Archive
Discussion of China Could “Endanger” Auckland Students
Posted 10:16pm Thursday 6th August 2020 by James Joblin
A lecturer advised students taking PHIL105: Critical Thinking at the University of Auckland not to discuss issues that are controversial for the Chinese government, because of a risk of danger from “Chinese governmental agents”. The course is taught on two campuses in mainland China, as Read more...
Putting the “Toxic” in “Intoxication”
Posted 10:11pm Thursday 6th August 2020 by Fox Meyer
Alcohol is a chemical drug, and our bodies are biological machines. When you put too much of that drug into your body, it becomes difficult for the machine to function properly. And even though our bodies process alcohol subconsciously, there are a few decisions you can make to help your Read more...
Discussion of China Could “Endanger” Auckland Students
Posted 5:14pm Wednesday 5th August 2020 by James Joblin
A lecturer advised students taking PHIL105: Critical Thinking at the University of Auckland not to discuss issues that are controversial for the Chinese government, because of a risk of danger from “Chinese governmental agents”. The course is also taught on two campuses in mainland Read more...
OUSA Did “Nothing” About Alleged Sexual Assault in 2009
Posted 1:43pm Sunday 2nd August 2020 by Sinead Gill
Content warning: sexual violence, murder. The alleged perpetrator of a sexual assault in 2009 continued to work at OUSA for years after the complaint was brought to them. OUSA still does not have a sexual misconduct policy, despite telling the complainant that they were developing a similar Read more...
Vending Machines Breakdown on Campus
Posted 10:21pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Jack Gilmore
Just like Health Scis, the vending machines in the Link have been suffering from multiple breakdowns over the past two weeks. Critic has noticed five vending machine breakdowns over the past two weeks. In a statement, a spokesperson for the University said: “There has been an issue lately Read more...
The Climb: An Investigation into the Most Efficient Way to Get Up the Richardson Building
Posted 10:19pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Annabelle Vaughan
The Richardson Building is one of Otago’s most iconic pieces of architecture. It is obscenely tall and radiates an obnoxious amount of big dick energy. However, it’s also one of the most challenging, harrowing and exhausting buildings to climb up. Getting to class in Richardson is Read more...
“Sophia Charter” Signed to Make Student Parties Less Risky
Posted 10:16pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Erin Gourley
The University of Otago and Sophia Crestani’s parents hope to see permanent changes in the student community as a result of The Sophia Charter. The Sophia Charter is named after Sophia Crestani, an Otago student who died during a flat party in October last year. The Charter aims to make Read more...
Is Sal’s really the 22nd best pizza in the world?
Posted 10:13pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Phillip Plant
The following is one man’s (who may actually just be a butch lesbian in disguise) account of Critic’s least significant investigation to date. You may be shocked, you may be horrified, you may be disgusted, but no matter what you feel, please keep reading because I worked really hard on Read more...
Student Votes Split Between Labour and Green
Posted 10:06pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Fox Meyer
Otago Uni students can’t decide how far left they want to lean. Colmar Brunton sampled only 0.00031% of the eligible voting population for their national poll, so Critic beat their standard by sampling 52 students to get this data, or 0.0029% of students at Otago (almost 10x more Read more...
PSA: On-Campus Food Gets Discounted in the Afternoon
Posted 10:00pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Jackson Burgess
Food available at cafes and restaurants on campus is cheaper towards the end of the day. A Critic reporter was pleasantly surprised to discover that their sandwich cost $2.50 rather than $5.00. Saint David’s cafe, Albany Cafe and other university-owned cafes all offer different deals to Read more...
Students Struggling To Pay International Fees
Posted 9:57pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by James Joblin
International students facing financial hardship feel that Pūtea Tautoko does not address their needs. “I spend more on tuition fees than anything else,” said Syd*. The funds available to help international students provide living costs, but avoid the expensive international Read more...
Rental Properties Alarmingly Expensive
Posted 9:42pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington
Student flats are being advertised on Facebook by private landlords requesting as much as $270 per room for a typical shared flat. Facebook groups such as Otago Flatting Goods, Otago Buy Sell and Trade, and Dunedin Rentals have had private landlords advertising their properties for students Read more...
OUSA to Adopt Bill and Bill
Posted 9:41pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic
The first working day after our beloved Bills returned to the University campus from their alleged ab-duck-tion, OUSA began the process of informally adopting our gay icons. According to OUSA Welfare and Equity Representative Michaela Waite-Harvey, the Executive are currently Read more...
