Archive

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...

What’s Wrong with the Crusaders?

Posted 12:45pm Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Damian George

As I watched the struggling Blues take on a resurgent Crusaders team last weekend, the absence of Dan Carter was obvious. Even though Carter has been wearing the number 12 jersey recently, you could be forgiven for forgetting he has even been on the park. Colin Slade kicked the goals, Mitchell Read more...

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Posted 12:42pm Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Daniel Lormans

With the Super Rugby season well past its halfway point, attention is starting to shift towards the end-of-season Rugby Championship and, more importantly, the World Cup in England. Since taking over the top job, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen has presided over one of the most successful and dominant Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 10

Posted 12:34pm Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Magnus Whyte

World Watch Switzerland Switzerland has topped the annual World Happiness index produced by the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, an initiative of the United Nations. It was closely followed by Iceland, Denmark and Norway, with Togo, Burundi, Benin and Rwanda the least happy nations of Read more...

In My Opinion: Henry’s word | Issue 10

Posted 12:10pm Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Henry Napier

The opposition’s role is to criticise the government. In doing so, it usually tends to highlight the negatives and avoid the positives. Yet too often, when asked what they think of good policy, opposition MPs will turn around in disagreement, regardless of what they truly believe. They Read more...

Key Unlocks Another Trade Door with Saudi Arabia

Posted 12:08pm Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Henry Napier

News of a trade agreement with Saudi Arabia has come amid controversy over human rights. Prime Minister John Key recently confirmed that he is seeking a trade agreement with the nation, visiting last week to meet King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. Key admitted in an interview with ONE News that Read more...

Māori Party Takes Back Seat in Water Rights

Posted 12:05pm Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Henry Napier

The issue of Māori water rights has had a resurgence in New Zealand politics. The government recently turned down a proposal from iwi to award Māori permanent water rights. The proposal sought to discard the existing system of water allocation, whereby water rights can be granted through Read more...

Bali Nine Executed

Posted 11:59am Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

At 12:30am on Wednesday 29 April, two Australians, Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan, were executed on Nusa Kambangan Island in Central Java. Sukumaran and Chan were among eight other drug smugglers who were put to death on the same day. The men included four Nigerians — Okwuduli Oyatanze, Read more...

Nepal Quake Jolts 8 Million Lives

Posted 11:56am Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Angus Shaw

More than eight million people across three countries have been affected by the Nepal earthquake, which occurred on 25 April 2015. According to Nepalese officials, 5000 people have been confirmed dead and 6500 injured. Numbers are expected to increase as rescue teams scour remote Read more...

European Migrant Crisis: 800 Dead

Posted 11:50am Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

More than 900 migrants are feared dead after a boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea on 19 April. The 20-metre-long fishing boat capsized off the Libyan coast as a large merchant ship approached it. It was filled with refugees attempting to escape turmoil in Africa and the Middle East. A Read more...

Otago Dentistry Ranks 8th in the World

Posted 11:35am Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Laura Munro

The QS World University Rankings for 2015 have been released. Otago was the only New Zealand university to place in the top ten for a subject area, scoring 8th in Dentistry. The University of Otago also ranked 31st in psychology, three places behind the University of Auckland, which ranked Read more...

Hospital Uses Compass to Search for Food

Posted 11:34am Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Bridie Boyd

The Southern District Health Board is considering drastic changes to the food sourcing for local hospitals and contemplating the use of an outsourcing company, the Compass Group. Currently, hospital food is sourced and made locally, providing jobs and income to companies based in the region. It Read more...

DCC Cutting Shares in “Unethical Companies”

Posted 11:29am Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Joe Higham

On Tuesday 28 April the Dunedin City Council voted in favour of an Ethical Investments Policy, meaning shares it owns in “unethical companies” will be phased out. Eight councillors voted for the policy and seven voted against. The vote represented a final decision on the matter, and Read more...

