Archive

The Case of March Madness

Posted 11:00am Sunday 3rd April 2016 by Sean Nugent

I've heard a few people asking the same question in the last couple of weeks: “What the hell is March Madness?” In simple terms it’s a college basketball tournament in the United States played by the top 68 teams in the nation. Yet look deeper and it’s so much more than Read more...

IPL Chances Reignited For Martin Guptill?

Posted 10:57am Sunday 3rd April 2016 by Willy Chapman

With some strong performances in the latest installment of the T20 World Cup in India, Guptill is showing why he will be sorely missed in this years IPL tournament. Guptill was surprisingly snubbed by IPL bosses in February’s auction, where many thought he would cash in after an explosive Read more...

Syrian Forces Capture Vital ISIS Stronghold

Posted 10:48am Sunday 3rd April 2016 by Hugh Baird

After days of fighting, Syrian Government forces backed by Russian airstrikes, have re-taken the ancient city of Palmyra from the Islamic State.  Syrian Observatory for Human Rights director, Rami Abdulrahman confirmed that over 400 Islamic State militants where killed, with around 180 Read more...

Stop Killing People You Fucking Twats

Posted 10:45am Sunday 3rd April 2016 by Joe Higham

A Taliban splinter group, named Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, has claimed responsibility for an Easter Sunday terrorist attack in Lahore, Pakistan’s second most populous city, which took the lives of at least 72 people, many of whom were children.  Along with the dead, approximately 300 people were Read more...

Bunnings Warehouse U-Turns On Defibrillators

Posted 10:43am Sunday 3rd April 2016 by Joe Higham

Dunedin's branch of Bunnings Warehouse has backed down on plans to remove a potentially life-saving defibrillator, despite one of the staff members having died of a heart condition, the ODT reported.  Bunnings New Zealand manager Jacqui Coombes had been quoted by the ODT as saying that Read more...

Dunedin Resident Says Drift Trikers Are “irresponsible”

Posted 10:39am Sunday 3rd April 2016 by Henry Napier

Dunedin has once again ascended to the world stage following the surging popularity of a downhill ‘Drift Triking’ video. The 2 minute 14 second clip, filmed on George King Memorial Drive, has reached over 3.5 million views on Facebook. The video, which was originally uploaded to the Read more...

University Oval To Expand Capacity

Posted 10:36am Sunday 3rd April 2016 by Georgia Vosper

The Dunedin University Cricket Oval is currently in the process of being upgraded. This is to meet the 6000 person minimum capacity that has been set by New Zealand Cricket’s (NZC) requirements for international venues.   On completion the oval will hold more than 6000 people, with the Read more...

Otago Uni Dentistry Chomps Into World Rankings

Posted 10:30am Sunday 3rd April 2016 by Henry Napier

The University of Otago may not be Harvard or Oxford, but Dunedin-trained dentists can rest assured that their degree is among the highest quality in the world after earning 12th place in the world university rankings. Last week the sixth edition of QS World University Rankings by subject was Read more...

“Increased Vigilance” Sees Student Offences Up 20 Percent In 2015

Posted 10:24am Sunday 3rd April 2016 by Joe Higham

Although 2014 witnessed a nine percent drop in overall offending in comparison to 2013, that figure did increase by almost 20 percent during 2015 when compared to 2014, with 576 separate incidents occurring. The large majority of those were simply disorderly behaviour, which totaled 174, while other Read more...

Interview With Grant Robertson

Posted 11:35am Sunday 20th March 2016 by Joel MacManus

Labour Party Finance Spokesperson Grant Robertson bounds into the Critic office on a sunny O-Week Tuesday. While some of the staff may have been a bit dusty from the night before, Robertson is positively vibing. The source of that enthusiasm could be the natural rush of non-stop meetings Read more...

Leicester City Five Points Clear

Posted 11:32am Sunday 20th March 2016 by Sean Nugent

Leicester City have gone five points clear at the top of the Premier League after a 1-0 victory over Newcastle United. Shinji Okazaki’s superb first half strike increased the pressure on both Tottenham and Arsenal as the season nears its conclusion. With eight games to go, Leicester have Read more...

Acting Like Dopes

Posted 11:27am Sunday 20th March 2016 by Sean Nugent

In wake of Maria Sharapova’s admission to taking a banned substance before this year’s Australian Open, I thought it would be a good time to look back on similar doping scandals that shook the world. So, in no particular order, here’s my top five all-time doping scandals: East Read more...

