Archive

ODT: playing pokies not solid idea for student summer job

Posted 3:14am Monday 12th September 2011 by Lozz Holding

The Otago Daily Times ran another groundbreaking article last week, revealing to the world at large that gambling on the pokies is not a great way to make money. The article focused on ‘Tony’, former University of Otago BCom student, who lost “thousands” playing the pokies while a student. Read more...

Vote Chat: Annette King

Posted 3:12am Monday 12th September 2011 by Joe Stockman

Politics lecturer Bryce Edwards continues his weekly chats with New Zealand politicians each Friday at Noon. Last week, Labour Party deputy leader Annette King talked to Edwards about her political past, atheism, and the threat from the big bad National Party and their cheesy-grinned leader. Read more...

Execrable - 23

Posted 3:10am Monday 12th September 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

Critic suspected we were in for a long meeting when we looked around the boardroom and saw three of OUSA’s constitutional gurus in attendance. Depressingly we weren’t wrong. The three musketeers had all come along to talk to the Exec about the broke-as-fuck Constitution, and the amendments Read more...

Cronicles of Castle - 23

Posted 3:08am Monday 12th September 2011 by Sam Reynolds

Not much has been happening in the ‘hood, most people cruised home for the break or headed to Wanaka and Queenstown to ‘carve up the fresh’, leaving me with some looney fence tagging and the odd story to share with you. Addiction has become a prevalent problem up and down the street; Read more...

Robber run ragged by rapacious redhead

Posted 3:06am Monday 12th September 2011 by Teuila Fuatai

Two University of Otago students managed to chase down a burglar whilst dressed in their slippers, after the man tried to take three iPods from their Dundas St flat. The ODT reported that students Kathryn Kennedy and Emily Reynolds became aware of the intruder after hearing loud noises Read more...

VSM, HAPPENING FO’ REAL

Posted 3:05am Monday 12th September 2011 by Staff Reporter

The Voluntary Student Membership bill, or VSM as it’s colloquially known, completed the Committee of the House stage through Parliament last Wednesday September 7. No amendments to the Bill were accepted, including amendments by Labour MPs to add more clauses to the Bill. In a last Read more...

Bouncing off the Halls - 23

Posted 3:03am Monday 12th September 2011 by Lozz Holding

 Sex is a fascinating topic. According to everyone’s old mate Darwin, sex is the sole purpose of our existence, and nowhere is this truer than the colleges of the University of Otago. At Otago the usual courting process involves twenty alcoholic drinks followed by a vast array of Read more...

Dominos Without Plan For Road Closures.

Posted 5:20am Monday 5th September 2011 by Lozz Holding

Stoners Panic. Not content with making blatantly untrue statements like “RWC 2011 is the third largest sporting event in the world”, the Dunedin City Council (DCC) have also decided that scarfies having access to their hovels during the Rugby World Cup is of little importance, and Read more...

Rich Students Go Play in Expensive Snow

Posted 5:17am Monday 5th September 2011 by Lozz Holding

Poor Students freeze in Dunedin Hovels   Over 100 University of Otago snow-bunnies flocked to the slopes of Wanaka last week to take part in the 2011 University Winter Games.  The week-long event provided the brightly-coloured boarders and skiers with an opportunity to get their Read more...

Calvert Turns to Bridget Jones's Diary and Tub of Ice Cream

Posted 5:15am Monday 5th September 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

Local ACT Party MP Hilary Calvert has been dumped from the party list for November’s election, less than a year after entering Parliament.  Calvert is notably absent from the list of candidates released by the party. There are conflicting accounts surrounding the reasons for Read more...

National MP Grows a Heart

Posted 5:14am Monday 5th September 2011 by Julia Hollingsworth

Blossoming romance with Green Party to follow A local National Party MP has spoken out against lignite mining, a stance that controversially runs against the National party line.  At a Generation Zero panel discussion held before mid-semester break, National MP Michael Woodhouse was Read more...

Woman's skull not crushed in perfectly safe Dunedin shopping mall.

