Archive

No Kerbside Recycling for Inner City Residents

Posted 3:02pm Sunday 28th March 2021 by Asia Martusia King

It’s hard to recycle in the city, according to concerns raised by students. Residents flatting in the CBD and George Street’s retail district do not have access to kerbside recycling.  The Dunedin City Council has implemented three $80,000 neighbourhood recycling drop-off Read more...

Subeditor Delegated Very Important Task of Putting an Overly Long Title on Tedious OUSA Article

Posted 2:53pm Sunday 28th March 2021 by Denzel Chung

Once a quarter, Critic Te Arohi put themselves through the punishing process of reading and summarising the OUSA Exec’s reports for you, our readers. We do it because the only emotion we’re capable of feeling at this point is pain and we kind of like it we feel a strong sense of duty and Read more...

“Sign-tology” on the Rise in Dunedin

Posted 10:19pm Friday 26th March 2021 by Fox Meyer

In a time when our lives are increasingly meaningless, in which we feel evermore like a digital drop in a vast online ocean, Sign Up Club is a beacon of hope. It offers community, it offers connection, it offers meaning. And all at the click of a button. But all is not well in SignUpVille. Above Read more...

14% Rise in Postgrad Enrolments at Otago

Posted 10:15pm Friday 26th March 2021 by Erin Gourley

There are 14% more students doing postgraduate qualifications at Otago this year, in what has been termed “doing a panic masters”. The largest increase is in humanities students, with a 30.5% increase in the number of students doing masters from last year. Health Sciences masters Read more...

New Zealand Robot Fights Other Robots and Wins

Posted 10:04pm Friday 26th March 2021 by Oscar Paul

New Zealand are now officially the world champions of robot combat, becoming the first non-American team to hold the top spot. The University of Auckland's Faculty of Engineering have successfully won the most recent Battlebots season, which many fans consider the world championship league Read more...

OPINION: Opinion: You Don’t Have to Go to The Rugby

Posted 9:43pm Friday 26th March 2021 by Oscar Francis

Let’s just be clear on one thing: I’m not being anti-rugby. Rugby is a great game. It’s something that we orientate our identity around, both as individuals and a nation. Going to the stadium gives a lot of us a feeling of fitting in, and stability in an uncertain Read more...

NZUSA and You

Posted 9:39pm Friday 26th March 2021 by Runze Liu

The OUSA pays $45,500 (1.16% of their total revenue) as membership fees to the NZUSA according to their 2021 budget. So, what the hell is the NZUSA? Is it a local ripoff of the country that brought you David Hasselhoff drunkenly eating a hamburger off the floor? Maybe it’s the New Zealand Read more...

Netsky Still Headlining Ori Despite Pūkana Controversy

Posted 9:33pm Friday 26th March 2021 by Denzel Chung

Belgian DJ Netsky will still be headlining OUSA’s Ori 2021 concert, despite sharing a video on Instagram showing people mocking the pūkana at a post-America’s Cup celebration party. In a statement shared with Radio One, OUSA President Michaela Waite-Harvey acknowledged that Read more...

Trans Student Raises Concerns About Otago University

Posted 9:29pm Friday 26th March 2021 by Erin Gourley

A trans student at Otago has raised concerns about the lack of gender neutral bathrooms and the use of deadnames in University systems. Ethan*, a trans student, said that “student wellbeing should be prioritised on campus, to ensure we are in the best state to learn. A lack of vital Read more...

14% Rise in Postgrad Enrolments at Otago

Posted 4:22pm Wednesday 24th March 2021 by Erin Gourley

There are 14% more students doing postgraduate qualifications at Otago this year, in what has been termed “doing a panic masters”.  The largest increase is in humanities students, with a 30.5% increase in the number of students doing masters from last year, according to Read more...

Student Hardship Fund Remains Hard

Posted 2:37pm Sunday 21st March 2021 by Fox Meyer

Pūtea Tautoko supported 12.5% of all students enrolled last year. Plans are underway to ensure the hardship fund continues into 2021. Last year, the Pūtea Tautoko coffers were filled by $2 million directly from the University, around $500k donated by staff, alumni and friends of the Read more...

Universities Provide MIQ Subsidy for International Students

Posted 2:34pm Sunday 21st March 2021 by Erin Gourley

New Zealand’s universities, including Otago, have agreed to subsidise 50% of the cost of MIQ for returning international students. The New Zealand International Students’ Association (NZISA) announced the subsidy in a Facebook post on Friday 12 March. “NZISA applauds the Read more...