New OUSA Clubs and Socs Representative Elected
Posted 9:39pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Sinead Gill
702 students have elected their new Clubs and Socs representative for OUSA - Dushanka Govender. Dushanka was “kind of” surprised by the win. She told Critic, “everyone who ran was so capable and experienced, anyone would have done a good job in the role”. OUSA elections Read more...
Ransom Paid to 'Attacker' Who Potentially Stole Otago Alumni Information
Posted 12:43pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Sinead Gill
A data security breach from May of this year may include information on Otago Alumni. The breach has since been contained following Blackbaud's negotiation and ransom settlement with "the attacker". According to an email sent to Otago Alumni, Blackbaud (not to be Read more...
Happy 130th birthday OUSA, have a tree
Posted 2:12pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Fox Meyer
OUSA celebrated its 130th birthday by doing what any 130-year-old would do: planting a tree. However, in an unexpected and ghastly turn of events, the poor baby was forced to stand naked in Union Lawn for five days, an activity I’ve only ever done by choice. The tree was planted on Wednesday 8 Read more...
First Person to Vomit Inside The Maharajas Speaks Out
Posted 2:10pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Oscar Paul
Popular BYO restaurant The Maharajas have survived their first in-house vomit. The vomit, which occurred at 9:15pm on Friday 17 July, broke The Maharajas’ massive three year streak of puke-less student BYO curry nights. "I had two bongs before I came to dinner and my flatmate pressured Read more...
Below Average Pay for Summer Studentships
Posted 2:09pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Erin Gourley
Students working summer studentships at the University of Otago felt that they had to choose between fair pay and academic experience. Some students believe that the academic experience earned was worth it. Some students received pay as low as $10 per hour worked in the summer of 2018 and Read more...
Student Safety Policy to be Released in Light of Sophia Crestani’s Death
Posted 2:07pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Erin Gourley
“The Sophia Charter”, a policy named after Sophia Crestani and developed by the University, will be signed into effect this Wednesday. The Charter is named after Sophia Crestani, the Otago student who died at a flat party in October of last year. “Full details will be Read more...
Dedicated Campus Queer Space Faces Further Delay
Posted 2:06pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Naomii Seah
The University of Otago still doesn’t have a dedicated queer space, despite the promises made about the space by the OUSA Exec back in 2019. Finding a queer space on campus has been a talking point for the OUSA Executive since late 2018, when then-Welfare Officer Abigail Clark began Read more...
CRITIC TANGENTIALLY TAKES OVER PART OF SALIENT AND MASSIVE MAGAZINES
Posted 2:02pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Sinead Gill
Planet Media, the advertising department for OUSA, has taken on an 8-month trial run of managing the sales the student magazines for Victoria and Massey Universities, Salient and Massive. The three incredibly dashing young men behind Planet Media help Critic with our ad revenue and are Read more...
OPINION: Fuck Sexual Violence, and Fuck Anyone Who Thinks it is Excusable
Posted 1:57pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Kayli Taylor
Content warning: sexual violence. The University of Otago is 151 years old, and has likely seen 151 years of sexual violence and abuse on campus. The most recent allegations against Josh Smith, former OUSA Clubs and Societies representative and president of the Dunedin Fire and Circus Club, are Read more...
Series of Evacuations on Campus Inconveniences Some Students
Posted 1:55pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Annabelle Vaughan
Evacuations on campus caused a slight inconvenience for students, and is potentially karma for their eaerness to be on campus this early in the semester. St Dave’s was evacuated on Friday, then Central Library on Saturday, and Mellor Lab was evacuated on Wednesday, all within the span of a Read more...
Bye Bi Birdie?
Posted 1:52pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Fox Meyer
DOC is still to confirm whether Bird Rescue Dunedin (BRD) released the Bills, but it appears that, yes, our darling ducks were relocated to Tomahawk Lagoon. Cue our collective tears. In case you’ve missed it, our resident queer icons recently got in trouble for a brunch date at Kiki Beware. Read more...
Campus-Wide Reports of Sketchy Door-Knockers
Posted 1:51pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Fox Meyer
Two young men have been knocking on North Dunedin doors and asking if any men live in the flat who would like to take part in their religious or University survey. They have reportedly been doing this door-knocking since as early as 6 July. It’s a bit sus, but might not be anything Read more...