Posted 5:11am Monday 5th September 2011 by Gregor Whyte

  A woman was not even slightly injured after not being hit by falling fibre dust at popular Dunedin shopping mall The Meridian, despite receiving what a witness described as a “negligible sized piece of plastic on her table”. Critic’s journalistic panties were Read more...

Tidy Boxes Better than Messy Boxes

Posted 4:29am Monday 5th September 2011 by Gregor Whyte

  The one-week trial of the ‘Free Box’, pioneered by OUSA Communications and Colleges Representative Francisco Hernandez, was judged an overwhelming success by OUSA Communications and Colleges Representative Francisco Hernandez. Hernandez told Critic that the box was Read more...

Execrable - 21

Posted 11:47pm Monday 22nd August 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

The meeting highlight for Critic this week was the discussion surrounding Francisco’s plan for a “Free Box.” Currently the only free box to be had on campus is generally found in the Monkey Bar after a UniCol college pissup, but Francisco means to change this with his new endeavour. His Read more...

Harlene’s first day at school

Posted 11:45pm Monday 22nd August 2011 by Staff Reporter

Professor Harlene Hayne took over the Vice-Chancellor position last Monday, after a two week period during which the University had no official Vice-Chancellor. The first female Vice Chancellor in the University’s 142-year history, Hayne replaces Sir Professor David Skegg, who spent Read more...

Revolutionary Idea: Free Shit

Posted 11:44pm Monday 22nd August 2011 by Gregor Whyte

OUSA is running a one-week trial of a new ‘Freebox’ service this week. Students drop off items they no longer need outside the OUSA Main Office, and other students will then be able to grab themselves useful stuff for free. The initiative is the brainchild of OUSA Colleges and Communications Read more...

Vote Chat: The Incredibly Dry Mr Parker

Posted 11:42pm Monday 22nd August 2011 by Joe Stockman

Leading into the November election, politics lecturer Bryce Edwards is hosting New Zealand politicians each Friday at Noon. Last Friday, Labour’s number four, David Parker, took on Politics postgrads, Ashley Murchison and Josh Hercus, in a PowerPoint battle royale over NZ’s debt, taking on Don Read more...

Proctology - 21

Posted 11:40pm Monday 22nd August 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

The snow hadn’t been causing the Proctor too much trouble when Critic spoke to him, and he had even been deploying Campus Watch in a truck to drive people home safely. Critic immediately formed a completely inaccurate mental image of a pickup truck doing burnouts through the snow with bogan Castle Read more...

Fuck rugby, this is what the real Scarfies are excited about.

Posted 4:51am Monday 15th August 2011 by Lozz Holding

Now that the first shit rugby game is out of the way, Critic has started salivating about this year’s big event at the Forsyth Barr Stadium: the Elton John concert. This concert will showcase the stadium’s potential as a year-round venue, Dunedin’s new addition being the country’s only fully covered Read more...

PM visit prevents some Tourism students from sleeping till midday. Bastard.

Posted 4:50am Monday 15th August 2011 by Lozz Holding

Hungover student ghetto residents were robbed of any chance of a midday lie-in on Friday August 5, as chanting protestors collected outside the newly refurbished Robertson Library to express their opposition to the VSM bill. The protest was organised in less than 48 hours by OUSA, and high Read more...

Execrable - 20

Posted 4:48am Monday 15th August 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

This week’s Exec meeting consisted mostly of the Exec doing really boring shit while Critic sat huddled in the corner, trying to work out at what point life had gone so badly wrong that we were forced to report on these idiots in order to be able to buy food. Pretty standard meeting then. In Read more...

Hardcore journalism: Critic runs over drunk reporter to prove ODT right.

Posted 4:47am Monday 15th August 2011 by Staff Reporter

The Otago Daily Times has written an impassioned piece decrying the dangers of students jaywalking across Cumberland St. The article, published in the ODT last Monday, extensively covered a complaint by a (presumably elderly) member of the public that students crossing Cumberland St while the Read more...

