Archive

Aerospace Summit Disrupted by Protests

Posted 12:48pm Monday 18th September 2023 by Zak Rudin

A group of local Otago students sent it up to Ōtautahi Christchurch last Monday to join forces with environmental justice and peace activists there and protest the Aerospace Summit. As the name suggests, the conference was about space. The conference was sponsored in part by Lockheed Martin, Read more...

Heavy Breathers Cross the Finish Line

Posted 12:47pm Monday 18th September 2023 by Harriette Boucher

In the race for men’s mental health, the Heavy Breathers smashed not only their personal bests but the silence that surrounds the issue that resonates deeply with the group.    The Heavy Breathers, a group of 33 third-year boys, set out on a mission to raise money for men's Read more...

Frisbee Fanatics Fantastically Finish First

Posted 12:06pm Monday 18th September 2023 by Keegan Wells

Toroa, one of the two Otago Ultimate Frisbee teams, took home first place at the national tertiary championships a couple weeks ago on the 2-3 of September. Hoiho, the secondary Otago team, moved up in the ranks from previous years, landing 7th place overall.    Critic Te Ārohi Read more...

El Duniño is Here

Posted 12:02pm Monday 18th September 2023 by Ollie McKenna

Between bouts of cone theft, bottle smashing and mould wiping, a lot of us are still riding the wave of winter blues that continued through last year’s flop of a summer. But what if Critic Te Ārohi were to tell you that in collaboration with El Niño and climate change, Big Climate Read more...

Tramping Club Gets Sick

Posted 12:38pm Monday 11th September 2023 by peter barclay

As many students ventured home over the mid-sem break, 45 members of the Otago University Tramping Club (OUTC) took a bus to the West Coast for their annual Copland Trip. Now they all (well, most of them) have Covid.    “You, about 20 others, and counting got Covid from the Read more...

Science Communication Changes Confirmed

Posted 12:37pm Monday 11th September 2023 by Nina Brown

Students at the Department of Science Communication received confirmation last week from Pro-Vice Chancellor (Sciences) Richard Barker of changes that will be made to the Department. The Department is still set to be disestablished, with just a distance-only Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma Read more...

An Inconvenient Tooth

Posted 12:06pm Monday 11th September 2023 by Fox Meyer

Labour has announced a plan to provide free dental care by - in part - training more dentists, but students in the country’s only dental school are asking: who’s going to teach them? Free dental care could return $1.60 to the economy for every dollar spent, according to last Read more...

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...