Bomb Blast Kills 37 In Turkish Capital

Posted 11:12am Sunday 20th March 2016 by Hugh Baird

Turkish warplanes have struck Kurdish militant camps in Northern Iraq a day after a car bomb exploded in Ankara, an attack in which officials believe two fighters from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) are responsible. The bomb blasts, which killed 37 and injured a further 135 when it exploded in Read more...

OUSA Fucks Off Students Once More

Posted 11:09am Sunday 20th March 2016 by Henry Napier

Last Tuesday students expressed their frustration following the crash of the OUSA server during the Hyde Street party ticket sales which were due to start at 9 am. OUSA have reported that they received over 7000 page reload requests per second during the initial ticket offering at 9am which shut Read more...

Thank Fuck The Flag Debate Is Coming To An End

Posted 11:05am Sunday 20th March 2016 by Hugh Baird

This Thursday will see voting in the second flag referendum come to a close, with results to be revealed on March 30.  So far in the second referendum over 1.2 million votes have been returned, a substantially larger number in comparison to the first referendum when at the same stage only Read more...

Zero Hour Contracts Run Out Of Time

Posted 11:02am Sunday 20th March 2016 by Henry Napier

The Government bill has recently passed its Third Reading ending zero hour contracts and extending paid parental leave. The Employment Standards Legislation Bill received bi-partisan support in Parliament gaining the votes of both National and Labour. The original draft of the government bill Read more...

Reserve Bank Cuts OCR Amid Dairy Crisis

Posted 10:59am Sunday 20th March 2016 by Hugh Baird

The Reserve Bank has cut the Official Cash Rate to 2.25 percent, the lowest it has ever been with predictions it could drop a further 25 basis points to 2 percent later this year.  Reserve Bank Governor, Mr Graeme Wheeler justified his decision for cutting rates by explaining that threats Read more...

The Roof Collapse That Changed Hyde’s History

Posted 10:56am Sunday 20th March 2016 by Joe Higham

The annual Hyde Street Keg Party has become infamous, not just in Dunedin, but much, much further afield as well. The demand for tickets this year has been unprecedented. After the servers crashed, the first batch of 1,000 tickets were sold out in 45 seconds, and OUSA were experiencing over 11,000 Read more...

Execrable | Issue 4

Posted 10:51am Sunday 20th March 2016 by Henry Napier

The OUSA Executive are starting a sub-committee to tackle growing fears around student safety. The new working group will comprise of Executive members and will produce a report for Vice Chancellor Harlene Hayne. During last week’s OUSA Executive meeting President Laura Harris raised Read more...

New Zealand’s Contribution To Refugee Crisis Pathetic

Posted 10:46am Sunday 20th March 2016 by Joe Higham

Tuesday last week marked the fifth anniversary of the on going Syrian Civil War that has seen approximately seven million civilians displaced within Syria, just over four million emigrate from their homeland in search of relative safety abroad, involvement of the U.S.A, Britain, and Russia to Read more...

The Cricketing Summer

Posted 12:26pm Sunday 13th March 2016 by Sean Nugent

It's been a turbulent summer of cricket for the Blackcaps. A fairly promising series in Australia was followed by a strong period over the Christmas break against firstly Sri Lanka and then Pakistan. The Chappell/Hadlee trophy was successfully defended, before Brendon McCullum bid his farewell Read more...

New Zealand’s Greatest Batsman Passes Away

Posted 12:20pm Sunday 13th March 2016 by Hugh Baird

After a prolonged fight against lymphoma, Martin Crowe, New Zealand’s greatest ever batsmen passed away last week in Auckland aged just 53.  A statement from his family headed “God Speed, Rest in Peace” said he had died peacefully, surrounded by family. Crowe was Read more...

Sharapova Tests Positive For Drugs After Big New Years

Posted 12:16pm Sunday 13th March 2016 by Sean Nugent

Former world number one and global tennis icon Maria Sharapova has admitted to failing a drug test at the Australian Open in January. The five-time Grand Slam winner tested positive for meldonium, a drug used to help the flow of blood and oxygen. The drug had been banned by the International Read more...

Opinion

Posted 12:12pm Sunday 13th March 2016 by Joel MacManus

Being a Christian can be frustrating sometimes. In the least religious generation in history, it’s tough not to feel a little weird. I don’t really like telling people about my faith, because I don’t want them to think I’m one of "those Christians". I feel the need Read more...

