to know that pharmacists are more than just pill-counters at the corner store. New Zealand Association of Pharmacy Students Otago (NZAPS-O) President Alice Weil says that their profession is often misunderstood and underestimated. “NZAPS-O has Read more...

Survey Shows 74% of Landlords Would Increase Rent if Labour Win Election

Posted 10:52am Sunday 24th September 2017 by Joe Higham

Results of a survey released by the New Zealand Property Investors Federation (NZPIF) showed that as many as 74 percent of the 800 landlords surveyed would increase rents if Labour wins the election and implements its housing policies. With Critic’s publication and distribution dates Read more...

Cutlers Appear to Have Been Tricking Tenants with Fixed-Term Contracts for Boarding Houses

Posted 10:45am Sunday 24th September 2017 by Joel MacManus

Cutlers Ltd, one of the largest property management firms in North Dunedin, appear to have, in at least one case, required tenants to sign fixed-term contracts, when the law allows tenants to terminate their tenancies after giving only 48 hours’ notice. Tenants at 63/A Queen Street signed Read more...

Keeping tabs on the Exec | Issue 24

Posted 10:37am Sunday 24th September 2017 by Joe Higham

The executive, who were joined by several of the successful candidates from the recent election, began with their ‘Executive Quick Round Up’. OUSA President Hugh Baird mentioned he has attended several important meetings recently, including with the Proctor and Dunedin City Council, the Read more...

Critic Interviews: Chlöe Swarbrick

Posted 5:04pm Friday 22nd September 2017 by Joe Higham

Last week, Critic's co-editor Joe Higham sat down with Green Party candidate for the Maungakiekie electorate (and 7th on the party list) Chlöe Swarbrick to discuss the election campaign, the treatment of former co-leader Metiria Turei, and the fact that she sees a real need for a Read more...

Farah Palmer Cup Kicks Off With Canterbury Winning 20-7

Posted 11:36am Sunday 17th September 2017 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

The provincial women’s rugby competition, the Farah Palmer Cup, kicked off last week. The Otago Spirit team took on Canterbury at Linfield Park in Christchurch at noon on Sunday the 3rd. Fortunately the morning rain had cleared by the time the game started. Supporters packed the sideline, Read more...

Clean Sweep of Executive Ten Hour Position by Unity Ticket

Posted 11:17am Sunday 17th September 2017 by Joe Higham

The ‘Unity’ ticket managed a clean sweep of the entirety of the OUSA Executive’s ten hour positions, with a conclusive margin of at least 20 percent in each. Kirio Birks ran unopposed to a 67 percent margin win over the pink-spotted ‘no confidence’ apple. He said he Read more...

Opinion – Election Endorsement: We Need the Green Party

Posted 11:07am Sunday 17th September 2017 by George Elliott

I had been contemplating a trip into Jacindamania, but have come to my senses. A partnership with the Greens would make a change of government more meaningful. The Green Party needs to be a part of a progressive Labour-led government and if Labour doesn’t win, this country needs a Green voice Read more...

20 Hour Positions - ‘Be Bold’ Ticket Successful in Vice President and Finance Positions, Loses Welfare and Education

Posted 10:59am Sunday 17th September 2017 by Joel MacManus

Voters indicated a mood for change in the OUSA Vice-Presidential race last week, ousting current Education Officer Bryn Jenkins. Cam Meads, who headed the ‘Be Bold’ ticket, defeated Jenkins of the ‘Unity’ ticket by a margin of 38 percent to 31 percent. Guy McCallum, who Read more...

Caitlin Barlow-Groome Wins Closest OUSA Presidential Race in Years

Posted 10:52am Sunday 17th September 2017 by Joe Higham

Current OUSA Recreation Officer Caitlin Barlow-Groome has won a closely contested presidential race, with just over 2 percent separating her from Finn Shewell of ‘Unity’. The rest of the candidates, namely Monique Mulholland (‘Justice Through Solidarity’), Lync Aronson Read more...

Pro Wrestlers Go Viral With Fake ‘Young Nats’ Billboards

Posted 10:46am Sunday 17th September 2017 by Joel MacManus

A series of fake billboards claiming to be endorsed by the Young Nats took the internet by storm this week. Featuring slogans such as ‘Keeping the ‘Our’ in Aotearoa’, ‘Things are Fine’ and ‘It’s Probably Your Fault’, they stirred up Read more...

Green Party Tertiary Education Policy a Positive Step Forward – NZUSA

Posted 10:37am Sunday 17th September 2017 by Joe Higham

Green Party Leader James Shaw was on campus last week to announce their new Tertiary Education policy to a packed Union Hall. Joined by Maungakiekie candidate Chlöe Swarbrick and Dunedin North candidate Niki Bould, Shaw revealed that the policy will include a universal student allowance, Read more...