Drug Safety Club Back in Talks With OUSA

Posted 2:31pm Sunday 21st March 2021 by Fox Meyer

The Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) club and OUSA are working together to get the club affiliated. Affiliation would allow the SSDP to take advantage of OUSA’s resources and reach a wider audience, objectives supported by both parties. Originally, OUSA denied SSDP their application Read more...

ODT Ends Half-Century Contract For Distribution Manager

Posted 2:29pm Sunday 21st March 2021 by Denzel Chung

A woman who has helped to deliver newspapers to Dunedin for 45 years, employing 60 children and disabled people, had her contract ended in a single letter from the ODT on Friday.  Sue Loan has worked as the distributor for the ODT for 45 years. She managed 60 people, including children and Read more...

Activist Urges More “Bongs On The Ground” Activism

Posted 2:26pm Sunday 21st March 2021 by Denzel Chung

Bert Holmes, a veteran environmental and cannabis law-reform activist, has called for more “loud and proud” cannabis activism by students on campus, saying “that’s how we got to where we are today.”  In an interview with Critic Te Arohi, Bert, now coordinator of Read more...

St Paddy’s Was A Wholesome Time

Posted 2:22pm Sunday 21st March 2021 by Denzel Chung

On the ground reporting from Critic Te Arohi showed that, despite the ODT reporting “a night of St. Patrick’s Day carnage,” students largely commemorated the death of the patron saint of Ireland in a wholesome way.  In keeping with the time-honoured traditions of yore, a Read more...

A Quarter Of Health Scis Disappoint Their Parents

Posted 2:16pm Sunday 21st March 2021 by Denzel Chung

Out of the 1323 students enrolled into Health Science First Year (HSFY) at the start of 2020, 300 had changed courses for semester two, a total of 23% of the cohort.  Students Critic Te Arohi spoke to weren’t surprised by the numbers, generally agreeing that it sounded “about Read more...

Uni Cuts Medical Imagery Degree

Posted 2:12pm Sunday 21st March 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

The University of Otago has decided to kill off three postgraduate programmes based around medical imaging.  The Masters of Medical Imaging, as well as the Postgraduate Diploma (or Certificate) in Medical Imaging were announced back in 2018, but never officially opened to students. Since Read more...

Prices Go Up At Uni Again

Posted 2:10pm Sunday 21st March 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

The University has raised prices yet again at their food outlets. Those on the study grind are notoriously poor, and after prices went up multiple times last year, this latest increase will be another gut punch to the food court faithful. According to Campus and Collegiate Life Services Read more...

“Fear on Both Sides”: Students and Community March in Support of Burmese People

Posted 12:00pm Sunday 21st March 2021 by Fox Meyer

On Saturday 13 March, 60 people walked from the Train Station to Octagon in solidarity with the people of Myanmar. The mix of students and community members gave speeches and protested the military coup that took place in Myanmar on the first of February.  Eileen Corcoran of Radio One was at Read more...

Student Fined $300 for Eating a Pie

Posted 11:52am Sunday 21st March 2021 by Sean Gourley

A local student has been slapped with a $300 fine after eating a pie in the Night ‘n Day Regent line on St Patrick's day.  “I think it’s fair enough on their part to give me a fine but I did not expect it to be a ridiculous amount of money,” said Greg*, who admits Read more...

$10,000 Set Aside For Mysterious Clubs

Posted 11:42am Sunday 21st March 2021 by Erin Gourley

OUSA has $10,093 set aside from selling equipment belonging to old clubs. The money is currently held in trust for future clubs who are similar to the old clubs that were disaffiliated.  OUSA came across this issue when discussing whether to sell the Dunedin Fire and Circus Club’s Read more...

Harlene Gives Harlene an Honorary Law Doctorate

Posted 11:33am Sunday 21st March 2021 by Denzel Chung

Outgoing Vice-Chancellor Harlene Hayne got a very special going-away gift from the University: A honorary PhD in Law.  Some get gold watches or silver spoons, but not Harlene. Despite her academic background in psychology, Harlene was awarded a law degree at a graduation ceremony two Read more...

Student Fined $300 for Eating a Pie

Posted 1:04pm Friday 19th March 2021 by Sean Gourley

A local student has been slapped with a $300 fine after eating a pie in the Night ‘n Day Regent line on St Patrick's day.  “I think it’s fair enough on their part to give me a fine but I did not expect it to be a ridiculous amount of money,” said Greg*, who admits Read more...

VUW Accidentally Wipes Desktop Computers

Posted 3:08pm Wednesday 17th March 2021 by Erin Gourley

Victoria University of Wellington accidentally deleted all the files stored on its desktop computers last Friday. Items in the H: drive, M: drive, or the cloud were still accessible. This morning, staff and post-grad students received an email saying that IT were “still working on a Read more...