Zero Compliance With Zero Hours

Posted 12:09pm Sunday 13th March 2016 by Tom Kitchin

Imagine it. Sitting round on the couch, waiting in anticipation for a call from your employer to see if you will get the hours you need to support you and your family.  You can’t properly hang out with mates, you can’t spend an afternoon down at the shops, it’s hard to join a Read more...

Critic’s Top 4

Posted 12:04pm Sunday 13th March 2016 by Joel MacManus

David Seymour After a strong 2015, David Seymour has almost certainly secured his personal future as MP for Epsom. 2016 posits a far greater challenge: Saving his party. After 7 years of relatively centrist government, there should be a market for a true Libertarian party among hard right-wing Read more...

To Brexit Or Not To Brexit…

Posted 11:50am Sunday 13th March 2016 by Joe Higham

Britain's in-out EU referendum has been set for June 23. Being Europe’s second largest economy by nominal gdp, a British vote to leave the eu could be catastrophic for the union’s integrity, and could spell the collapse of the union itself.  The reason for the referendum is Read more...

Bloody Knife Found In O.J Simpson Case

Posted 11:46am Sunday 13th March 2016 by Hugh Baird

The case against O.J Simpson in the murder of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994 has taken another strange turn.  The discovery of a bloodied knife just last week buried on Simpson’s property offers hope of new insight into the unsolved murder twenty-two Read more...

High Ranking Islamic State Commander Believed Dead

Posted 11:44am Sunday 13th March 2016 by Hugh Baird

One of Islamic States most infamous commanders may have been killed during targeted strikes by the United States in Syria.  Abu Omar al-Shishani, described by the pentagon as the groups ‘Minister of War’ was the target of a strike near the town of al-Shaddadi. The strike Read more...

North Korean Nuclear Threats Worry International Community

Posted 11:42am Sunday 13th March 2016 by Joe Higham

North Korean supreme leader, Kim Jong-un, has said his country should be ready to use nuclear weaponry at any time and has threatened to turn Washington D.C. into a sea of fire, a comment that is certainly not infrequent but remains worrying for traditional enemies South Korea and the United States Read more...

TPPA Circus Kicks Off

Posted 11:38am Sunday 13th March 2016 by Jessica Thompson

The first of the TPP Roadshows kicked off today with central Auckland being the first stop on the trail. The roadshows are the government’s sales tactic for the agreement, which has gathered criticism by many members of the public as well as several political parties.  Several Read more...

Iran Elects Reformist Majority

Posted 11:36am Sunday 13th March 2016 by Joe Higham

Iranian reformists are celebrating an unprecedented victory in last week’s election, earning 83 of the 280 Parliamentary seats as well as making significant gains in the country’s clerical body; the Assembly of Experts. The principle reformist party, the Persuasive Coalition of Read more...

South Dunedin Was “Severely Neglected”

Posted 11:29am Sunday 13th March 2016 by Joe Higham

South Dunedin residents attended The Nations Church in King Edward Street on Monday night for a meeting about the effects of a devastating flood that caused lasting damage to the community almost nine months ago.  Flooding caused damage to 1250 properties as 175mm of rainfall fell over one Read more...

If Only Steve Could Talk

Posted 11:25am Sunday 13th March 2016 by Critic

Recently the beloved mascot of a student flat was kidnapped, held to ransom and eventually recovered after a daring night-time raid which landed a rescuer in hospital. A third-year student, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he won Steve in a bet as a first-year and they had become close Read more...

Six60 Concert Resident: “We Knew It Wasn’t Safe”

Posted 11:20am Sunday 13th March 2016 by Henry Napier

The neighbouring resident to the flat where a balcony fell during last week’s Six60 concert has said they knew there was a risk hours before the party begun. Though the day ended in tragedy, precautions were taken to prevent overloading of the balcony. “While we were pre-drinking we Read more...

Support For Sufferers Sees Suicide Rate Subside

Posted 11:17am Sunday 13th March 2016 by Henry Napier

The rate of suicides in the Dunedin city area have decreased over the last five years. A report obtained from the Coronial Services unit under an Official Information Act request has shown the number of suicides dropped between 2010 and 2015. The coroner’s report shows the rate of suicides Read more...

Goldens State’s Golden Run

Posted 11:59am Sunday 6th March 2016 by Sean Nugent

Is it now safe to say that the current Golden State Warriors are the best NBA team since the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s? Their 53-5 record shows that they most certainly are, and shockingly, may even be better. Led by superstar guard Stephen Curry, the defending champs have had an extraordinary run Read more...