Bouncing off the Halls - 20

Posted 4:45am Monday 15th August 2011 by Lozz Holding

A pleasant and arousing facet of the first year hall scene is the well-established rivalry between certain colleges. Everyone with a cerebellum still intact is aware of the notable ongoing hatred between the stuck-up Selwynites and the possibly deviant Knoxians. Then there are the less established Read more...

Vote Chat: Tree-Loving Ms Turei

Posted 4:42am Monday 15th August 2011 by Joe Stockman

Leading into the November election, politics lecturer Bryce Edwards is hosting New Zealand politicians each Friday at Noon. Last Friday Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei took on politics students Niki Lomax and Finn O’Dwyer-Cunliffe to discuss getting kids out of poverty, getting adults their Read more...

Selwyn and Knox lads get down and dirty together. Hot.

Posted 4:40am Monday 15th August 2011 by Joe Stockman

The new Forsyth Barr Stadium opened on Friday August 5 with a dawn ceremony led by Ngai Tahu and attended by Prime Minister John Key. Following a delicious breakfast of muffins and cheese rolls, Selwyn and Knox Colleges took to the field for the stadium’s inaugural rugby game. Battling for the Read more...

Act on Campus vs Edgar Part 2

Posted 4:23am Monday 15th August 2011 by Showdown at the Storm-in-a-Teapot Corral

As reported in last week’s Critic, OUSA President Logan Edgar has landed himself in hot water over derogatory comments on the Facebook page of ACT MP Sir Roger Douglas. ACT on Campus called for Edgar’s resignation over the incident, a proposition that received piss-poor support in a highly Read more...

Chronicles of Castle - 20

Posted 4:20am Monday 15th August 2011 by Sam Reynolds

It’s not all happy families on Castle Street. And surprisingly the bad moods are not because of the Kronic ban, the dramas are being caused by a problem that is normally most troublesome in first year. Like drugs, flats for next year are being sussed on the low key. With dodgy dealing going down Read more...

GROWING SOME WEED IN DA BUSH. LOL. WEED.

Posted 4:18am Monday 15th August 2011 by Staff Reporter

Students for Environmental Action (SEA), the 2009 OUSA Society of the Year, have managed to wrangle a piece of land from the University to create Otago University’s first community garden, inspired by the community garden at the University of Canterbury. The garden will be behind the Albany Street Read more...

GUNS AND EXPLOSIONS = NO DENTISTS

Posted 4:06am Monday 15th August 2011 by Basti Menkes

Otago dental students have created a 100% not-for-profit charity that seeks to improve the crumbling healthcare system in war-torn Iraq. The charity is called Iraqi Children's Aid and Repair Endeavour (ICARE), and is the first of its kind operating in New Zealand. There are an estimated 5 Read more...

Dr John McEwan

Posted 5:07am Thursday 11th August 2011 by Georgie Fenwicke

The population of sheep in New Zealand currently sits at around 43.1 million. They double the number of cows and yet have a better environmental reputation. What springs to mind when you hear natterings of a fart tax? Yes, Dairy farms. Sheep, on the other hand, are a bit overlooked by the general Read more...

VSM struggling through prolonged Labour

Posted 4:58am Thursday 11th August 2011 by Gregor Whyte

The Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill failed to pass the committee of the whole stage in Parliament last Wednesday, as Labour party MPs used delaying tactics to prevent the bill from reaching its third reading. Debate on the bill continued until Parliament ended its session at Read more...

Auckland University has enough airpoints to buy 747.

Posted 4:57am Thursday 11th August 2011 by Gregor Whyte

Otago just a Cessna. Students have slammed Auckland University after it was revealed the university spent $24 million on travel for academic and general staff in the last financial year. That figure dwarfs the spending of any other tertiary institution in New Zealand, with Massey University Read more...

Slutwalk hits town

Posted 4:56am Thursday 11th August 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

Not UniCol daytrip for once. The international protest movement Slutwalk is coming to Dunedin, with the event scheduled to take place next Saturday.   The original Slutwalk protests were sparked by the comments of a Canadian police officer at a safety talk in Toronto, who stated Read more...