How Many Counselling Sessions Do Student Health Provide?

Posted 10:32am Sunday 17th September 2017 by Joel MacManus

Mental health was defining issue of the 2017 OUSA elections, with every presidential candidate promising better funding and support. Unity 2018’s Mission Statement included a promise to “ensure best health” by partnering with the university to establish a ‘Wellness Read more...

“Holy Crap” – Marketing Professor Wins Top Honours at OUSA Teaching Awards

Posted 10:26am Sunday 17th September 2017 by Joel MacManus

“My first thought was holy crap,” says John Guthrie, upon finding out he had won Premier Lecturer at the OUSA Teaching Awards. Guthrie is a senior lecturer who has been with the Department of Marketing for 29 years. He specialises in Retailing, Personal Selling and Sales Management, Read more...

New Zealand Rugby to Get a ‘Tewn’ Up

Posted 11:29am Sunday 10th September 2017 by Charlie Hantler

In September last year, New Zealand Rugby Chief Executive Steve Tew announced that they were undertaking a “Respect and Responsibility” review of the national game. The review cost more than $150,000 and the findings were approved by New Zealand Rugby's board last month and released Read more...

Grant Robertson Talks About Homophobic Abuse

Posted 11:04am Sunday 10th September 2017 by Joel MacManus

In a candid interview with Critic, Labour Party Finance Minister Grant Robertson revealed the extent of the personal attacks he has faced since he became an MP. Robertson, who is openly gay, said that he has experienced both “actual abuse” and “unconscious bias” over his Read more...

Critic’s Guide to the 2017 General Election

Posted 10:54am Sunday 10th September 2017 by Esme Hall

More young people have enrolled to vote than at this point in 2014. But, young people are still underrepresented in choosing New Zealand’s government. It’s not that we don’t care, it’s just that none of the parties really speak to us. Or they all do, in different ways. When Read more...

What Do the Presidential Candidates Actually Represent?

Posted 10:50am Sunday 10th September 2017 by Joel MacManus

Justice Through Solidarity: Old School Radicals Pres Candidate: both Monique Mulholland and Angus Wilson These guys are a throwback to radical student activism of the 1980s. The lovechild of a last-minute union between socialists and feminists, they are peculiarly running two presidential Read more...

Please Stop Electing Unqualified White Guys

Posted 10:43am Sunday 10th September 2017 by Sam McChesney

In Iron Fist, Marvel’s tone-deaf TV show about mighty-whitey kung-fu billionaire Danny Rand, Rand gives a monologue about how he came to be the Iron Fist: “When I got to the monastery post-crash, I learned of a certain position. A powerful, important job and I wanted it … The Read more...

OUSA Presidential Forum Roundup: No Confidence Takes Decisive Lead in Opinion Polls

Posted 10:38am Sunday 10th September 2017 by Joe Higham

The OUSA Executive Election Forums that were held last week provided a slightly larger and more invested crowd than usual, and a surprising amount of insight and conflict. Predictably, given the lack of advocacy by this year’s executive, all of the candidates pledged to increase their level Read more...

Dunedin Craft Beer Festival Sells Out of Tickets

Posted 10:29am Sunday 10th September 2017 by Joel MacManus

In its fifth year, the Dunedin Craft Beer Festival is on track to be the biggest it’s ever been. From a small event entirely based on the concrete slab at the Otago Daily Times end of Forsyth Barr Stadium the event has expanded to encompass the entire field. The festival was originally Read more...

‘No Surprises’ Surprises and Multidimensional Scandal Strip Tease

Posted 11:06am Sunday 3rd September 2017 by George Elliott

There's been allegations made of leaking, dirty rumours on Twitter and blurring lines between the bureaucratic and political – the election is just threeish weeks away! The so-called ‘no surprises’ convention – not strictly the singular matter of Winston Peters' Read more...

Opinion: The Wave of Optimism is Huge; That Also Means There is Further to Fall

Posted 10:49am Sunday 3rd September 2017 by Joe Higham

When I asked Labour Leader Jacinda Ardern which current World leader she has the most admiration for during a brief interview while on her recent visit to Dunedin, she immediately said, “oh, if it wasn’t current, I would’ve said Obama, because what he did was extraordinary”. Read more...

Aotearotica Editor Talks Sex and Sexuality in Dunedin

Posted 10:38am Sunday 3rd September 2017 by Lucy Hunter

This week is the New Zealand Young Writers Festival, a fantastic range of talks and workshops that Dunedin is lucky to host. One of the events is Pleasure and Pain: Writing about Sex and Sexuality. The editor of NZ erotica journal Aotearotica Laura Borrowdale is speaking to Pantograph Punch’s Read more...

