Archive

Where Does Your $1,015 Fee Go?

Posted 12:04pm Monday 11th September 2023 by jack campbell

You probably paid about $1,015 to Otago as a Student Services Fee. Why do we do this? Where does it go?    Imagine a group of students wondering where all their money is going as they are sitting around eating instant noodles. And then, lo and behold: a $20 million student levy fund! Read more...

Privacy Commissioner Slams Landlord Website

Posted 12:00pm Monday 11th September 2023 by Zak Rudin

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) has released a media release explaining why the website What Does My Landlord Own? (WDMLO) was found in breach of the Privacy Act. The Privacy Commissioner decided to publicly comment on the website as it apparently “provides a cautionary example in Read more...

Is the New Statue Backwards?

Posted 11:57am Monday 11th September 2023 by Hugh Askerud

Flogging a dead horse to some degree, Critic Te Ārohi asked the University for any word on why the infamous white box still hasn’t been lifted outside St Dave’s. A bit like a kid in the backseat of a car repeatedly asking their parents “Are we there yet?” Once again, we Read more...

Won’t Someone Think of the Children?

Posted 9:07pm Sunday 3rd September 2023 by Elliot Weir

Throughout the election cycle, politicians get asked a lot of questions - in the debating chamber, on the tiles outside Parliament, on the TVNZ debate stage, in the RNZ studio, on the side of the road. The sum of these questions can paint a picture of the values and concerns of at least some portion Read more...

New Religion Club Goes Rogue

Posted 9:05pm Sunday 3rd September 2023 by Hugh Askerud

Wednesday, August 23 seemed an ordinary day in OUSA Clubs and Socs. Until the lights went out, mysterious figures emerged from the shadows, and a variety of sacrificial snacks were put on display. Yes, you’ve guessed correctly: the Society of Religious Studies Enthusiasts (SORSE) sat down for Read more...

“Tenant Blacklist” Database Allegedly Breaches Privacy Act

Posted 8:56pm Sunday 3rd September 2023 by Zak Rudin

The renter’s advocacy union Renters United has alleged that Illion Tenancy’s new feature may be in breach of the Privacy Act. The new feature notifies landlords when a tenant has had a background check.    Illion Tenancy, formerly known as TINZ and cheekily referred to by Read more...

Uni Whales Win Hockey Championship

Posted 8:38pm Sunday 3rd September 2023 by Hugh Askerud

The University Whales performed the impossible on Saturday, August 19, winning the premier men's hockey competition in a stunning shootout victory. Blub-blub.   After an initially slow start to the season, the team has been called the “most unlikely of champions”. Before Read more...

Arana Renovations Undermine Enrolment Targets

Posted 11:01pm Sunday 20th August 2023 by Ollie McKenna

The closure of Arana College has been confirmed for 2024, putting the University’s plan to increase its number of full-time students in a bit of a sticky situation.   One of the priorities of the University’s Strategic Plan, Pae Tata, was to increase its number of full time Read more...

Ex-Student Stripper Brings ‘Tragic Mike’ to Dunedin

Posted 10:58pm Sunday 20th August 2023 by Nina Brown

“I’ll just drop out and become a stripper.” Yeah, right, we’ve all said that. Gianni took it seriously.   The pay is great, you keep fit, rake in that yummy attention, and never have to read another academic article again. “What’s not to love?” Read more...

OUSA Puts Down Pet Project

Posted 10:55pm Sunday 20th August 2023 by Nina Brown

It was with heavy hearts that the OUSA exec passed a motion (with one vote against) on Friday, August 11, to cancel the Starters Bar lease.    You’ll probably be thinking, “But I thought that closed ages ago?” And you’d be right - the bar has sat stagnant on Read more...

Seagull Gang Ram-Raids Night ‘n Day

Posted 10:53pm Sunday 20th August 2023 by Hugh Askerud

Thursday evening, August 10th. A gang of ten young ruffians swarmed into the Octagon Night ‘n Day, harassing staff and customers while refusing to leave.    The offenders – all in matching outfits – refused to communicate in english. Maybe because they were Read more...

OUSA Petitions For Universal Study Wage

Posted 3:45pm Sunday 13th August 2023 by Hugh Askerud

OUSA and VUWSA have put forward a petition to the Prime Minister and Minister for Finance and Education for a universal study wage for all tertiary students of $385/week.    The petition is part of a wider “No More Excuses!” campaign that the New Zealand Union of Read more...

Chocmaggedon!

Posted 3:43pm Sunday 13th August 2023 by Hugh Askerud

A block of Cadbury’s chocolate has risen to $4.99 retail price in Countdown and New World supermarkets, leaving students stunned as they announce the onslaught of Chocmaggedon.    Though the Commerce Commission’s investigation ostensibly had some impact on freezing prices Read more...

Anti-Chinese State Propaganda Given Out on Campus

Posted 3:37pm Sunday 13th August 2023 by Zak Rudin

Nico was coming out of a lecture on Wednesday, August 2, when he was intercepted by an unknown woman who handed him an envelope without so much as a word. The woman was wearing a white puffer jacket and baseball cap that obscured her face. On the face of the envelope was a barely-legible Read more...

‘Everything Room’ Activists Appear in Court

Posted 3:34pm Sunday 13th August 2023 by Zak Rudin

Three protesters arrested for damaging University of Otago property appeared at the District Court Tuesday, August 8. Around 20 supporters were there in solidarity.    Third-year student Jowan Nute and non-students Liam Scaife and Carl Naus were arrested Tuesday, August 1, for Read more...

‘Everything Room’ Activists Appear In Court

Posted 5:40pm Tuesday 8th August 2023 by Zak Rudin

Three protesters arrested for damaging University of Otago property appeared at the District Court Tuesday, August 8. Around 20 supporters were there in solidarity.  Third-year student Jowan Nute and non-students Liam Scaife and Carl Naus were arrested Tuesday, August 1, for intentional Read more...

Med Revue Reviewed

Posted 3:52pm Tuesday 8th August 2023 by Zak Rudin

Med revue, the annual showcase of med students trying to prove they have a sense of humor, was performed to students, friends and family last weekend. With nothing better to do on a Saturday night, Critic Te Ārohi went along to the finale.  Keeping with tradition, the main plot Read more...

33 Boys, 42 Kilometres, 50 Grand

Posted 2:20pm Monday 7th August 2023 by Nina Brown

A group of 33 third-year boys have raised over $50k and counting for the Spark That Chat mental health campaign while training for the Emerson’s Dunedin Marathon in September. We note that that’s enough to pay for all the stolen road cones.    Will, Josh, Jamie and Sam, Read more...

The Great Dunedin Nitro Conspiracy

Posted 2:19pm Monday 7th August 2023 by Nina Brown

In issue 15 (the one with the rad skiing rat on the cover from a few weeks ago) we published in the TL;DR section of the news that the DCC and Police were allegedly trying to phase out the sale of Nitro. This was inaccurate, and we apologise for any upset caused by this news. But we had good reason Read more...

Numbers are Boring: Especially the ones that say you lost

Posted 2:09pm Monday 7th August 2023 by Ollie McKenna

One of the most prestigious sporting organisations in the world graced Forsyth Barr in the past few weeks: FIFA. A look on Wikipedia might suggest that Dunedin may not have been the most successful choice of venue based on the game stats. But while numbers are boring (though maybe not as boring as Read more...