Archive
Student Activists Help Shutter ANZ
Posted 11:18pm Sunday 17th August 2025 by Tilly Rumball-Smith
Heads up, there’s plans to demolish Nelson! Ridiculous, right? Well, it’s not far from the truth – and 31 protestors blockaded ANZ across the motu on the 8th of August to demonstrate their disapproval. Bathurst Resources Ltd, Aotearoa’s biggest mining company, has a Fast Read more...
Execrable: Betrayal from the Inside?
Posted 10:20pm Thursday 14th August 2025 by Gryffin Blockley
A special general meeting (SGM) has been called with a motion for OUSA to re-adopt BDS. The culprit? One of OUSA’s own: Political Representative Jett Groshinski. The SGM will take place on Thursday, August 21st, at 1pm in the Main Common Room. An SGM is an invitation for the Read more...
The Diagnosis of Med Revue
Posted 10:19pm Sunday 10th August 2025 by Harry Almey
Despite being cancelled for a certain student-theatre review earlier in the year, Critic Te Ārohi is back on its feet for Med Revue. Ever gluttons for punishment, here’s what three hours of enduring med-student humour is like (in the name of charity, of course). Med Revue’s Read more...
Potato Milk Review: Sold Nowhere Else in NZ
Posted 9:41pm Sunday 10th August 2025 by Harry Almey
Society loves potatoes for their versatility: Deep-fried, mashed or made into vodka. But one brave Polytechnic tauira, Emily Gilbert, has invented ‘Spud Milk’ – a NZ first. "Another icky health food!" you blurt out loud while reading this review. "Quality Read more...
Law Students Swap Firms for Fundraisers
Posted 9:38pm Sunday 10th August 2025 by Gryffin Blockley
A group of Law tauira have put together a roster of fundraising events for Ōtepoti Whānau Refuge. The first of a stacked five-piece line up is a designer clothes sale on the 16th of August, featuring brand new clothes from many iconic labels at up to half price. Critic Te Read more...
BDS Binned: OUSA Executive Fronts Up to Widespread Criticism
Posted 9:29pm Sunday 10th August 2025 by Gryffin Blockley, Hanna Varrs & Nina Brown
News of the OUSA Exec abandoning their Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) posture has triggered an outpouring of criticism from the student community and beyond. The decision went against the 53% of 1,766 students (8.83% of 20,000 students) who voted “yes” to maintaining the policy Read more...
The Goon Show has Landed in Dunedin
Posted 9:24pm Sunday 10th August 2025 by Molly Smith-Soppet
A cult-classic British radio comedy from the 1950s is getting a revival at the most unlikely of places, Allen Hall Lunchtime Theatre. If you're feeling emotionally burnt out by unfair grades or the political drama flooding your TikTok feed, then this might just be your reprieve. The Goon Show is Read more...
BDS Binned: OUSA Executive Fronts Up to Widespread Criticism
Posted 12:35pm Friday 8th August 2025 by Nina Brown, Hanna Varrs & Gryffin Blockley
News of the OUSA Exec abandoning their Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) posture has triggered an outpouring of criticism from the student community and beyond. The decision went against the 53% of 1,766 students (8.83% of 20,000 students) who voted “yes” to maintaining the policy Read more...
Are Vapes Exploding In Our Mouths? Coalition Says “Nuh Uh”
Posted 8:29pm Sunday 3rd August 2025 by Zoe Eckhoff
In a massive win for the nicotine-addicted, vaping restrictions introduced by the previous Labour government have been rolled back by the current coalition government, just over a month since they kicked in. Mason Corporation, who own the vape shop Shosha, challenged the court to lift the ban on Read more...
Nurses Strike Against “Detrimental To Patient” Working Conditions
Posted 8:27pm Sunday 3rd August 2025 by Via Hooks
Last Wednesday, Dunedin nurses joined a national 24-hour strike to protest dangerously low staffing in hospitals across the motu. Marching from the Octagon, a large crowd had gathered on the Museum Reserve by noon, expressing their dissatisfaction with the current Government and Te Whatu Ora’s Read more...