New Figures Show Suicide is at a Record High

Posted 10:32am Sunday 3rd September 2017 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

According to figures released by Judge Deborah Marshall, New Zealand’s Chief Coroner, New Zealand’s suicide statistics have reached a record high. The numbers have continued to rise over the last three years, with 606 people taking their own lives during 2016-2017. New Zealand has one Read more...

When Are We Putting CCTV Cameras All Over Central Dunedin?

Posted 10:22am Sunday 3rd September 2017 by Joel MacManus

Police figures from 2016-17 have revealed the zone between Frederick Street and the Octagon to be the area of the city with the highest number of reported crimes in the Otago region. 50 percent of the 3270 crimes reported in Dunedin City occurred in the broad CBD area stretching from High Street Read more...

Keeping tabs on the Exec | Issue 21

Posted 10:18am Sunday 3rd September 2017 by Joe Higham

The 2017 executive have deteriorated into depths not seen since, well, last year, during the most recent two meetings, passing motions that to anyone who actually cares are outrageous, especially in light of the budget cuts the association is facing. University student Francis Bradley came along Read more...

The Jacinda Effect

Posted 2:09pm Tuesday 29th August 2017 by Sam Fraser-Baxter

The Hunter Centre hosted the Labour Party's health announcement on Friday last week. Labour has been making remarkable ground on National in the polls since Jacinda Ardern replaced Andrew Little as the party’s leader three weeks ago. The atmosphere in the centre was buoyant as two Read more...

Twitter Thinks The '#motherofallscandals' is About to Drop

Posted 4:37pm Monday 28th August 2017 by Joel MacManus

New Zealand’s political twittersphere has been buzzing with rumours of a big political scandal, known now as the #motherofallscandals, which is expected to come to light at some stage today. Newsroom.co.nz has apparently got their hands on something juicy, and a number of top journalists Read more...

Critic Interviews: Metiria Turei

Posted 11:55am Friday 25th August 2017 by Joe Higham

Critic co-editor Joe Higham met up with former Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei to discuss the revelations that led to her political downfall, her chances in the Te Tai Tonga Maori electorate, and how she is “absolutely certain” that the National Party will lose this year’s Read more...

Critic Previews the English Premier League

Posted 11:10am Sunday 20th August 2017 by Charlie Hantler

As John Terry embraced Antonio Conte and hoisted the trophy high in May this year, many thought this was the beginning of a legacy. Chelsea had all-but walked the league after the charismatic Italian, Conte, altered their formation to 3-5-2, a month into what was starting to be a worrying campaign. Read more...

Big shout out to student voters!

Posted 11:07am Sunday 20th August 2017 by Professor Janine Hayward

The election campaign just got a whole lot more exciting. The promotion of Jacinda Ardern to leader of the Labour Party has breathed life into an otherwise very lifeless campaign. More importantly, it’s got students on campus talking about politics. Ardern is being described as ‘the Read more...

The Opportunities Party Fills Dunedin Auditorium on National Roadshow

Posted 10:45am Sunday 20th August 2017 by Joe Higham

Care. Think. Vote. That was the message displayed on the projector of Dunedin’s Glenroy Auditorium where the Opportunities Party's (TOP) Leader Gareth Morgan spoke last week. A crowd of well over one hundred people gathered to hear what the millionaire businessman and economist had to Read more...

National Party to Spend $60 Million on Bootcamps for Young Offenders if Re-elected

Posted 10:40am Sunday 20th August 2017 by Emma Gordon

In a controversial move to assert themselves as the ‘law and order’ party, National has announced a $60 million package targeting recidivist young offenders, to be rolled out if re-elected into government. $30 million of the $60 million has been allocated to establishing a defence-led Read more...

Equal Pay Week: “It’s Time to Pay the Sisters the Same as the Misters”

Posted 10:36am Sunday 20th August 2017 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

This last week, from Saturday 12 August until Saturday 19 August, has been Equal Pay Week. Its purpose is to draw attention to the need for fairness in the workplace, for everyone to have the same opportunities to advance their careers, and for pay equality regardless of one’s Read more...

Developer and DCC Go Back and Forth on Five-Star Hotel Plans

Posted 10:32am Sunday 20th August 2017 by Joel MacManus

The plans for a 17-storey five-star hotel planned for Dunedin’s Moray Place have been amended by its developer in the hope that it will be accepted by the Dunedin City Council. Phil Page, Partner at Gallaway Cook Allen Lawyers and lawyer acting for Tekapo businessman and the hotel developer Read more...

