Archive

Professor Extinguishes Firewalking Fears

Posted 11:03am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Laura Munro

Sparks flew outside St David’s lecture theatres last week as students were invited to take part in a firewalking demonstration. Physics expert, Dr John Campbell, hosted the event, which was preceded by a public lecture on why we’re able to safely walk on the coals, which were around Read more...

Students Spark Design Intervention

Posted 10:57am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Laura Munro

University of Otago design students have made a submission against the proposed changes to the Applied Sciences Department. The proposal, which students became aware of earlier this month, would see the removal of Design for Technology and Clothing and Textiles as major subjects. The 16-page Read more...

Execrable | Issue 18

Posted 10:43am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Laura Munro

The executive meeting kicked off with talk of the possible closure of the design department. Announced earlier this month, a proposal by the Division of Sciences would get rid of Design for Technology and focus more on Clothing and Textiles. President Paul Hunt says he and Philippa Keaney of Student Read more...

University of Otago Foundation Trust Divests

Posted 10:41am Sunday 2nd August 2015 by Bridie Boyd

Last week, the University of Otago Foundation Trust, an entity separate to the university that holds half its investments, announced that it would be divesting from fossil fuels. The trust will now also prohibit any future investment involving the exploration for and extraction of fossil Read more...

Acceptance and Equality the Big Winners at the ESPY Awards

Posted 12:59pm Sunday 26th July 2015 by Daniel Lormans

The ESPYs (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards) are Hollywood’s “ratings-orientated” sports awards, which recognise people for sporting as well as humanitarian contributions to society and popular culture. This year’s edition provided much Read more...

Keeping Track of the Highlanders in Black

Posted 12:43pm Sunday 26th July 2015 by Daniel Lormans

By the end of August, the 43-man All Blacks squad needs to be further narrowed down to the 31 players who will head to England for the World Cup. Only five of the Super Rugby title-winning Highlanders were selected for the initial test squad, with only one of them taking part in the first two tests. Read more...

Labour Flagged for Hypocrisy

Posted 12:28pm Sunday 26th July 2015 by Henry Napier

In a recent press release, Labour leader Andrew Little opposed the idea of changing the flag, claiming the money could be spent elsewhere. However, while Labour has been quick to bash National’s flag referendum, a review of the flag has been part of Labour’s policy since before Little Read more...

My Opinion: Henry’s word | Issue 17

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

Sam Lotu-liga should be sacked as a minister. That statement sounds like something you might read on Whaleoil, but it’s the truth. Last week a video emerged on YouTube, which showed a number of organised fights happening in Mt Eden prison as part of an inmate-run fight club. Following the Read more...

Government Speeds through Transport Bill

Posted 12:17pm Sunday 26th July 2015 by Henry Napier

The House went into urgency last week following fears that thousands of speeding tickets issued through local councils were invalid.  The Land Transport (Speed Limits Validations and Other Matters) Bill — which sought to amend a technicality in the law that had rendered many speed Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 17

Posted 12:09pm Sunday 26th July 2015 by Magnus Whyte

World Watch Italy Italy’s farm animals are being given showers, fans and air conditioning in their stalls to try to keep them cool during the current heatwave there. Temperatures in Italy have reached up to 40°C and this has caused a fall in production on the country’s Read more...

Elections to Replace FIFA President

Posted 11:56am Sunday 26th July 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

FIFA announced last Monday that elections will be held next February to replace its controversial president, Sepp Blatter. The election is part of a series of overhauls and reforms designed to restore the organisation’s image after a year of corruption allegations. Blatter, speaking at a Read more...

Mitsubishi Apologises for Torture of Prisoners

Posted 11:54am Sunday 26th July 2015 by Joe Higham

An apology has been issued by Japanese corporation, Mitsubishi, for its use of American prisoners of war during World War Two. The prisoners were used for forced labour at Mitsubishi factories throughout Japan. It has been said that the use of the prisoners of war was deemed necessary to fill Read more...

Five Servicemen Killed at Military Base

Posted 11:51am Sunday 26th July 2015 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

On 16 July, a lone gunman opened fire on two military bases in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The shooting, which occurred shortly after 10am, killed five servicemen. Another serviceman and a policeman were left injured, and the shooter was also killed at the scene. Mohammad Youssef Abdulazeez, who was Read more...