Chaos on the Commute
Posted 8:25pm Sunday 3rd August 2025 by Liberty Murray
In case actually showing up to your morning lectures was bad enough, a recent streak of icy mornings have left Otago tauira shaken and embarrassed. Students were falling like dominoes and cars were slipping and sliding around the roads, much to the enjoyment of wise students who didn’t leave Read more...
Execrable: BDS Abandoned, NZUSA Withdrawal & Protests Planned
Posted 8:23pm Sunday 3rd August 2025 by Nina Brown, Hanna Varrs & Gryffin Blockley
The OUSA Exec held Critic hostage for two hours at their meeting last Thursday (we outlasted Liam, even). In what could only be described as a “robust” meeting (I can’t stop) the agenda had three big ticket items: finally talking about the referendum results, NZUSA withdrawal, and Read more...
Shit Times in Studentville with Chlöe Swarbrick
Posted 8:20pm Sunday 3rd August 2025 by Nina Brown
Behind the mirage of constant socialisation and great discounts, the reality of student life is that it’s a bit shit sometimes. When Green Party Co-Leader Chlöe Swarbrick was in town for the launch of the Green’s Ōtepoti campaign in the upcoming local body elections, she found Read more...
Trip Report: 98 Years of OUTC’s Bush Ball
Posted 8:16pm Sunday 3rd August 2025 by Jonathan McCabe
What happens in the bush stays in the bush. The Otago University Tramping Club (OUTC) has built up an illusive reputation over its storied history of people full-sending it in the woods. Bush Ball is arguably the most famous (and feral) of their many adventures across the motu each year. Read more...
Students Caress Mountain to Win Free Stuff
Posted 5:51pm Saturday 26th July 2025 by Stella Weston
With over $10k worth of prizes to be won, Radio One’s Re:Ori’ Marathon Mountain event was a huge success, with the winner managing to hold onto a paper mache mountain for over seven hours. The mountain was reportedly the only thing in North D that students had a tighter grip on than Read more...
Uni SCRAMBLES to Find POPH192 Tutors
Posted 5:43pm Saturday 26th July 2025 by Molly Smith-Soppet
Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) students are panicking – and it's not about if they will get into Med for a change. This time, it’s because there are no tutors to help them get the grades. St Marg’s, Arana, Hayward and 192 Castle College were all without POPH192 tutors at the Read more...
Minion Rave Reviewed: Where were all the babois?
Posted 5:39pm Saturday 26th July 2025 by Hanna Varrs, Gryffin Blockley and Maddy Barnes
OUSA was reaching for the moon for the Friday of Re-O, hosting a Minion-themed boiler room at U-Bar. Critic Te Ārohi was more than happy to go bananas and review the event – only to be greeted by a desolate dance floor. There were like 20 people there. Of the OUSA-run Re-Ori Read more...
Carrington Flood Refugees Flee to Toroa
Posted 5:36pm Saturday 26th July 2025 by Hugh Askerud
Carrington residents of Dawson House spent last week in Toroa College after a flooding incident which saw two floors of the building seeped in sewage. The University confirmed to Critic that the culprit flushed paper towels down a toilet, soiling fourteen freshers’ rooms. In other news, Toroa Read more...
Freshers Unhappy with Halls’ New Allergen Management
Posted 5:34pm Saturday 26th July 2025 by Ali G.
Following an allergen mishap at Te Rangihīroa, the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) has launched an investigation into halls’ food allergen management procedures. All colleges have now rejigged their allergen management systems, which some say are for the better, and others say for Read more...
Campus Endures 269 Days of Cheesing
Posted 5:13pm Saturday 19th July 2025 by Harry Almey
It was the 11th of October 2024. The Uni’s Te Korokoro O Te Tūī performing arts studio sat basking in the spring sunshine. But on this mundane Friday at 4:52pm, a slice of cheese was photographed on a window, just above the entrance. Almost a year later, the cheese slice that had Read more...