Could This Finally Be The Warrior’s Year?

Posted 11:52am Sunday 6th March 2016 by Hugh Baird

The arrival of Kiwi superstars Isaac Luke and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck have many of the Mt. Smart faithful licking their lips with the prospect of their first finals series in five years. Though 2015 promised a lot for the Warriors, a disastrous finish to the season losing star players such as Shaun Read more...

Highlanders Hit Early With Injuries

Posted 11:45am Sunday 6th March 2016 by Hugh Baird

Highlanders will have to do without Waisake Naholo and Fumiaki Tanaka for at least the next month, or longer, due to injury. Naholo sustained a new fracture to the same leg that he injured before the World Cup last year. The injury occurred late in the game against the Blues and the fracture was Read more...

Free Tertiary Education Could Be A Reality

Posted 11:39am Sunday 6th March 2016 by Tom Kitchin

During the summer break, all students were hit with something that could create a substantial change in the tertiary education environment. There’s now a real possibility that university students in New Zealand will have access to free education. Labour leader Andrew Little presented a new Read more...

A Quick Chat With

Posted 11:27am Sunday 6th March 2016 by Joel MacManus

To call Todd Barclay’s life unusual would be an understatement. At just twenty four years old, not only did he put himself forward as a parliamentary candidate in Clutha-Southland, he won by a landslide and stepped into the gigantic shoes of the outgoing MP, Bill English.  I sat down Read more...

Trump vs Clinton

Posted 11:13am Sunday 6th March 2016 by Joe Higham

Super Tuesday, a day that can revive or destroy a candidate’s hope for the presidency, took place on March 1 across America as eleven states voted in both the republican and democratic races. Relatively early on, results showed that the Trump political juggernaut is continuing its Read more...

DiCaprio Bags An Oscar

Posted 11:09am Sunday 6th March 2016 by Hugh Baird

After years and years of being denied the award many believe he has long deserved, Leonardo DiCaprio finally graced the stage at the 88th Academy Awards and mitted himself a golden Oscar for his role in The Revenant.  The Academy Awards, more affectionately known as the “Oscars” Read more...

Reddit Used To Raise Alarm

Posted 10:58am Sunday 6th March 2016 by Jessica Thompson

In a distressing turn of events, a Dunedin student was saved by her fiancé with the aid of the entertainment and social news website Reddit. Melody Madill began experiencing a seizure during a Skype session with her fiancé, Anna Messner on Tuesday afternoon. Messner, situated in the Read more...

Campus Cop Believes Non-students Involved In Flat Fire

Posted 10:54am Sunday 6th March 2016 by Critic

Dunedin Police are investigating the couch fire that saw a house on Castle Street come alight in Orientation Week. Campus Cop John Woodhouse says the investigation is ongoing. However, he believes it is likely that non-students were involved. Mr Woodhouse said that while couch fires are Read more...

Four Months Enough For Proctor

Posted 10:48am Sunday 6th March 2016 by Joe Higham

The Proctor of Otago University, Dave Miller, has resigned from the position. He has accepted a job offer from the justice sector, which is where he was employed prior to becoming Proctor just four months ago.  Miller took over from Simon Thompson in late October, who had been Proctor for 15 Read more...

Minimum Wage Increases Fail To Inspire

Posted 10:44am Sunday 6th March 2016 by Joe Higham

The government has announced that the minimum wage will increase 50c from April 1, taking it from $14.75 to $15.25.  Having risen every year since 2009, when it was just $12.50 an hour, the minimum wage still remains far below what some people have been campaigning for. The Living Wage Read more...

CC ’fucking’ TV

Posted 10:36am Sunday 6th March 2016 by Henry Napier

The University of Otago has confirmed their intention to install CCTV cameras throughout a number of student populated streets in Dunedin, with the aim being to keep Otago University students safer. The specific areas intended for the CCTV surveillance are still being finalised, however proposed Read more...

Execrable | Issue 2

Posted 10:33am Sunday 6th March 2016 by Henry Napier

The OUSA executive kicked off the year funding a student political radio show on Otago Access Radio, despite students already having access to broadcast through Radio One. The executive voted last Monday to support the show hosted by Tyler West to be held on Otago Access Radio. The show would be Read more...

2016 New Zealand Teams Preview

Posted 11:39am Sunday 28th February 2016 by Critic

Blues Luckily for the Blues in 2016 the only possible way to go is up. The franchise had a 2015 to forget, winning only three of their matches, losing their first nine and dealing with a raft of off field challenges, ending with the resignation of coach Sir John Kirwan. Players to Watch: Akira Read more...