Execrable | Issue 17

Posted 11:30am Sunday 26th July 2015 by Bridie Boyd

Executive meetings have been scarce for the past two months , though President Paul Hunt said the team needs to get “back into the swing” of things and start meeting “weekly”. The team were as enthusiastic as Critic about this prospect. Two clubs were affiliated Read more...

Students Remain Poor in Thriving City

Posted 11:04am Sunday 26th July 2015 by India Leishman

Business and Economic Research Limited (BERL) has released its 2014 report, which shows positive growth in Dunedin’s economic and employment sectors in the year to March 2014. The report also shows encouraging results in the tourism and creative sectors. Economically, Dunedin grew by 2.2 Read more...

They’re Giving Us More Money

Posted 11:02am Sunday 26th July 2015 by Laura Munro

The University of Otago has announced two new undergraduate scholarships and increased the values for eight of the scholarships currently offered. The University of Otago New Frontiers Scholarship and the University of Otago Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship, were approved in a council meeting Read more...

Aoraki Students “Worried” about Proposed Merger

Posted 10:59am Sunday 26th July 2015 by Joe Higham

Aoraki Polytechnic is considering closing its Dunedin campus in a possible merger with Christchurch Polytechnic and Institute of Technology.  Founded in 1987, the polytechnic describes itself as a “major provider of tertiary education and training in Mid and South Canterbury and North Read more...

Design Staff and Students Sacrificed

Posted 10:53am Sunday 26th July 2015 by Laura Munro

University of Otago design students have obtained, through an Official Information Act request, documents detailing the possible future, or lack of, for design at Otago. The first document is a review of the Department of Applied Sciences conducted in late 2014. The second is a proposal to get Read more...

Party Restrictions “Ridiculous”

Posted 10:49am Sunday 26th July 2015 by Angus Shaw

View Street’s controversial “Backpackers” flat was forced to cancel a planned party last week, despite getting initial approval from the Dunedin City Council and local police. The “Backpackers’ Ball,” a tradition of several years, was scheduled for Friday 17 Read more...

State of Origin

Posted 12:00pm Sunday 19th July 2015 by Daniel Lormans

After the game in Apia, the All Blacks and Samoa players swapped shirts, shared some laughs and posed together for pictures with fans in what seemed to be a very calm atmosphere of camaraderie, mutual respect and sportsmanship. Just a few hours later there was a distinctly different atmosphere in Read more...

All Blacks Make History with Samoa Test

Posted 11:57am Sunday 19th July 2015 by Daniel Lormans

Last week saw a rare doubleheader of big rugby matches with the first ever All Blacks test match in Samoa and then the State of Origin series decider in Brisbane. These two games showed how two very different rivalries can play out. The State of Origin players and fans seem to want to hurt each Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 16

Posted 11:32am Sunday 19th July 2015 by Magnus Whyte

World Watch Denmark Archaeologists are mystified after finding nearly 2000 tiny golden spirals in a field in eastern Denmark. The coils date from between 900BC and 700BC, but the archaeologists are not quite sure what they have found.  Florida, United States A man convicted of having Read more...

Hager Hits Back Against “Invasive” Raid

Posted 11:26am Sunday 19th July 2015 by Henry Napier

Investigative journalist Nicky Hager took his case before the High Court in Wellington last week to seek a judicial review of the raid that took place last October following the release of his book, Dirty Politics. The book — which focused on the relationship between right-wing blogger, Read more...

Labour Stirs Race Debate

Posted 11:24am Sunday 19th July 2015 by Henry Napier

The Labour Party has come under a flood of controversy following comments made last week by housing spokesperson, Phil Twyford. Appearing on TV3’s The Nation, Twyford claimed that Chinese buyers, many of whom were likely based overseas, were responsible for around 40 percent of property Read more...

Nuclear Agreement Struck With Iran

Posted 11:16am Sunday 19th July 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

Six world powers - the US, the UK, France, China, Russia and Germany - have reached an agreement with Iran to limit Iranian nuclear activity in exchange for the lifting of international oil and economic sanctions. The agreement was struck at a conference in Vienna after 20 months of Read more...