OUSA Exec Gives Birth to Student Charter
Posted 4:53pm Saturday 19th July 2025 by Gryffin Blockley
OUSA’s proposed Student Charter was finally approved at last week’s Exec meeting, birthing it into the wonderful world of policy and bureaucracy. The charter outlines key issues and priorities that students are facing in Dunedin – unfortunately lowering the price of butter did not Read more...
The Rise and Fall of the Green Solo
Posted 4:48pm Saturday 19th July 2025 by Zoe Eckhoff
Ah the kakariki takitahi, a force that once breathed minty nicotine into the lungs of breathas and sheathas alike. But no more, for its reign hath come to a halt. Before the eve of June 17th there was a time when you couldn’t walk down George Street on a Saturday night without seeing the Read more...
Breaking News: You Might Be on Meth and Not Even Know It
Posted 4:47pm Saturday 19th July 2025 by Molly Smith-Soppet
If you felt like O-Week hit harder this year, it wasn't just the hangxiety talking. We felt the same, so we’ve done it again; we hit up the Police to analyse everyone’s piss, and fuck you had a good O-Week! There was a dramatic surge in MDMA consumption across Dunedin during February Read more...
Critical Tribune: University of Otago Reveals Rainbet Sponsorship
Posted 4:18pm Saturday 19th July 2025 by Anderson Coomer
A University of Otago spokesperson, operating under the Instagram handle UoOslaps, has revealed a controversial new partnership with offshore gambling platform Rainbet. In an Instagram Reel featuring a desk littered with paperwork, a leaked law exam, and printouts of boomer complaints from Read more...
Critic Census Reveals Students’ Opinion on Uni’s Institutionally Neutral Stance
Posted 2:44pm Monday 14th July 2025 by Nina Brown
The University issued a statement on institutional neutrality on May 8th in response to mounting pressure to have a political stance on the genocide in Palestine. Shortly afterward, Critic Te Ārohi ran its fifth annual census, published on May 13th, including the question: “Do you think Read more...
Students Swarm the Beehive: Youth Parliament Debriefed
Posted 1:01pm Monday 14th July 2025 by Jonathan McCabe
Youth Parliament provides a socially acceptable setting for rangatahi to yell at a room full of important people. The biggest news story to come from Youth Parliament were the accusations of censoring the youth voice, levied against the Ministry of Youth Development (MYD). Critic Te Ārohi had a Read more...
(OUSA) Greening Out: Second Quarter Reports Summarised
Posted 12:59pm Monday 14th July 2025 by Gryffin Blockley
Two quarters (for non math majors: half) of a year in, it’s been hectic for the OUSA Executive. They’ve been no strangers to Critic Te Ārohi’s headlines, with a referendum, BDS postures and questions of Political Rep Jett’s conflict of interest making appearances – Read more...
Law Exam Leak Labelled “Crippling”
Posted 12:51pm Monday 14th July 2025 by Sam Smith-Soppet
On the morning of Friday June 6, Law students had been gearing up for one of their biggest exams of Semester One, LAWS407 Company Law. A couple of hours before the exam, however, they received an email from the University advising that following a breach of academic conduct, they’d been forced Read more...
Campus Banksy Calls Out ‘Old Boys' Club’ Exec
Posted 12:46pm Tuesday 17th June 2025 by Nina Brown
In the wake of news that Political Rep Jett Groshinski will be running for council and continuing in his role despite a conflict of interest, anti-OUSA Exec propaganda posters have popped up on notice boards around campus calling for Jett to resign. As of writing, Jett tells Critic he has no plans Read more...
Council-Gunning Political Rep’s Conflict of Interest
Posted 3:50pm Tuesday 3rd June 2025 by Nina Brown
With a cheesy ODT photoshoot and a big wide grin, on Wednesday, May 21st OUSA’s Political Representative Jett Groshinski announced his Labour-endorsed bid to stand for Local Body Elections (LBE). Over the course of two (rather tense) Exec meetings, they have collectively decided on a conflict Read more...