Mayor Sympathetic to Prosecution of Clyde Landlords

Posted 11:24am Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Damian George

Mayor Dave Cull says he feels for the owners of a Clyde Street student flat, who are facing prosecution after taking on a property that had undergone illegal alterations. Alan and Kay McKay bought the 99 Clyde Street property from its former owners in December 2013. They are now seeking Read more...

Greens Want Rid of Plastic Bags

Posted 11:21am Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Joe Higham

On 21 April the Otago Greens on Campus held the first of 28 nationwide meetings introducing the Green Party’s plastic bag scheme. With 40 attendees, the group introduced the campaign, which aims to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic bags in New Zealand. Green Party MP Denise Read more...

Planet Media Dunedin Ltd. Insolvent

Posted 11:18am Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Laura Munro

In a meeting on Thursday 30 April, the OUSA Executive decided not to call on the $240,367.87 it is owed by Planet Media Dunedin Ltd, pending a review from the company’s board. The debt is as of the end of March 2015 and encompasses accumulated debt from the last several years. PMDL, founded Read more...

Execrable | Issue 10

Posted 11:08am Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Laura Munro

The meeting was taken up by discussions of Planet Media Dunedin Ltd (PMDL). As of the end of March 2015, PMDL owes $240,367.87 to OUSA. The issue was discussed for an hour in committee of the whole due to commercial sensitivity. The executive moved that it would not call on the debt pending the Read more...

By-Election Nominations

Posted 10:56am Sunday 3rd May 2015 by Staff Reporter

Education Officer Zachariah Roy Al-Alami Hi, my name is Zachariah. I am running for the position of Education Officer. - Let’s be honest, nobody really understands the bureaucracy that plagues the University; so, I want to keep it short and simple on what I am advocating for: - Read more...

IPL Watch: Kiwis in Action

Posted 12:02pm Sunday 26th April 2015 by Damian George

While you’ve been sleeping, many of New Zealand’s Cricket World Cup stars have been plying their trade in the cash-crazy circus known as the Indian Premier League. While I’m not really one for T20 at the best of times, let alone when the product is the love child of a round Read more...

Summer Thieves vs. Highlanders basketball

Posted 12:00pm Sunday 26th April 2015 by Daniel Lormans

Last Friday, Adam, Angus, Johnny and Jake from local Dunedin band, the Summer Thieves, bravely challenged the Highlanders to a best-of-three-games miniseries of three-on-three half-court basketball in the Union Hall. It is not every day you can see world-class athletes being outclassed by a Read more...

Tough Talk with Tanaka

Posted 11:59am Sunday 26th April 2015 by Daniel Lormans

Afew days before the Highlanders’ game against the Blues, I put on a “business-casual” shirt, skipped a POLS class and ventured deep into the heart of the Highlanders’ “Worldwide Headquarters” (their words, not mine) next to the stadium, where I caught up with Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 9

Posted 11:46am Sunday 26th April 2015 by Magnus Whyte

World Watch Czech Republic A Czech man, Vit Jedlicka, has declared that a seven-square kilometre patch of land between Serbia and Croatia is now the sovereign state of Liberland. As well as having a flag, it even has a website where people can apply for citizenship. Its founder says he wants a Read more...

In My Opinion: Henry’s word | Issue 9

Posted 11:25am Sunday 26th April 2015 by Henry Napier

National’s armour is John Key’s popularity. It survives on Key’s image as a typical and down-to-earth “kiwi bloke”. As the events of the last year’s election show, Key’s image only strengthens when he is slandered. If you were watching political polls Read more...

Hague Says the Government is “Out of Touch”

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

Last week the Green Party claimed the National government is not intending to fulfill its 2014 election promise of providing children aged 13 and under with free GP visits. The Green Party claim they have documents which show 10 percent of children would not be covered as the budget has been set too Read more...

iD Dunedin Fashion Week Happens

Posted 11:14am Sunday 26th April 2015 by Laura Munro

Last week saw iD Dunedin kick off its annual fashion week for the 16th year in a row. The week ran from 18–26 April, with designers from all over the world attending. Over the eight days there were fashion tours around the city, fashion shows and awards, guest lectures and films relating to Read more...