Greece Accepts “Intrusive” Bailout

Posted 11:14am Sunday 19th July 2015 by Joe Higham

After 26 hours of negotiations, an agreement on a series of economic measures has been reached between debt-ridden Greece and eurozone leaders, paving the way for a third financial bailout deal. The agreement prevents a Greek exit from the European Union for the near future and is worth up to Read more...

EU Assistance Sees Migrant Deaths Drop

Posted 11:10am Sunday 19th July 2015 by India Leishman

Recent financial boosting from the European Union has prevented the likely deaths of thousands of African migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea. The EU implemented Operation Triton in late April this year after shockingly high numbers of migrant deaths were reported. The operation, run by the Read more...

“Devalued” Degrees could be Discontinued

Posted 11:06am Sunday 19th July 2015 by Joe Higham

The Division of Sciences Pro-Vice Chancellor, Keith Hunter, has sent a letter to design students revealing a proposal to discontinue two applied science majors. The proposal, which is being discussed, would see Clothing and Textiles (CLTE) and Design for Technology (DETE) phased out as major Read more...

Commerce Kids Commend New Association

Posted 11:01am Sunday 19th July 2015 by Amber Allott

Business and commerce students at the University of Otago are celebrating the launch of their new Commerce Students’ Association, COMSA.  The new association was founded by two Otago students, Elliott Chow and Hilary Derrick, following the demise of previous association, OCOM. Derrick Read more...

Students Praise Rental Regulations

Posted 10:58am Sunday 19th July 2015 by Bridie Boyd

The Minister for Housing, Nick Smith, has announced new rental regulations that have potential benefits for the poor student flatting conditions in Dunedin.  The new regulations will require smoke alarms in residential rental properties, as well as ceiling and underfloor insulation. The Read more...

Blackboard Blocked after Student Falsely Accused

Posted 10:53am Sunday 19th July 2015 by Laura Munro

A University of Otago student is taking matters into his own hands after feeling he has been wronged by the university’s proctor. The student, who wishes not to be named, was given a fine and had access to his online course resources suspended for a week after Campus Watch officers Read more...

Council Protest Fails to Retain Student Voice

Posted 10:47am Sunday 19th July 2015 by Laura Munro

At a University Council meeting on 14 July 2015, the number of seats reserved for students on the council was reduced from two to one. The number of seats reserved for staff was also halved from four to two. The draft constitution, which was passed in a six to nine vote, reserved four ministerial Read more...

Super Rugby Season Grades Confirmed

Posted 12:14pm Sunday 12th July 2015 by Daniel Lormans

Now that the Super Rugby season is finished and the trophy is safely locked away down at Forsyth Barr Stadium, we can dish out final grades for our five New Zealand teams after an epic season of rugby. The Highlanders and the Hurricanes were a cut above the rest while the Chiefs ran out of steam, Read more...

NZ First Turned House of Cards

Posted 12:07pm Sunday 12th July 2015 by Henry Napier

NZ First Deputy Leader Tracey Martin has been replaced in what seems a rather controversial turn of events. Last month the party’s caucus voted on the deputy leader position, leading to the appointment of Ron Mark, long-standing rival of Martin. In a post on The Daily Blog, NZ First board Read more...

Key Denies Economic Struggle

Posted 12:04pm Sunday 12th July 2015 by Hugh Baird

Prime Minister John Key has knocked back suggestions from economists that New Zealand is headed for a large economic slowdown. Speaking at a post-cabinet press conference, Key said he was “not at all panicked”. However, he did accept that there were “a few headwinds Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 15

Posted 11:35am Sunday 12th July 2015 by Magnus Whyte

World Watch Heikendorf, Germany Police in northern Germany have seized a World War Two tank that was being kept in a pensioner’s cellar. They also removed a torpedo and an anti-aircraft gun. The army had to be called in, and it took about 20 soldiers almost nine hours to extract the Read more...

South Carolina Senate Approves Anti-Flag Bill

Posted 11:28am Sunday 12th July 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

The South Carolina senate gave its final approval for the removal of the Confederate flag from the capitol grounds on Tuesday 7 July 2015. The governor and nearly all state senators support the removal, and petitioners have collected hundreds of thousands of signatures. In a vote on the bill on Read more...