Online Gambling Platform Illegally Promotes Through Students
Posted 5:54pm Sunday 25th May 2025 by Sam Smith-Soppet
Online gambling monolith, Rainbet, has come into the spotlight for their advertising strategy in New Zealand, dishing out the cash for Gen Z influencers to promote gambling to their peers – some right here in Dunedin. The catch: it’s not exactly legal. Rainbet has been using student Read more...
Campus Creeps (and what to do about them)
Posted 5:52pm Sunday 25th May 2025 by Gryffin Blockley
A student has approached Critic Te Ārohi with an uncomfortable situation that took place in the Staff Club café, involving a “creepy” encounter with an older man who could not take a hint. Anita* originally reached out to Critic with a letter to the Editor after an Read more...
Rachel Brooking’s Stance for Students
Posted 5:29pm Sunday 25th May 2025 by Hanna Varrs
Politics are at the forefront of people’s minds in a local body election year – most of all your local politicians, such as Dunedin MP Rachel Brooking. For many students, Dunedin living is a temporary situation, nestled in North D for three years before jetting back to Te Read more...
The Great Cup Snatch: Takeaway Cups Gone from Campus Cafés
Posted 5:23pm Sunday 25th May 2025 by Jonathan McCabe
Uni-owned cafés were rocked by a surprise email on the 7th of May, being served with the ice-cold news that iced drinks could no longer be served in biodegradable plastic takeaway cups. In a huge loss for people who actually go to class, students will no longer be able to carry around their Read more...
Breaking In, Throwing Up
Posted 5:21pm Sunday 25th May 2025 by Molly Smith-Soppet
A Roslyn flat got more than they bargained for on a quiet Friday night when a drunk student broke into their home, took off his shoes, and vomited into a flatmate's hamper – all while apologising profusely. Daniel, a recent PhD grad (yes, Doctor Daniel) had been asleep in bed when he Read more...
Mould-Mapping North D
Posted 4:52pm Sunday 25th May 2025 by Hunter Jolly
Last week, the Tenancy Compliance and Investigation Team (TCIT) did the rounds of North-D flats. The government-run team sieged (door-knocked) flats to check that they are complying with the Residential Tenancies Act 1986. In other words, to check whether students have been slumming it in Read more...
Political (In)Action Committee?
Posted 10:52pm Sunday 18th May 2025 by Gryffin Blockley
Amnesty Youth Otago (AYO) and the Politics Students Association (POLSA) have expressed concern to Critic Te Ārohi over OUSA’s new Political Action Committee (PAC), citing worries about inclusion and representation. PAC is supposedly a committee formed to assist Political Rep Jett Read more...
Marine Science Students Refunded After Unfair Paper Charges Revealed
Posted 10:49pm Sunday 18th May 2025 by Gryffin Blockley
In great news for Mako Mermaid fans-turned-students, MARI403 students have been refunded the $267.89 more they were paying for the exact same paper as ECOL411 students. This comes after Critic reported on the disparity last week, thanks to a tip-off from ECOL411 student and OUSA Academic Rep Stella Read more...
Exec SLASHES 82% of Referendum Questions
Posted 10:43pm Sunday 18th May 2025 by Nina Brown
After begging students to submit questions for the biannual OUSA referendum, the Exec has slashed the final list of 103 questions to just 19. Students will soon be invited to flex their democratic muscles and vote a hearty “yes”, disapproving “no” or an apathetic “I Read more...
The Heavy Breathers Are Back, Baby
Posted 10:40pm Sunday 18th May 2025 by Tilly Rumball-Smith
In 2023, a group of 33 third-year boys, calling themselves the ‘Heavy Breathers’, raised 100k to support men’s mental health. The Breathers ran the Emerson’s Dunedin Marathon, donating their proceeds to mental health charity Spark That Chat. And for 2025, they’re back. Read more...
