Archive

Abuse Link to Mental Illness Uncovered

Posted 11:44pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by Teuila Fuatai

A University of Otago study has found that children who suffer abuse are more likely to develop psychiatric problems later in life. The study, led by Dr. Kate Scott, examined the records of 2144 individuals in the Te Rau Hinengaro: New Zealand Mental Health Survey and differed from previous Read more...

Otago Gains $3.2 Million in Grants

Posted 11:43pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by Kat Guise

Researchers at the University of Otago have been awarded $3.2 million by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. The funding is part of a $48 million Government initiative to support research that could potentially benefit the economy.  A team from the Department Read more...

Bouncing off the Halls - 17

Posted 11:39pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by

Last week was a week of firsts in the fresher realm. It was the first Re-O Week for the freshers full stop, it was the first Re-O week without Gardies, and it was also the first Re-O Week with freshers who had never been to a Cookathon. Despite these incredulous setbacks, its seems necessity Read more...

Gun Show on Dundas

Posted 11:35pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by

The Armed Offenders Squad was called to a Dundas Street student flat last Monday, after receiving a call that a man was threatening female flatmates, and that weapons were being held at the address. After a standoff that lasted an hour, the Armed Offenders squad removed a 19-year-old man Read more...

Profile: Alison Shanks

Posted 11:28pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by Georgie Fenwicke

Forget the Olympics: the Commonwealth Games are where it’s at (or for this year at least). Kicking off in October in Delhi, India, one of those representing New Zealand is Otago’s own Alison Shanks. A budding ball sports star by trade, Shanks made the switch to cycling a few years ago and hasn’t Read more...

Whoops, how ‘bout another Semester then?

Posted 4:03am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Gregor Whyte

The University of Otago has been caught in an embarrassing situation after it incorrectly calculated the points a student required to graduate. Fifth-year BCom/BSc student Oscar Harvey was told by an Advisor of Studies at the start of the year that he needed to take four papers to graduate, Read more...

Do Does Dunnas

Posted 4:02am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by

Re-O Week might be big, but maybe the real party happened the week before, as OUSA and the University of Otago hosted the New Zealand University Students Association (NZUSA). Delegates from around Aotearoa came to Otago to discuss issues pertinent to their mandate and listen to a number of speakers, Read more...

Proctology - 16

Posted 4:00am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Tailgunner Joe

Over the holidays, most people either went home for the winter, or gathered in their lounges coming up with urban myths about how cold and disgusting Dunedin is. Hot air about cold weather is as much a part the Otago Student Experience™ as wearing your old school uniform to costume Read more...

Referendum: Happening

Posted 3:54am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

The future of OUSA’s governing structure and a proposal to move SGMs online is to be put to referendum this week. The new structure, if voted through, will consist of ten Executive members and the Te Roopu President as an ex-officio position with voting rights. There are five core positions: Read more...

International Cultural Night

Posted 3:51am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Staff Reporter

The OUSA International Cultural Council is holding its ‘Around the World in an Evening 2010’ night on Saturday 24 July. The event is taking place at the Dunedin Town Hall and tickets are on sale at the OUSA office. It promises to be “a wonderful celebration of cultural diversity” and Read more...

Food More Expensive

Posted 3:49am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Anthony Riseley

The University of Otago’s Department of Human Nutrition has conducted a food cost survey (2010) that confirms people spent more on their cheapest shopping trip than the previous year. Dunedin was found to be the third-least expensive place to buy a week's worth of ‘basic’ groceries Read more...

Food Miles Fail

Posted 3:48am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Teuila Fuatai

A University of Otago study has found that consumers pay little attention to 'food miles' when making purchases. The survey, which involved shoppers from four different UK supermarkets, found that only 5.6 percent of people nominated country-of-origin as one of the reasons for their purchase, Read more...

Otago Gains $3.2 Million in Grants

Posted 3:47am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Gregor Whyte

As expected, the University Council has voted to go ahead with two departmental mergers. The two departments within the College of Education will merge as well as two departments in the Commerce division to form a new Department of Accountancy and Finance. The University has previously said the Read more...

Execrable - 16

Posted 3:45am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

Execerable has been on hiatus for a while, and the sneaky Executive has lost no time discussing important things, namely, the upheaval of the constitutional structure. On the June 29, the Exec moved a motion to tell NZUSA “we are unhappy with you.” Nothing yet on how NZUSA replied, but Read more...

BREAKING: Exclusive details of armed standoff at student flat.

Posted 6:55am Monday 19th July 2010 by Staff Reporter

A standoff with armed police occurred today at a student flat in Dundas St. Critic has spoken exclusively with a student with knowledge of how the situation initially developed.   The student says that the incident involved a 'random' student, found to fill a room when another Read more...

BREAKING: Fires, 5 arrests at Castle St party

Posted 11:07am Tuesday 13th July 2010 by Staff Reporter

Couches were set on fire and five students were arrested last night on Castle St for disorderly behaviour, following a large keg party on the street.   Two female students, aged 19 and 20, were among those arrested. One climbed onto a fire engine.   The fire service Read more...

Scarfie Mothership Offers Surrender to Death Star.

Posted 12:07am Monday 12th July 2010 by Staff Reporter

The owners of the Captain Cook Tavern want to throw in the beer-soaked tea towel, and have secretly approached the University of Otago asking to be bought out. Critic understands that The Cook owners approached the University asking if it wanted to buy them out, after the University reportedly Read more...

Exec Reshuffle.

Posted 12:05am Monday 12th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

An online referendum will be held next week to decide the future structure of the OUSA Executive and whether Student General Meetings should be moved online. The OUSA Executive has voted to change the Executive structure, reducing the 17-strong Executive to only ten. This now has to be approved Read more...

Uni Says No to Money-Burning Freedom Learning

Posted 12:04am Monday 12th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

Fears that the University of Otago is becoming a degree factory have been given more weight as interest-only enrolments will no longer accepted from 2011. Last year, 26 equivalent full-time students (EFTS) were enrolled as interest-only students, taking only one or two papers for recreational Read more...

Polytech Fortunes Continue to Yo-Yo.

Posted 12:03am Monday 12th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

While the University of Otago is forced to make numerous budget cuts, the Otago Polytechnic is embracing its best annual financial performance for around 15 years. Chief Operating Officer Philip Cullen says that the 2010 budget has been revised, meaning that there is now an expected budget Read more...