Kiwis In Australia On New Citizenship Pathway

Posted 11:30am Sunday 28th February 2016 by Hugh Baird

Talks last week between John Key and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull have made it easier for Kiwis living in Australia to seek Australian citizenship.  Prime Minister Turnbull announced the changes recently in a joint press conference during John Key’s trip to Sydney to meet Read more...

Nothing John Key Says This Year Will Matter

Posted 11:28am Sunday 28th February 2016 by Joel MacManus

I'm going to start this column off with a prediction for 2016. It’s not a very bold prediction. In fact it’s pretty much as safe as you can get in the unpredictable world of politics: At some point this year, John Key is going to say something really dumb and/or offensive. It Read more...

Cyclone Winston: Government Sends $2m In Aid

Posted 11:21am Sunday 28th February 2016 by Henry Napier

The New Zealand Government has sent $2 million in aid relief to Fiji following the destruction caused by a recent tropical cyclone dubbed “Cyclone Winston”. So far Cyclone Winston has killed 42 people, according to latest reports from the BBC, with fears for remote areas and islands yet Read more...

Plans For Ceasefire In Syria

Posted 11:18am Sunday 28th February 2016 by Hugh Baird

The United States and Russia have reached a new ceasefire agreement in Syria, set to take effect on Saturday despite questions still remaining over how the truce will be enforced and the response to any violations. Under the terms of the agreement both the Syrian Army and the Syrian Armed Read more...

Trump Keeps On Winning

Posted 11:15am Sunday 28th February 2016 by Joe Higham

Donald Trump’s political juggernaut continues at full pace after claiming two emphatic victories in the winner-takes-all South Carolina primary, claiming 32.5 percent of the vote, and then in his business home of Nevada, he left the rest of the republican candidates floundering behind him, Read more...

Students Bunk, More Room For So Many Activities

Posted 11:07am Sunday 28th February 2016 by Hugh Baird

Victoria University has informed over one hundred first year students, just days out from their arrival that they will have the pleasure of sharing a bunk bed this upcoming year.  Students from Katharine Jermyn Hall, Te Puni and Weir House have all been notified that as compensation for Read more...

Christchurch Remembers Five Years On

Posted 11:04am Sunday 28th February 2016 by Joe Higham

Monday 22 February marked the fifth anniversary of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake that killed 185 people. Along with the human cost, the quake caused approximately $30 billion of damage to the city and surrounding areas, according to the New Zealand Treasury, and ended up as the second worst Read more...

Students Not All To Blame

Posted 10:59am Sunday 28th February 2016 by Joe Higham

Police have arrested 13 people during O Week in Dunedin after some parties got too wild.  Several large parties were shut down due to lighting couches on fire and bottles being thrown. Four people were arrested at a party attended by 150 people where four couches had been set Read more...

Forsyth Barr Stadium Picks Up Its Game

Posted 10:55am Sunday 28th February 2016 by Henry Napier

The parent company of Forsyth Barr Stadium has posted a $1 million profit despite forecasting significantly smaller earnings for the last financial quarter. The company, Dunedin Venues Management Limited (DVML), manages a number of Dunedin City Council owned venues including the Dunedin Centre, Read more...

OUSA Delegates Head To Capitol

Posted 10:50am Sunday 28th February 2016 by Joe Higham

OUSA Welfare Officer, Bryn Jenkins, and Campaigns Officer, Sean Gamble presented an oral submission to the Social Services Select Committee in Parliament on behalf of OUSA on February 17. The submission was in relation to amendments to the Residential Tenancies Amendment Bill. The submission Bryn Read more...

Anonymous Threats at Vic and Otago

Posted 1:23pm Wednesday 7th October 2015 by Josie Cochrane

At the University of Otago, class attendance is down by at least 50 percent today, following a gun-related threat. Otago University Students' Association (OUSA) "absolutely support" the university's decision to remain open. OUSA CEO Debbie Downs says, “If you close today, Read more...

Anonymous Threat: Campus Will Remain Open

Posted 7:21pm Tuesday 6th October 2015 by Josie Cochrane

The University of Otago will remain open tomorrow as police investigate an anonymous gun threat made towards the Dunedin campus.  The original post was made on Monday 5 October 2015 via social media site 4chan, an online bulletin board where users can anonymously post comments and Read more...