Capping Show Review: The Good, The Bad, and The Nazi Jokes
Posted 10:38pm Sunday 18th May 2025 by Hanna Varrs, Molly Smith Soppet, Iris Hehir & Ellie Bennett
Warning: Semi-spoilers for Capping Show included. Critic Te Ārohi braved the rain and headed along to the opening of this year’s Capping Show, dressed to the nines (in our old hall merch – opening night was fresher-themed) and ready for a hilarious night. The Read more...
The Saltiest Pretzel Stick CONSPIRACY
Posted 10:33pm Sunday 18th May 2025 by Zoe Eckhoff
Ahh the pretzel stick. A delicacy for 5-year-olds with the finest taste. A lunchbox snack that your friends would always ask for a share of. A crispy, salted delight in stick form; it’s genius. Well, if you were looking for another reason to hate capitalism, this is it. The beloved pretzel Read more...
Op-Ed: Otago Community holding Congress to adopt the Otago Declaration on Palestine
Posted 3:38pm Sunday 11th May 2025 by Staff for Palestine
On Thursday 15th May at 12pm staff, students and alumni from the University of Otago community are coming together to adopt a Declaration that supports Palestinian rights and adopts BDS (Boycott, Divest, Sanction). All staff, students and alumni are invited to join us as we come together to stand Read more...
Radio One’s Racket for NZ Music Month
Posted 3:28pm Sunday 11th May 2025 by Hanna Varrs
The month of May is upon us, and as is Music Month across the motu – a time of year that has its roots firmly intertwined with student media. That’s a lot of M’s. The pioneers of Music Month are our radio stations, which consistently lift the bar in promoting Aotearoa Read more...
A Tale of Twin, Differently Priced Papers
Posted 3:26pm Sunday 11th May 2025 by Gryffin Blockley
It’s a tale of two papers: ECOL411 (Reading Ecology) and MARI403 (Critical Thinking for Environmental Scientists). Both papers are more similar than they may seem at first: same course coordinator, assessments and taught together at the same time, in the same room. So what’s the Read more...
Unattended Pot Teaches Lesson in Fire Safety
Posted 3:24pm Sunday 11th May 2025 by Cailin Williams
Waking up to a group of hot, sweaty men in uniform does not sound like something one might be opposed to, though the high chance of suffocation from smoke inhalation may change your mind. Second-year Dundas-dweller Zara experienced something that can only be found in a plot of a Colleen Hoover book Read more...
Ōtepoti’s Largest Trans-Rights Protest
Posted 3:07pm Sunday 11th May 2025 by Gryffin Blockley
Hundreds gathered in the Octagon on the 3rd of May in a loud, proud, and unrelenting show of solidarity against New Zealand First’s proposed gender definition bill. It was reportedly Ōtepoti’s largest ever trans-rights protest, with rainbow umbrellas against drizzly weather giving a Read more...
Uni To Maintain Institutionally Neutral, Adopt Ethical Policy
Posted 3:04pm Sunday 11th May 2025 by Nina Brown
The long-awaited results of a University working group on institutional neutrality are out. The University of Otago announced last week that they will be accepting the recommendations of the group’s 25 page report to adopt a statement on institutional neutrality (dubbed “vague and Read more...
Amnesty Forum Sparks Urgent Conversations
Posted 3:01pm Sunday 11th May 2025 by Ella Grayson
On April 14, Amnesty Youth Otago hosted a dynamic forum in the Business School – titled “People Power Movement: Youth Criminal Justice and Youth Activism”. The talk drew students, advocates, and change-makers into a discussion on the future of justice and equity. Amnesty Read more...
“Intimidating” and Possibly Haunted Portraits Removed from Med School
Posted 10:14pm Sunday 4th May 2025 by Adam Stitely
The removal of portraits depicting former Obstetrics (the medical speciality of childbirth and postpartum), Gynaecology and Women’s Health Heads of Departments from the Med School has caused rumours to circulate. A little birdy told Critic Te Ārohi that some students had found them Read more...
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