Another Australian Faces the Death Penalty

Posted 11:25am Sunday 12th July 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

An intellectually disabled Australian man could face the death penalty after being charged with attempting to smuggle illegal drugs out of China. Lawyers defending Brisbane man, Ibrahim Jalloh, 26, have said in a press conference that Jalloh was tricked into smuggling more than two kilograms of Read more...

Greece Rejects EU Bailout

Posted 11:23am Sunday 12th July 2015 by Angus Shaw

After rejecting an international bailout, Greece has chosen to play spin the bottle with its financial future. The final results of Monday’s referendum show 61.3 percent voted against and 38.7 percent for the terms of the proposed 29 billion euro bailout.  Greece’s governing Read more...

Otago Student Wins Worldwide Essay Prize

Posted 11:17am Sunday 12th July 2015 by Laura Munro

A University of Otago student was recently awarded his certificate for winning an international essay contest earlier this year.  Martin Holmes, a third-year history student, was announced as the winner of a worldwide competition for his essay titled “The World Needs To Read more...

Muscle Loss with Surgical Trainees

Posted 11:10am Sunday 12th July 2015 by Bridie Boyd

In the latest of a string of unfortunate events, Dunedin Hospital has lost the right to train orthopedic surgeons. This comes as the hospital is fighting to regain ICU accreditation, leaking roofs are forcing the cancellation of surgeries, food contracts are proving controversial and a deficit of Read more...

Health-e Campus Website Launched

Posted 11:07am Sunday 12th July 2015 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

The University of Otago’s Student Health Services have initiated a new service in the form of a website, Healthy Campus. The website, an extension of the University of Otago website, was initiated by Director of Student Health Services, Dr. Kim Ma’ia’i, after a conversation he had Read more...

NZUSA Demands OUSA Pays $22,500...Again

Posted 11:00am Sunday 12th July 2015 by Joe Higham

The New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) has sent a letter to OUSA in response to its decision to “reallocate” the $22,500 it owes to NZUSA. The letter requests that OUSA pay the fee, which is the second half of its $45,000 membership for 2015. At the end of last Read more...

Execrable | Issue 14

Posted 10:57am Sunday 12th July 2015 by Laura Munro

The first issue brought to the table was the upcoming election, which will decide the 2016 executive. After much discussion, it was agreed that nominations will run from 9am on 8 September to 4pm on 15 September. Voting will run from 9am on 21 September to 4pm on 30 September. Voting will be by Read more...

Provisional LAP Allows Shots After Midnight

Posted 10:51am Sunday 12th July 2015 by Joe Higham

The Dunedin City Council is a step closer to implementing a Local Alcohol Policy (LAP) to tighten the rules and regulations for Dunedin establishments.  The original LAP, which was proposed last year, included a one-way door policy from 1am, no shots to be sold after midnight and no alcohol Read more...

Love Wins: Rainbows Everywhere

Posted 3:23pm Sunday 5th July 2015 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

On 26 June, history was made when the United States Supreme Court legalised the marriage of same-sex couples in all 50 states. Gay and lesbian couples were already able to marry in 36 states and the District of Columbia, but the 5–4 ruling means the remaining 14 states in the South and Read more...

Super Rugby “Controversy”

Posted 12:27pm Sunday 5th July 2015 by Daniel Lormans

We will have a full review of the Super Rugby season next week, but the Super Rugby playoffs and semi-finals have been dominated by incessant moaning about the “unfair” rules of the conference system, which many see as favouring under-performing teams. A lot of the moaning came from Read more...

NZ Warriors in the Top Eight

Posted 12:25pm Sunday 5th July 2015 by Daniel Lormans

Could this also be the year for our own New Zealand Warriors? It is the Warriors’ 20th year in the NRL, and they have had a typically up-and-down season so far. Some big wins over the Titans and Raiders in the last few rounds came at a good time, lifting them into the top eight as they prepare Read more...