Anonymous Threat: Campus Will Remain Open

Posted 7:14pm Tuesday 6th October 2015 by Josie Cochrane

The University of Otago will remain open tomorrow as police investigate an anonymous gun threat made towards the Dunedin campus.  The original post was made on the evening of Monday 5 October 2015 via social media site 4chan, an online board where users can anonymously post comments and Read more...

Otago Looking for Strong Finish to ITM Cup

Posted 1:16pm Sunday 4th October 2015 by Daniel Lormans

Most of the rugby-watching world is understandably fixated on the World Cup, but the real engine of New Zealand rugby, the ITM Cup, is still grinding away in front of mostly empty stadiums. The provincial competition now appears to be a second-tier competition,  but has been the backbone of the Read more...

Olympic and WC Stadium Problems Hit Tokyo

Posted 1:13pm Sunday 4th October 2015 by Daniel Lormans

The 2015 Rugby World Cup is well underway in England and is running smoothly (just maybe not for England on the field) with record-breaking attendance that is making the most of England’s tried and trusted network of world-class sporting venues and transport infrastructure. While World Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 26

Posted 1:05pm Sunday 4th October 2015 by Magnus Whyte

World Watch Dusseldorf, Germany Police say a woman who disappeared in 1984, sparking a murder hunt, has been found alive and well in Dusseldorf. Petra Pazsitka, then 24, was declared dead five years after she went missing from her student accommodation. When police investigating a robbery came Read more...

Interview: James Shaw

Posted 12:39pm Sunday 4th October 2015 by Henry Napier

Back in May, James Shaw was travelling around the country on the Green Party regional tour for the co-leaders election. Critic was able to talk to him about his bid to co-lead the party. Shaw went on to win the co-leadership. Last week, we got to sit down with him again and hear what Read more...

Year in Review

Posted 12:36pm Sunday 4th October 2015 by Henry Napier

It's come to the end of Critic's 2015 year. Therefore, it seems appropriate to look back on what has happened in politics over the last nine or so months. Party Performances The National Party: 7/10 National started the year in strides following a ground-breaking victory Read more...

Flowing Water Discovered on Mars

Posted 12:27pm Sunday 4th October 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

NAS has announced that new findings from their Reconnaissance Orbiter provide strong evidence that water flows intermittently on Mars. The findings come just after long dark streaks on cliffs and crater walls were spotted on the red planet. According to a NASA media release, the findings show Read more...

Hajj Crush Kills Hundreds

Posted 12:25pm Sunday 4th October 2015 by Jessica Thompson

On Thursday 24 September 769 people were crushed to death in the Muslim Holy City in Mecca. Each year, the Hajj brings millions of people to Islam’s holiest sites.  The incident occurred during the final days of the Hajj when two large groups of pilgrims converged on a narrow road. 863 Read more...

Missing Mexican Students Spur Protests

Posted 12:23pm Sunday 4th October 2015 by George Elliott

Thousands of people marched through Mexico City on 26 September to mark the one-year anniversary of 43 students disappearing in the southern state of Guerrero.  The anniversary sparked widespread outrage at government corruption and fuelled opposition to an already unpopular Read more...

2015 in Brief

Posted 12:01pm Sunday 4th October 2015 by Laura Munro

US Supreme Court Legalises Gay Marriage On 26 June, the US Supreme Court legalised the marriage of same-sex couples in all 50 states. After the decision was announced, the White House was illuminated in rainbow colours. An open supporter of gay marriage, President Obama said: “If Read more...

SDHB Injected With $7 Million

Posted 11:58am Sunday 4th October 2015 by Bridie Boyd

The government has announced it will be giving the cash-strapped Southern District Health Board $7 million to help pay its outstanding bills. However, Minister of Health Jonathan Coleman confirmed in a statement that no more money would be given to the board until it has confirmed its deficit for Read more...

Drunks Stopped with Barbed Wire

Posted 11:55am Sunday 4th October 2015 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

The University of Canterbury has been forced to use barbed razor wire to deter students attempting to climb on construction cranes on campus. A university spokesperson said students gained unauthorised access to construction sites in three incidents, two of which occurred after the barbed wire Read more...

RAs Worse Off after Pay Changes

Posted 11:52am Sunday 4th October 2015 by Joe Higham

Residential assistants (RAs) say they have been left worse off after the University of Otago changed its payment system at the beginning of 2015. Although the change has increased RAs’ initial pay, the accommodation supplement has been scrapped, meaning they have less in their pockets Read more...