The ‘Jacinda Effect’ Causes Spike in Campaign Volunteers – and Not Just for Labour

Posted 10:30am Sunday 20th August 2017 by Joel MacManus

The Dunedin North Labour Party say they have signed up an extra 52 campaign volunteers since Jacinda Ardern was made leader, as both major parties report an increased interest in this election campaign. Labour Party Campaign Manager for Dunedin North Jarred Griffiths says that during the 2017 Read more...

Super Liquor Plan to Open Store at Former McDuffs Brewery Site

Posted 10:26am Sunday 20th August 2017 by Joel MacManus

A plan to open a new liquor store in the student quarter is facing criticism from the Police, the university, and the Dunedin City Council ahead of a District Licensing Committee hearing. The proposal is to have a new Super Liquor store built on Great King Street at the former McDuffs Brewery Read more...

OUSA Disaffiliate Religious “Cult” After “Bringing OUSA Into Disrepute”

Posted 10:21am Sunday 20th August 2017 by Joe Higham

OUSA have formally disaffiliated a controversial religious group, labelled by many as a cult, after “bringing OUSA into disrepute, ignoring OUSA directives and breaching the [association’s] constitution”. Elohim Bible Academy are a subgroup of the World Mission Society Church of Read more...

Keeping tabs on the Exec | Issue 20

Posted 10:18am Sunday 20th August 2017 by Joe Higham

One of the first things the OUSA Executive do at each meeting is to go around the group briefly detailing what they have been working on since the previous week’s meeting. President Hugh Baird, after mentioning time spent on the budget and Art Week, noted that he met with three members of Read more...

Much More Respect Needed For Women's Rugby

Posted 5:40pm Sunday 13th August 2017 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

When someone says New Zealand, what do you think of? Kiwis, probably; perhaps pavlova – well depending on which side of the fierce which-country-did-pavlova-come-from battle between New Zealand and Australia you fall on; Jandals? Pineapple lumps? At the end of the day, New Zealand is known for Read more...

Metiria Turei Resigns: From the Media’s Hard Questions to Labour’s Nakedly Evil Disownment

Posted 11:13am Sunday 13th August 2017 by George Elliott

It’s an utter shame that Metiria Turei has gone. It reflects something dark (i.e. politics as usual) in both the left and the news media in this country. The media going hard on Turei is part of the package deal. These past couple of weeks, what struck me has not been RNZ’s Susie Read more...

Pirates Women 27 – 10 Varsity Women

Posted 10:55am Sunday 13th August 2017 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

Last Saturday the two top women’s rugby teams, University and Pirates, battled it out for the championship trophy at St Clair’s Kettle Park. The conditions were very blustery and the wind added a considerable chill factor as well as an extra challenge for the players. Both teams lined up Read more...

Mitre 10 Cup Preview: Otago Rugby

Posted 10:51am Sunday 13th August 2017 by Charlie Hantler

Last Season: Lost in Championship final to North Harbour (14-17).   Players to Watch: Vilimoni Koroi: The fleet-footed outside back has already made a name for himself fresh out of Fielding High School for the New Zealand Sevens team and is a real scoop for Otago. Expect to see him Read more...

Oppose Cuts, Defend Our Staff

Posted 10:47am Sunday 13th August 2017 by Save Our Services, Save Our Staff

This article was written by the Tertiary Education Union and Public Service Association’s “Save Our Services, Save Our Staff” Action Committee and represents their opinion on the Student Services Review.   Vice-Chancellor Harlene Hayne recently announced plans Read more...

Re:Fuel Accused of Not Protecting Customer After Assault Complaint to Bouncer

Posted 10:40am Sunday 13th August 2017 by Joel MacManus

Re:Fuel has been accused of not doing enough to protect the safety of its patrons, after one student was assaulted even after requesting help from bouncers several times. Jack Brazil says he was out at pint night two weeks ago with some friends. “It basically started in the line to Re:Fuel. Read more...

Labour Finds New Life for Old Election Signs

Posted 10:36am Sunday 13th August 2017 by Joel MacManus

After the shock resignation of former Labour Leader Andrew Little and the promotion of the newly crowned saviour of left wing politics, Jacinda Ardern, Labour had one small problem. They had already put their billboards up. Across the country, fenceposts and walls had been plastered with the big Read more...

First naked person in Lumsden since 1934

Posted 10:34am Sunday 13th August 2017 by Charlie O’Mannin

Satire An already riveting debate over the extension of a council bylaw on freedom camping in the Stewart Island town of Lumsden suddenly became breaking news last Tuesday as His Worship the Mayor of Southland Gary Tong revealed that he had, in fact seen a naked person in the town, something that Read more...