Golden State Warriors win the NBA Finals

Posted 12:23pm Sunday 5th July 2015 by Daniel Lormans

Expect to see a lot of new Golden State Warriors jerseys around campus this semester as the team from Oakland, California, just won its first NBA title since 1975. In doing so, they scuppered the dreams of long-suffering Cleveland Cavaliers fans, who were confident of winning their first ever Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 14

Posted 12:02pm Sunday 5th July 2015 by Laura Munro

World Watch Quibdo, Colombia A woman and her baby have been found alive four days after their plane crashed in Quibdo. After unsuccessful attempts to trap rodents for food, the woman and her son survived on coconut water. The pilot of the twin-engine Cessna, which crashed on Saturday Read more...

Cyber Bullying Law Passes Third Reading

Posted 11:56am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Henry Napier

The Harmful Digital Communications Bill passed its third reading last week, placing it in the final stage of becoming law. The bill, also known as the Cyber Bullying Law, seeks to respond to the growing prevalence of harm created by social media and online activities. The new law officially Read more...

Obama gets a Fast Track on the TPPA

Posted 11:53am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Henry Napier

The United States senate has passed President Barack Obama’s fast track authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).  The fast track authority was passed last week with a Republican majority of 60–38, allowing it to move on to a vote in congress. If successful, Read more...

Controversy for the Conservatives

Posted 11:41am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Henry Napier

Conservative leader Colin Craig has resigned his position, leaving the party’s future precarious. Craig resigned after allegations surfaced relating to the departure of his press secretary, Rachel MacGregor.  MacGregor resigned from the Conservative Party last year only days from the Read more...

Greece Fails to Make IMF Payment

Posted 11:23am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

Greece has slipped deeper into a financial wormhole after failing to pay the 1.5 billion euros it owes to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). After last-minute efforts to extend the bailout repayment failed, Greece has become the only developed country to miss a scheduled payment to the IMF in Read more...

38 Killed in Tunisian Terrorist Attack

Posted 11:18am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

An attack on the Tunisian resort town of Sousse on 26 June has left 38 tourists dead and 39 injured. Seifeddine Rezgui, who disguised himself as a vacationer, opened fire at the Imperial Marhaba Hotel, killing mostly British tourists before being shot dead by police. The Islamic State (IS) has Read more...

Nine Killed in Racist Church Shooting

Posted 11:16am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

Nine people were shot dead during a Bible study group in Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday 17 June. Dylann Roof, a 21-year-old white male, shot and killed the nine African-Americans at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in what is believed to be a racially motivated Read more...

Council Rejects Opening of Graves

Posted 11:13am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Bridie Boyd

The Central Otago District Council (CODC) has declined a proposal which would have allowed the University of Otago to dig up unmarked graves in the region’s 17 cemeteries. In 2013 an archaeologist reported that there could be almost 800 unmarked graves in Central Otago. With the support of Read more...

Otago Student Re-Homes the Nepalese

Posted 11:07am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Laura Munro

Aformer University of Otago student has set up camp in Nepal in order to rehome families after over 700,000 houses were destroyed in the recent earthquakes. Matthew McAtamney, who graduated from Otago in 2012 with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and Tourism, has been travelling back and forth Read more...

The Queen Can Not Be Saved

Posted 11:02am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Angus Shaw

As students return for re-orientation, BYOs may no longer be the same. A new accord, or agreement of standards, developed by the Dunedin Police and the Southern District Health Board was announced last Monday. The accord aims to reduce intoxication in Dunedin BYO restaurants and make BYOs Read more...

Pre-Sex Pregnancy Prevention

Posted 10:57am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Laura Munro

Senior lecturers from the University of Otago are calling for a free, universal LARC (Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives) programme to be made available for teenage women before they become sexually active. LARCs include the Jadelle, the copper IUD and the Mirena, all of which offer 5–10 Read more...

Students Fight for Uni Council Seats

Posted 10:53am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Joe Higham

The University of Otago’s governing council is set to hold a vote on 14 July, which will determine the number of council seats allocated to students. The council currently has two seats for students; these are held by OUSA President Paul Hunt and Recreation Officer Jonny Martin. A Read more...

New Zealand Hosts FIFA U-20 World Cup

Posted 12:06pm Sunday 24th May 2015 by Daniel Lormans

New Zealand is hosting the FIFA U-20 World Cup for the first time, welcoming 24 teams from six world football confederations for 52 games around the country. The final will be held in Auckland on 20 June, while Dunedin is hosting three double-header group-stage games and one of the knockout matches. Read more...