Anti-TPPA Protest Draws Small Crowd

Posted 11:48am Sunday 4th October 2015 by Bridie Boyd

The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) was the subject of another student protest last week, this time taking place on the Union Lawn. The protest was the largest University of Otago activist event in 2015, attracting around 100 people. The protest, organised by leader of the Otago Read more...

Vic Students Vote to Stay in NZUSA

Posted 11:39am Sunday 4th October 2015 by Laura Munro

Victoria University students voted to stay in the New Zealand Union of Student Associations (NZUSA) in a referendum held on 24 September. Students were asked whether the Victoria University of Wellington Students’ Assoication should withdraw or retain its membership of NZUSA, with 72 Read more...

Harris In The House

Posted 11:05am Sunday 4th October 2015 by Staff Reporter

Over the 10-day voting period, which ended last week, 4311 Otago students cast their votes for the 2016 OUSA Executive. Although only 21 percent of the student population voted in the election, voter turnout was up by over 1000 from 2014, after a clear increase in on-campus campaigning. The Read more...

All Blacks Shake Off Rusty Start against Pumas

Posted 12:19pm Sunday 27th September 2015 by Daniel Lormans

The All Blacks certainly looked the part in their new high-tech carbon-woven jerseys, which are the “blackest All Blacks jersey ever”, according to makers Adidas.   Ex-England captain Matt Dawson put out a parody video called the “Hakarena”, inspired by the catchy 90s Read more...

South Africa Defeated By Japan: Blame the Seagulls

Posted 12:17pm Sunday 27th September 2015 by Daniel Lormans

The Japanese team really lived up to its nickname when a gutsy performance saw them pull off a last-minute 34–32 victory over two-time World Cup winners, South Africa. Don’t think the game was just handed to Japan though; they worked their red and white socks off — especially Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 25

Posted 11:57am Sunday 27th September 2015 by Magnus Whyte

World Watch Frankfurt, Germany  Construction work has unearthed the skeletons of 200 French soldiers from the army of Napoleon Bonaparte. The soldiers are believed to be from Napoleon’s Grand Army retreating from Russia in 1813. They probably died from battle wounds or typhus. More Read more...

In My Opinion: Henry’s word | Issue 25

Posted 11:52am Sunday 27th September 2015 by Henry Napier

Last week the prime minister was asked the same question a record seven times, six times with exactly the same wording. Key was forced to masterfully deflect the long-time opposition favourite: Does he stand by all his statements? However, this time the old Trojan-horse question was accompanied by Read more...

Red Peak Climbs into the Mix

Posted 11:49am Sunday 27th September 2015 by Henry Napier

Prime Minister John Key has confirmed that the Red Peak flag design will be included in the first referendum, scheduled for November.  Last week the Green Party submitted a bill under urgency to parliament, seeking to amend the selection process to allow for five flags rather than Read more...

Greek Prime Minister Takes Out Second Elections

Posted 11:46am Sunday 27th September 2015 by George Elliott

Alexis Tsipras and his left-wing anti-austerity party Syriza have won their second election in less than nine months. The snap elections were called earlier this year after Tsipras resigned in late August amid the Greek financial crisis. Tsipras said shortly after his resignation that he felt his Read more...

13 Killed in Chile Earthquake

Posted 11:44am Sunday 27th September 2015 by Bridie Boyd

Thirteen people were killed in Chile after an 8.3 earthquake struck the nation on 16 September. A tsunami followed shortly afterward. The earthquake occurred offshore from Illapel, Chile, just before 8pm. The earthquake’s epicentre was 143 kilometres north-north-west of the city of Read more...

Pentagon Programme Deemed a Failure

Posted 11:42am Sunday 27th September 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

Around 75 fighters trained by American, British and Turkish military forces have entered Syria, a monitoring group has claimed. The trained fighters crossed over from Turkey on Friday 18 and Saturday 19 September. They are now north of the Syrian city of Aleppo. The fighters were trained and Read more...

Cake, Coffee and Chemistry

Posted 11:38am Sunday 27th September 2015 by India Leishman

A new chemistry-themed café, The Lab, has opened in the university’s Centre for Innovation. The café replaces the Fix café, which closed last July. Kate Cooper, the manager of the Staff Club, said the Centre for Innovation approached her about the potential for a Read more...

DCC to Buy New Lightbulbs

Posted 11:36am Sunday 27th September 2015 by Emily Duncan

The DCC has announced a new draft energy plan that will showcase Dunedin’s night sky as a tourist attraction.  The initiative aims to replace all of Dunedin’s outdoor lighting with LED technology in order to reduce light pollution, giving a clearer view of the stars and the night Read more...