ODT Ends Half-Century Contract For Manager of Paperboys

Posted 5:10pm Monday 15th March 2021 by Denzel Chung

A woman who has helped to deliver newspapers to Dunedin for 45 years, managing 60 children and disabled people, had her contract ended in a single letter from the ODT on Friday.  Sue Loan has managed the distributors of the ODT for 45 years. She managed 60 people, including Read more...

Queer Space Will Open By End of April

Posted 11:24pm Saturday 13th March 2021 by Denzel Chung

A queer space, which has been in the works since 2018, will open on campus by the end of April.  President Michaela Waite-Harvey said that “the space is located on the first floor of the University Union building near the Terrace Lounge. “We’re putting the final touches on Read more...

KnowYourStuff Tested 161 Drugs During Flo and O

Posted 11:20pm Saturday 13th March 2021 by Erin Gourley

KnowYourStuff tested 161 drug samples during Flo and O Week in Dunedin, according to a preliminary report on their testing service in Dunedin.  This is an increase on samples tested in previous years. During Re O last year, KnowYourStuff tested only 91 samples.  Of the 161 samples, Read more...

One Student’s Trash Another’s Treasure

Posted 11:16pm Saturday 13th March 2021 by Fox Meyer

OUSA’s O Week Drop for Good initiative kept thousands of items out of landfills, and put them back in student flats, where garbage belongs. The event also made $5,400 for OUSA, according to their meeting last Monday.  “So much of this stuff is high-quality,” said Emily Read more...

Student Meant to be Near Epicentre of Quake

Posted 11:06pm Saturday 13th March 2021 by Fox Meyer

Four Otago students were meant to be on a boat offshore of the Kermadec Islands on the morning of March 5. This would have placed them near the epicentre of the M7.4 and M8.1 quakes that triggered Tsunami warnings in the North Island.   In a weird twist of fate, a last-minute Covid Read more...

School of Fishermen Need Herring Aid

Posted 11:03pm Saturday 13th March 2021 by Oscar Paul

No one caught a fish at the Otago Salmon Angling Association’s (OSAA) fishing competition last Saturday.  In the fishing competition, 200 fishermen and fisherwomen had 24 hours to catch any Salmon, Kingfish or Kahawai in the Otago Harbour. The biggest fishes caught could net the Read more...

Second-Year Discovers New Species of Dolphin

Posted 10:55pm Saturday 13th March 2021 by Fox Meyer

Students have discovered what is “almost certainly” a new species of dolphin while on an annual geology field trip. The mandatory second year field trip spends one afternoon at the Tokorahi lime quarry, where students are given some time to poke around for fossils in the limestone Read more...

More Students Studying At Otago Than Ever Before

Posted 10:46pm Saturday 13th March 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

With international gap years now off the market, and a lack of jobs available, about a thousand naive lads and lasses with nothing better to do have enrolled at Otago, boosting the total number of students back to pre-Covid levels.  The student numbers have risen by 952 students from last Read more...

Increased MIQ Fees for International Students

Posted 10:43pm Saturday 13th March 2021 by Erin Gourley

The 1000 international students allowed into New Zealand next month will pay increased MIQ fees. For temporary visa holders like international students, the cost of a one-person stay in managed isolation will increase from $3100 to $5520 on 25 March. These international students are required to Read more...

Students Obsessed With New Pyramid Scheme

Posted 10:33pm Saturday 13th March 2021 by Fox Meyer

The largest club on campus is now the Sign Up Club. Everyone so used to signing up or scanning in for Covid that there is now a club just for that. The club is formless and exists mostly as a Facebook page. But its numbers are rapidly growing. “We don’t want to overshadow Read more...

Mysterious Movie Being Made on Campus

Posted 10:24pm Saturday 13th March 2021 by Fox Meyer

There’s a movie being filmed on campus. Critic reached out to the Netflix production team of The Royal Treatment, who were unable to provide comment on their closed set.  Students saw a crew filming what appeared to be a market scene outside of Geology, complete with old-timey cars Read more...

Otago Uni’s Printing Costs the Highest in the Country

Posted 10:18pm Saturday 13th March 2021 by Denzel Chung

Students feeling the pain of forking out for yet another printing credit top-up can finally validate their hurt and trauma: Otago’s student printing costs are the highest of all Aotearoa’s universities. This year, Uniprint has hiked student’s printing costs by a staggering 33% Read more...

Otago Campus Christians Described As “Insular” and “Controversial”

Posted 10:12pm Saturday 13th March 2021 by Denzel Chung

“I lived across the street from the Campus Christians on Grange. They were weird, but not “bad weird.” They were just very exclusive, and I never saw a new face.” Kayla’s biggest problem with the Campus Christians was that they’ve “monopolised the Read more...