DCC Keeps Promises Like Your High School Boyfriend
Posted 1:42pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Fox Meyer
The DCC say they are doing their best, having made six promises and upholding only one. One year ago, the group that represents students (OUSA) delivered a list of issues to the group that represents the city (DCC), and asked them to pledge their commitment to whichever of the causes they wanted Read more...
ClinicalKey Licence Cut By Uni
Posted 1:34pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Erin Gourley
The University has decided to cut their subscription to ClinicalKey after the research database reportedly increased their license fee by “well beyond” 6%. ClinicalKey is a research database for Health Science and Science students. According to the library website, it provides Read more...
OUSA By-Election Not-Debate Not-Analysis
Posted 1:28pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Sinead Gill
Ah. Another year, another OUSA Exec resignation, another by-election. Despite even fewer people attending this debate than ever (Critic couldn’t see any non-OUSA Execcies or staff members in attendance), all three of these candidates seem to be the most qualified for an OUSA position in Read more...
Breathas Were Nice to Bar Staff in Re-O
Posted 1:06pm Sunday 19th July 2020 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic
OMG you guys chivalry is not dead, the breathas are nice now! Bartenders report that drunk students tended to be nicer than normal over the Re-O Week. “Well, as a bartender I’m very used to pretty normal amount of verbal abuse from breathas, being cut off and slurs of poorly thought Read more...
Smith “Taking A Step Back” After Complaint of Alleged Sexual Violence
Posted 10:18pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Erin Gourley
Content warning: sexual violence Former OUSA Clubs and Societies Representative, Josh Smith (a.k.a. Josh Smythe), was accused of sexual violence by a student in 2019. At the time, OUSA was informed of the complaint, and OUSA “understands” that a police statement was made. “A Read more...
Former Clubs and Socs Representative Accuses OUSA President of “Blatant Lie”
Posted 10:13pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Sinead Gill
After saying he resigned for personal reasons, Josh Smythe has now alleged that OUSA President Jack Manning gave him an ultimatum in a private meeting. According to Josh, he wanted to stay on as the Clubs and Societies Representative, but was told: “The only option is if you take a Read more...
Sleepovers Possible at UBS Thanks to the OUSA Exec
Posted 8:20pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Caroline Moratti
The upstairs of University Bookstore on Cumberland Street is set for revolutionary change, with the OUSA Exec voting to adopt the “accommodation option” proposed by their Finance and Expenditure Committee. Although much of the building’s development is shrouded by the Read more...
Restaurant Boom Over Re-Ori
Posted 8:19pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Jack Gilmore
According to workers in Dunedin restaurants, students turned out in droves during Re-O to support the many eating establishments in our fair city. This might explain the proportion of vomit on the streets of North Dunedin. Many restaurateurs, waiters, and cooks have reported to Critic that they Read more...
More Free Mental Health Appointments for Students from 2021
Posted 8:15pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Erin Gourley
More students will be able to access free therapy and treatment for mental health from 2021, thanks to a $25million of funding towards mental health services for tertiary students aged 18 to 25. The funding, announced on 11 July, will target students who are mildly or moderately distressed Read more...
Cutler Told Tenants to Trash the Trash Rules
Posted 8:14pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Erin Gourley
Matt Cutler has been advising students to put out low-cost, unmarked rubbish bags for collection, rather than the official DCC rubbish bags. “[...] With rubbish just put it in low cost bags at night - there’s collection every week day in the city. Just don’t put your mail Read more...
Property Destruction Pretty Lit During Re-O
Posted 8:14pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington
Re-O Week was extra chaotic this year, with couch burning and other property destruction reported in the student area. Students witnessed a notable amount of damage happening throughout the week as parties were held on streets such as Hyde, Leith, Frederick, Queen, and Castle. Couch burning is a Read more...
Otago University has an Underground Beer Pong Society, and it’s Really Fucking Strange
Posted 8:13pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Annabelle Vaughan
Turns out, the Otago University Beer Pong Society is real and exactly what you would expect - a bunch of testosterone-fuelled guys who miss their high school sports teams a little too much. Otago Uni and the student gremlins which inhabit this community have some very odd and highly Read more...
One in Five Chance Your Re-O MDMA Was Bath Salts
Posted 8:11pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Oscar Paul
20% of the drug samples tested by KnowYourStuff during Re-O Week turned out to be synthetic cathinones (a.k.a. bath salts, a.k.a. a bad time). KnowYourStuff detected nine samples of mephedrone and eight samples of a new, unknown cathinone. “This unknown cathinone [detected during Re-O Week] Read more...