Winter Is Coming. So Is the End of the Super Rugby Season...

Posted 12:02pm Sunday 24th May 2015 by Daniel Lormans

The Hurricanes look to have sealed their home advantage for the Super Rugby finals as they are 14 points clear at the top of the table with the best points differential and the most tries scored. Their end of season run-in sees them take on all four of the other New Zealand teams in the final Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 13

Posted 11:39am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Magnus Whyte

World Watch Colombia A Roman Catholic bishop has offended believers at a conference on gay marriage and adoption. Bishop Juan Vicente Cordoba said that homosexuality was not a sin and that gays were welcomed by the church. He then wondered whether any of Jesus’s 12 apostles might have been Read more...

Greens: KiwiSaver for Kiwi Kids

Posted 11:32am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Henry Napier

The Green Party has revealed a new savings scheme aimed at tackling child poverty. The proposed scheme aims to enrol all children in a Kiwisaver fund when they are born. The proposed fund would operate similarly to the current Kiwisaver scheme, with the government contributing $1000 for each Read more...

In My Opinion: Henry’s word | Issue 13

Posted 11:29am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Henry Napier

Average Auckland house prices have increased by $100,000 over the last year. Every New Zealand bank agrees unanimously that a crisis exists. Even the Reserve Bank has urged the government to take action. Last week National released its budget, which includes steps to tackle the housing crisis it Read more...

Budget 2015

Posted 11:21am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Henry Napier

What is the Budget? The budget is the annual allocation of government funds to state services and initiatives. The allocation covers all government spending from social welfare to health. Every year a budget is announced that shows the government’s spending priorities. Here’s a Read more...

Former Egyptian President Faces Death Sentence

Posted 11:08am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

Ex-Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has been sentenced to death for his involvement in a mass prison break in 2011. Morsi, who was Egypt’s first democratically elected leader, was sentenced along with 120 others for the break, which was part of an uprising that brought him into power. The Read more...

Boston Bomber Sentenced to Death

Posted 11:03am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Angus Shaw

Dzhoker Tsarnaev has been sentenced to death for his role in the 2013 attack on the Boston Marathon, which killed three people and left more than 260 wounded. In April a jury found Tsarnaev guilty of all 30 charges related to the attack, which included charges of terrorism. 17 of these charges Read more...

Religious Education Heads to High Court

Posted 10:59am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Amber Allott

A complaint about the unfair treatment of a 9-year-old girl whose family opted her out of a Bible in Schools programme has escalated into a High Court battle that could see religious education removed from public schools. The Churches Education Commission, which provides bible courses to 660 Read more...

No Smart Watch Bans for Otago Exams

Posted 10:54am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Bridie Boyd

Despite not having any cheating instances with watches to date, Massey University has implemented a ban on all watches for students during examinations. The university said the ban was a reaction to “changing technology”. The watches, recently released by Apple, allow individuals to Read more...

Polytech Faces Hardest Test Yet

Posted 10:52am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Joe Higham

The Otago Polytechnic is consulting on a proposal to implement “just cause” drug testing for students in high-risk courses. Consultation occurred between staff at the Otago Polytechnic and the Otago Polytechnic Students’ Association (OPSA) on Monday 18 May. Leslie Scoullar, Read more...

Execrable | Issue 13

Posted 10:47am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Joe Higham

The executive began by bashing the comments the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) President Rory McCourt made regarding the recently aired Sunday episode. McCourt reportedly told the Otago Daily Times on 16 May: “Sometimes students come to Dunedin for that Read more...

Party for Nepal Shakes off the Fines

Posted 10:44am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Joe Higham

A house party held to raise funds for the crisis in Nepal had its fine for “unreasonable noise” revoked by the Dunedin City Council (DCC). The party, held at the “Melocasa” flat on the corner of Union and Queen streets on 14 May, was organised to raise funds for Nepal Read more...