OPINION: Freshers, Stop Leaving the Game Early

Posted 6:33pm Saturday 6th March 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

Being born and raised in Dunedin, I’ve got a special place in my heart for the mighty Highlanders. I was there for their last game at Carisbrook over ten years ago, I watched as we lifted our first trophy in 2015. Since arriving at uni, I’ve been to almost every ‘Landers game at Read more...

Your Student Association is Hosting a Beerfest for JAFAs

Posted 6:20pm Saturday 6th March 2021 by Fox Meyer

The success of Dunedin’s annual Beerfest inspired OUSA to organise a similar event this year in Auckland, despite the potential danger of another lockdown.  The festival is planned for March 27 in the Spark Arena (formerly Vector Arena). With one ticket option you get Read more...

Police Presence Boosted at Flo and O

Posted 6:17pm Saturday 6th March 2021 by Denzel Chung

Police vans, as well as marked and unmarked police cars, regularly patrolled the Castle/Leith area during Flo and O Week, as early as 6pm. Critic can confirm that this wasn’t just a figment of boozed-up paranoia. There were actually more police than usual. On Big Red Finale night, two Read more...

Dunedinites Devotedly Down Dogs

Posted 6:09pm Saturday 6th March 2021 by Elliot Weir

Data from Regent St Night ‘n Day suggests students absolutely frothed $2 Hot Dogs during O Week. On the Tuesdays of Flo and O Week, Night ‘n Day sold over 600 hot dogs. During Slo Week (a term Critic has coined for the week before O and Flo Week), Night ‘n Day Regent sold an Read more...

Boutique Hotel Takes the L, Repurposed into Student Accommodation

Posted 6:01pm Saturday 6th March 2021 by Quintin Jane

Otago University has converted its Executive Residence boutique hotel into student accommodation for 2021.  The Executive Residence, also known as “that fancy house on Union Street East,” is now being managed by University College as a part of the University’s expansion of Read more...

Uni Smoothly Transitions to Level 2

Posted 5:57pm Saturday 6th March 2021 by Denzel Chung

The University’s response to recent yo-yoing between alert levels has not come under scrutiny from students. This is a far-cry from the student reaction during the first Covid outbreak. Critic spoke to Andrew Ferguson, the University’s Emergency and Business Continuity Coordinator, Read more...

Flat Break-Ins Rampant Over Flo and O

Posted 5:50pm Saturday 6th March 2021 by Denzel Chung

There’s been an increase in flat damage in the North Dunedin area over Flo and O Week.  Critic spoke to Lulu Gordon, a student whose flat got messed up on the final days of O Week. Lulu was in her lounge enjoying a post-bender Maccas feast with her flatties when a couple of Long Whites Read more...

The Greasy Beaver Lives to Beave Another Day

Posted 5:43pm Saturday 6th March 2021 by Erin Gourley

  The Greasy Beaver Lodge is back, baby. The famous flat sign was resurrected three weeks ago, after the tenants made a request to their property manager.  Annabelle, one of the current tenants, said that her flatmate emailed Cutlers over Christmas and said “it would make my Read more...

OUxit: Why some students leave OUSA

Posted 5:33pm Saturday 6th March 2021 by Runze Liu

Despite being the oldest, and one of the most influential students’ associations in the country, people still opt to leave the Otago Uni Students’ Association (OUSA). One of them — a third year student Otago student — opted out of OUSA membership in September last year by Read more...

OUSA Cancels Exec Meeting Because They Have Nothing to Talk About

Posted 5:17pm Saturday 6th March 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

The Exec meeting last week was cancelled because there was nothing on the agenda. In an email sent to members of the OUSA Exec February 26, the meeting scheduled for Monday was cancelled because there were only two agenda items. Both items had papers pending, preventing full discussion on either Read more...

Egg Sales Spike During O Week

Posted 5:13pm Saturday 6th March 2021 by Callan George

There was a “small spike in egg sales” during O Week, thanks to the long-held tradition of egging freshers. A Countdown spokesperson said that they saw “a small spike in egg sales at our Dunedin stores over Orientation Week”. However, they encourage people to think Read more...

Students Still Want Crossing, DCC Say They’re Working on It

Posted 5:01pm Saturday 6th March 2021 by Fox Meyer

The DCC will no longer confirm whether students will get an Albany Street pedestrian crossing. Last year, the DCC said it was “likely” in “late 2021.” A 2017 poll showed that more students supported the crossing (78.6%) than discounted Lime scooters (68.9%), or even Read more...