Wanted: Speedy Cat Experts

Posted 11:11am Sunday 26th April 2015 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

OUSA is calling all quiz lovers to participate in the entry tests for this year’s University Challenge. The challenge is a television show, aired on Prime, in which universities from all over New Zealand compete in an academic quiz. The entry test to be considered for the University of Read more...

Law Overlooked for Damp Rentals

Posted 11:10am Sunday 26th April 2015 by Damian George

Dunedin students living in cold and damp housing may have more rights to a healthy home than they are aware of, according to University of Otago researchers. A study published by the university in collaboration with Victoria University of Wellington has found that a law designed to protect people Read more...

Immunisation Refusal Linked to Vitamin K

Posted 11:01am Sunday 26th April 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

AUniversity of Otago study has shown that parents who decline vitamin K for their newborn children are more likely to turn down childhood immunisations.  Researchers from the Department of Women and Children’s Health believe the results of the study may be useful in defining the small Read more...

Otago Ranked Top Scientific Institution in NZ

Posted 10:57am Sunday 26th April 2015 by Amber Allott

In 2014, the University of Otago was the leading publisher of scientific articles for all New Zealand universities, according to an annual report released by the Nature Publishing Group that gives it the highest international ranking of any New Zealand institution. Each year, the Nature Read more...

Proctology | Issue 9

Posted 10:55am Sunday 26th April 2015 by Laura Munro

Campus Watch attended a couch fire before the Easter break that led to one student being recommended to the university provost. It was discovered that a separate student who was dealt with at the scene had lied to Campus Watch in 2013. The student was caught throwing a bottle on Harbour Terrace but Read more...

Student Loans: Past and Present

Posted 10:50am Sunday 26th April 2015 by Joe Higham

In the wake of Germany having abolished student loans for domestic students and England having increased them to around £9,000 per annum ($18,000/year for tuition fees), New Zealand domestic students linger in a middle ground between the two. The average course fees for a bachelor’s Read more...

Drift Trike Trio Takes Baldwin Street

Posted 10:44am Sunday 26th April 2015 by Amber Allott

Three members of a Christchurch-based drift-triking community, SLIDE Christchurch, took on Baldwin Street as part of a stunt on Saturday 18 April. Harley Jolly (23), Tyson Bar (19) and Nic Roy (18) videoed the descent, which has since gained popularity on social media. “Basically, we do Read more...

Rowing Club Wins Trophy for 16th Year

Posted 10:40am Sunday 26th April 2015 by Laura Munro

During the mid-semester break, the Otago University Rowing Club took out the Ashes trophy at the New Zealand Universities Rowing Championships in Whanganui. The trophy holds the ashes of the former rowing club, which burnt down in 1999, and was won by Otago for the 16th year in a row. With a Read more...

Union Success With Zero-Hour Contracts

Posted 10:38am Sunday 26th April 2015 by Joe Higham

Restaurant chains around New Zealand have said they will put an end to zero-hour contracts after action from Unite Union New Zealand. The union has called for an end to the contracts, claiming they do not offer employees the security they need. Protests have been held nationwide. The Read more...

Dunedin Club Rugby

Posted 12:40pm Sunday 19th April 2015 by Daniel Lormans

Last weekend at University Oval’s field number five, our very own OURFC University A hosted Southern RFC. Being right opposite the stadium while they were performing a sound check for that night’s Rod Stewart concert made an interesting choice of background music for a seriously Read more...

In-form Naholo Helps Highlanders Take Revenge

Posted 12:31pm Sunday 19th April 2015 by Daniel Lormans

As predicted in last week’s issue, the Highlanders took the sword to the Crusaders in their own backyard, settling the score from their Ori Week defeat with a very nice 25–20 win. After two early Crusaders tries, it was not looking great for the Highlanders, but they kept the faith and Read more...