Tackling Homophobia

Posted 12:02pm Sunday 17th May 2015 by Daniel Lormans

A recent multinational study has confirmed what we all knew anyway — that there is still a massive problem with homophobic behaviour in sports. Australians are leading the way in tackling this issue, and there are calls for New Zealand to follow suit. The Australian Sports Commission Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 12

Posted 11:35am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Magnus Whyte

World Watch Italy A football team made up entirely of African migrants has won promotion from the bottom tier of Italy’s league system. The Koa Bosco team won a play-off game that put them at the top of their local championship in the southern Calabria region. The team was formed in 2013 Read more...

Opinion: New Zealand Becoming a Republic

Posted 11:18am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Tim Lindsay

Over the last few weeks, we have seen the birth of a royal baby, Prince Harry visiting our shores and a formal process to decide whether to change New Zealand’s flag. In light of these events, it may be worth considering the state of New Zealand’s constitution and whether we are making a Read more...

In My Opinion: Henry’s word | Issue 12

Posted 11:15am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Henry Napier

Rumours of Prime Minister John Key’s potential departure from the leadership were sparked after #ponytailgate came to life and ended very quickly. However, almost immediately, speculation flew over who might rise to the top of the party if the prime minister were to step down. Last week, Read more...

UK Labour Party: Worst Result in 28 Years

Posted 11:12am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Henry Napier

On 7 May the UK Labour Party experienced a dismal defeat at the hands of the Conservative Party in the general election. The party had its worst result in 28 years, winning only 232 of the 650 seats in parliament. New Zealand Labour leader Andrew Little said he was disappointed at the result, Read more...

Super-City Gets Super Rates

Posted 11:08am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Henry Napier

Auckland Mayor Len Brown revealed last week that Aucklanders should expect rates increases as part of a new budget aimed at tackling transport congestion. The transport levy passed by the Auckland Council has rates increasing by an average of 9.9 percent throughout the supercity.  The Read more...

Liberia Declared Ebola Free

Posted 11:01am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Amber Allott

On Saturday 9 May the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially declared Liberia free of the Ebola virus. It had been forty-two days since the last Ebola victim in the West-African nation was buried.  During the year-long epidemic, there were 4769 probable, confirmed or suspected Ebola Read more...

Calls for EU to Ban Animal Testing

Posted 10:59am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Angus Shaw

Following a petition with 1.2 million signatures, the European parliament met on Monday 11 April to discuss the possibility of banning animal testing throughout Europe.  At the meeting, Stop Vivisection — which created the petition and is actively against animal testing — put Read more...

Union Prepares for Legal Action against SDHB

Posted 10:55am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Bridie Boyd

On 7 May 2015, the Southern District Health Board (SDHB) made a decision that all food would be outsourced through the Compass Group. As a result, the Service and Food Workers Union (SFWU), which had put forward a counter proposal, has announced it will take legal action against the SDHB. The Read more...

Baltimore Declares State of Emergency

Posted 10:52am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

The United States city of Baltimore has declared a state of emergency in response to ongoing riots involving violent clashes, looting and arson. The riots began on 18 April after the death of Freddie Gray, an African American who passed away from injuries sustained during his arrest. Gray, 25, Read more...

Prayer Rooms Open - Hallelujah!

Posted 10:48am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Joe Higham

The University of Otago opened and blessed two new prayer rooms last week, upstairs in the University Union Building at a ceremony attended by people of many different  faiths.  The rooms replaced the previous rooms underneath the Archway building, which were in use for seven years. The Read more...

Students Demand Apology for Sunday Broadcast

Posted 10:39am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Laura Munro

TVNZ’s Sunday episode, “Party Central”, has received backlash from students after it aired on 10 May. The episode showed two residents, one living in close proximity to the 17-man flat “Backpackers”, sharing their views on how University of Otago students interact Read more...

Fetish Ball

Posted 12:31pm Sunday 10th May 2015 by Laura Munro

When I first talked to the Fetish Ball organiser, Richard Barker, I asked him to describe what exactly a fetish was. He laughed and said, “I would prefer you to go to Google for that.” I took to Urban Dictionary. A fetish is “a sexual fixation or obsession with a Read more...

England Looks to Regroup after World Cup

Posted 12:23pm Sunday 10th May 2015 by Damian George

Still trying to repair the damage caused by its poor performance at the Cricket World Cup, England will head into this month’s test series against New Zealand on the back of a five-wicket loss to the West Indies in Barbados. James Anderson took six wickets in the West Indies’ first Read more...