All the Awards at Blues and Golds

Posted 11:33am Sunday 27th September 2015 by Laura Munro

Student achievements in sports and culture were celebrated at the OUSA Blues and Golds awards last Thursday. The Blues award for Sportsman of the Year went to Fa’asiu Fuatai, who has been selected for the All Blacks’ 7s squad after playing in the University of Otago Premier team. The Read more...

OUSA Executive Forums

Posted 11:06am Sunday 27th September 2015 by Bridie Boyd

Presidential Candidates Payal Ramritu Payal went for an unusual tactic during the debate, claiming she doesn’t need to run “any bullshit campaign … I’m already doing the work, making things happen right now.” The MC, and current OUSA acting president Isaac Read more...

2016 Presidential Candidates

Posted 10:57am Sunday 27th September 2015 by Laura Munro

Payal Ramritu P ayal passionately discussed her neighbourhood project. Critic asked Payal to point out the biggest weakness of each of her fellow candidates, considering she has worked on the executive with all three. She felt Laura could be “intimidating”, Nina was Read more...

Ex-Cop Announced as New Otago Proctor

Posted 10:47am Sunday 27th September 2015 by Joe Higham

Ministry of Justice official and former police officer Dave Miller has been announced as the university’s new proctor. Miller is to replace Simon Thompson, who held the position for 15 years and retired on 25 September. Miller will begin his tenure on 28 October. Miller, who is finishing Read more...

Execrable | Issue 25

Posted 10:44am Sunday 27th September 2015 by Laura Munro

An emergency executive meeting was held last Wednesday, three days after voting for the 2016 executive opened. Admin Vice President Isaac Yu ran the meeting because the current president, who is running for re-election next year, was “out campaigning”. The finance officer, who is also Read more...

Vigil for Pigs Shot at Otago

Posted 10:40am Sunday 27th September 2015 by Laura Munro

Animal rights activists held a silent vigil at Dunedin’s vivisection laboratory last week after learning live pigs were shot in the head during back-spatter experiments.  Back-spatter is the term given to blood and tissue that issues from the entry wound caused by a bullet and moves Read more...

The 2015 Rugby World Cup Kicks Off

Posted 1:00pm Sunday 20th September 2015 by Daniel Lormans

It seems like only yesterday that Richie McCaw was proudly holding up the William Webb Ellis Cup in the middle of Eden Park and John Key was performing his infamously awkward triple handshake after the All Blacks won the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Pool A has been labelled as the “group of Read more...

Thousands Run in the Dunedin Marathon

Posted 12:55pm Sunday 20th September 2015 by Daniel Lormans

Nearly 2000 people took part in the 37th annual Cadbury Dunedin Marathon on Sunday 12th September.  A group of 21 Otago students used the event to raise $4,800 for the Do It In a Dress campaign, raising money for One Child - an education initiative for young girls in Africa.  The first Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 24

Posted 12:50pm Sunday 20th September 2015 by Magnus Whyte

World Watch Tokyo, Japan An endangered lemur is being sent from Japan to the Channel Islands in the hope that she will find a mate. Tokyo’s Ueno Zoo is sending Ala, a female aye-aye lemur, on an “extended romantic vacation” to the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Zoologists Read more...

In My Opinion: Henry’s word | Issue 24

Posted 12:32pm Sunday 20th September 2015 by Henry Napier

Jacinda Ardern is young, popular and a woman. Those qualities have been entirely absent from the Labour Party leadership since Helen left. It’s about time they were brought back. The last four leaders of the Labour Party have been relatively interchangeable, at least on the surface. Phil Read more...

UK Labour Party Heads Left

Posted 12:29pm Sunday 20th September 2015 by Henry Napier

After Ed Miliband’s departure last week, Jeremy Corbyn has been elected as the new leader of the UK Labour Party. Although an unlikely candidate, Corbyn won by a landslide majority with 60 percent of the vote. Corbyn received 251,000 of the 422,000 votes cast. Party members, registered Read more...

Veteran Politician is Australia’s New PM

Posted 12:26pm Sunday 20th September 2015 by Henry Napier

Liberal Party MP Malcolm Turnbull has become Australia’s fourth prime minister in 27 months. Turnbull, who requested a leadership ballot after months of openly criticising now former prime minister, Tony Abbott, won the vote 54–44. In a press conference before the ballot, Turnbull Read more...