Vibe Check: Political Debate Edition
Posted 2:29pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters
I care about things, but I know very little about politics. So when I was asked to attend and take some notes on the ‘Response to Covid’ debate in Union Hall (organised by DebSoc), I was confused, but intrigued. Honestly, I love a bit of drama and as much as David Seymour annoys me, he Read more...
Opinion: It’s Fucked that Dunedin Clubs Don’t have Cloakrooms
Posted 2:22pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Caroline Moratti
It’s a Saturday night, and you’ve been bobbing to Glitter by Benee for the past three hours in Suburbia. It’s been a good night but you’re ready to call it quits and shelve some kebabs before passing out in your best mate’s bed. The issue is that you have to survive the Read more...
OUSA Sexual Misconduct Policy Two Months Away
Posted 2:20pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Erin Gourley
The development of an OUSA sexual misconduct policy began in 2019. Seven months into 2020, club leaders are still waiting. OUSA told Critic that the policy will be “achieved… during second semester” through OUSA’s Affiliated Clubs Council. Last September, Critic covered Read more...
SOCIAL EXPERIMENT: Critic Attempts Crime
Posted 2:02pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Sinead Gill
Last week, Critic received an anonymous tip from someone claiming to be “member of the student community” about a certain “hack” (crime) that allowed people to get Victorian Bitters (VBs) beers for free from Countdown. A week after exposing this “hack” (crime), Read more...
Results Withheld Due to “Unprecedented Volume” of Academic Misconduct
Posted 1:58pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic
Due to an “unprecedented volume” of potential academic misconduct cases across all four divisions of the University of Otago, many exam results have been withheld. The University aims to confirm all results by this Friday, 10 July. Students who show “above-average levels of Read more...
“Abusive and Predatory Behaviour”: Report Claims OUSA-Affiliated Club Had a Culture of Abuse
Posted 1:55pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Sinead Gill
Content warning: Explicit descriptions of sexual abuse, violent behaviours and emotional manipulation. After a member alleged they were sexually assaulted, the Dunedin Fire and Circus Club published a preliminary report on internal sexual and emotional abuse, and proposed changes within the Read more...
Southernmost Foosball Club Launched and Free to Play
Posted 1:26pm Sunday 12th July 2020 by Sophia Carter Peters
Amidst a global pandemic, a collective social upheaval, and the general decay of the 21st century, there is but one truth: foosball. Otago’s first foosball association, the Dunedin Foosball Association, has finally broken ground. The association, led by Zoology lecturer Paul Szyszka, has Read more...
OUSA Takes Pro-Cannabis Legalisation Stance
Posted 3:04pm Sunday 5th July 2020 by Sinead Gill
Just over a month ago, OUSA asked students whether or not OUSA should take a stance in the upcoming cannabis legalisation referendum. Students said yes. The Exec decided to have a punishingly long discussion about whether or not they should do it, anyway. The Exec had a choice between two Read more...
Residential College Rebate Increases to $200
Posted 3:03pm Sunday 5th July 2020 by Erin Gourley
Students who left their residential colleges for lockdown got $200 per week as a residential fee rebate. This was an increase of $80 from the initial rebate, agreed to after OUSA met with the University to put students’ concerns forward. The original amount the University offered students Read more...
Local Hero Catches Thief Mid-Burglary
Posted 3:01pm Sunday 5th July 2020 by Fox Meyer
A flat a stone’s throw from the Clocktower would’ve been burglarised last week if it weren’t for the heroic efforts of an upstanding young Kiwi. Thom Harrison (6’7”, 120 kg, single) was surprised to see “this fuckin’ random dude just taking shit outta my Read more...
OUSA Exec Are Confused About Their Own Referendum
Posted 2:55pm Sunday 5th July 2020 by Erin Gourley
The OUSA Executive asked students some confusing questions about what they should do and now they are confused about what they should do. The annual OUSA Referendum was held online from 25-28 May. When the results came in, the OUSA Exec realised they had fucked up a few of the questions or were Read more...
Pint Night Returns for Semester Two
Posted 2:50pm Sunday 5th July 2020 by Annabelle Vaughan
The University has confirmed that Pint Night is on for semester two. Despite fearmongering in the student community that Pint Night was not going to go ahead post-lockdown, a University spokesperson confirmed to Critic that Pint Night will in fact recommence on Wednesday, 8 July, during Re-O Read more...
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