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Fails to Deliver

Posted 12:21pm Sunday 10th May 2015 by Daniel Lormans

One of the richest and most talked about sports events ever failed to live up to the hype as Floyd Mayweather bobbed and weaved his way to a points decision victory over Manny Pacquiao in his home turf of Las Vegas. “Money” Mayweather played the swagged-up villain while the Read more...

Battle for the Black Jersey Begins

Posted 12:10pm Sunday 10th May 2015 by Daniel Lormans

Round 12 of Super Rugby provided two important games, with the Highlanders running in seven tries against the Sharks and the Hurricanes winning a close game against the Crusaders that wasn’t settled until deep into extra time. What stood out in both these games were the performances of the Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 11

Posted 11:57am Sunday 10th May 2015 by Magnus Whyte

World Watch United Kingdom An anonymous artist, “Wanksy”, has been spray-painting phallic shapes around his town’s potholes in an effort to draw attention to them to be fixed. He said the situation has “got really bad recently” and he has cyclist friends who have Read more...

In My Opinion: Henry’s word | Issue 11

Posted 11:41am Sunday 10th May 2015 by Henry Napier

National’s treatment of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) will eventually hurt the party. The TPPA is a multilateral investment agreement between twelve states. In short, this means a bunch of countries get together and make up some rules that they’ll all abide by and, in Read more...

James Shaw Interview

Posted 11:38am Sunday 10th May 2015 by Henry Napier

Greens MP James Shaw is currently travelling New Zealand in his bid for the Green Party co-leadership following the resignation of Russel Norman earlier this year. He has a different perspective on politics than would be expected of a typical Greens MP. Last week, Critic sat down with Shaw to see Read more...

10 Years of Student Shenanigans

Posted 11:20am Sunday 10th May 2015 by Joe Higham

Each year the University of Otago conducts an Annual Discipline Report, which outlines student behaviour and its consequences over the past academic year. In 2014 numbers were significantly lower than they have been in past years. Critic compares the reports dating back to 2006, the year when the Read more...

Transport Upgrades Won’t Change Prices

Posted 11:13am Sunday 10th May 2015 by Amber Allott

The Otago Regional Council has met to discuss a transport plan for Otago and Southland, detailing the transport priorities from 2015 to 2021. For Dunedin, the plans include the building of a new central bus hub and protected cycling lanes along State Highway 1. The areas of focus for Dunedin, Read more...

Six Years of Dunedin Fair Trade

Posted 11:10am Sunday 10th May 2015 by Bridie Boyd

This year Dunedin is celebrating its sixth year of being a fair trade city. In celebration, the annual Fair Trade Fortnight is running from 8–22 May.  Sze-En Lau, Coordinator of the University Volunteer Centre said the Fair Trade Fortnight is “a great way to highlight all the Read more...

Hermitude to Headline Re-Ori

Posted 11:06am Sunday 10th May 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

OUSA has announced Hermitude as the headliners for this year’s Re-Orientation week. The Australian duo, who played at Orientation Week 2014, will be supported by New Zealand hip-hop/R&B artist, Young Tapz. The pair will play on Thursday 9 July at the Union Hall. Hermitude member Luke Read more...

Execrable | Issue 11

Posted 11:01am Sunday 10th May 2015 by Laura Munro

The majority of the executive meeting was spent in strict committee — meaning Critic was not allowed to be in the room — to discuss two matters of personal sensitivity. No motion was moved related to the time in strict committee. The executive accepted the letter it will send to the Read more...

McDonalds McCrease McHours

Posted 10:54am Sunday 10th May 2015 by Damian George

Unite National Director Mike Treen says the decision to end zero-hour contracts at McDonald’s restaurants in New Zealand is the culmination of a decade’s hard work. The union announced on Friday that it had reached a deal with McDonald’s to put an end to the controversial contracts Read more...

New Campaigns and Education Officers

Posted 10:50am Sunday 10th May 2015 by Laura Munro

The OUSA By-Election for the position of Campaigns Officer and Education Officer has officially closed.  With a total of 298 votes, Nick Findlay won the position of Campaigns Officer. Also running for the position was Sean Gamble, who received a total of 295 votes. Henry Napier received 201 Read more...