SJS to close

Posted 4:54am Thursday 11th August 2011 by Teuila Fuatai

Student labourers sought to help with clearout. Apply online. Last week Student Job Search confirmed that its local on-campus branches will close in September. A new centralised system will provide services for the recruitment agency from a national call-centre in Wellington.   SJS Read more...

Proctology -19

Posted 4:52am Thursday 11th August 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

Critic hadn’t had a rendezvous with the Proctor since before the holidays, so we were expecting a good haul of stories when we strolled into his mighty chambers of justice. Disappointingly, Re-O Week seems to have been a relatively tame affair, with no stories of note from our favourite Read more...

Execrable - 19

Posted 4:50am Thursday 11th August 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

Secretary Donna Jones was notably absent from last week’s meeting, and her absence was not for the better. Stand-in AJ didn’t display Donna’s skill at wrangling the monkeys/exec members, and this was reflected in the tedious length of the meeting. First up, the never ending “what to do Read more...

If it’s not the altar boys or the sacramental wine, then its invariably AUT’s bank account

Posted 4:49am Thursday 11th August 2011 by Lozz Holding

A 53 year-old priest and former gay lover of ex-Labour MP Tim Barnett has been arrested for allegedly misappropriating over $500,000 from AUT University. Jonathan Kirkpatrick, a former Dean of Dunedin’s St Paul’s Cathedral, has resigned as chief executive of the University's Read more...

Amnesty not observed

Posted 4:46am Thursday 11th August 2011 by Staff Reporter

The University Link and the lawn area outside the library were the scenes of violent re-enactments by Amnesty International to raise awareness about the silencing of political activists last Wednesday August 3. Students dressed entirely in black marched through the Link, much to the surprise Read more...

Vote Chat: The Power Hungry Mr Woodhouse

Posted 4:44am Thursday 11th August 2011 by Joe Stockman

Leading into the November election, politics lecturer Bryce Edwards is interviewing New Zealand politicians each Friday at noon. Last Friday, National backbencher and North Dunedin electorate candidate Michael Woodhouse took the stage and talked about being the fifth of nine children, his take on Read more...

Radio One Saved

Posted 4:41am Thursday 11th August 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

OUSA cast their sickle aside After a month long submission process that garnered much media attention, the OUSA Executive has decided to reject the Deloitte review recommendation to sell Radio One.   OUSA Administrative Vice President Brad Russell told Critic that the Read more...

New Divisional Postgrad Reps

Posted 4:38am Thursday 11th August 2011 by Basti Menkes

In the wake of a recent OUSA Postgraduate Committee meeting, eight new Divisional Representatives for the rest of the year have been confirmed. These are: Simon Hoermann, Sarah Forbes, Anna Lindstrom, Aniruddha Chatterjee, Maria Pozza, Margi McMurdo-Reading, Adam Beissel and Sourav Paul. The Read more...

Nineties American Airline runs Ice Hockey game

Posted 4:37am Thursday 11th August 2011 by Lozz Holding

The Douglas Webber group brought three International Ice Hockey games to New Zealand, showcasing top players from the USA and Canada in Auckland and Christchurch before finishing off at the Dunedin Ice Stadium last Wednesday night. The teams were competing for the NZ Exhibition Cup, with the Read more...

Nothing Personal

Posted 11:28pm Monday 8th August 2011 by Georgie Fenwicke

Iranian Embassy Siege, London. Northern Ireland Troubles. American bombing, Tripoli. Tiananmen Square. Gulf War, Kuwait. Genocide in Rwanda. Siege of Sarajevo. This is a woman who has witnessed and covered some of the most significant moments in recent history. She has been shot three times, for Read more...

Fact: students not all that disease ridden

Posted 5:31am Monday 8th August 2011 by Gregor Whyte with reporting by Lozz Holding

Despite being irresponsible, binge-drinking slops who rarely attend class and mostly just waste the government’s money at the rate of $170 a week, Dunedin students are apparently not riddled with venereal disease. Following the election of new OUSA President Logan Edgar, many have been Read more...

Only 12 students found frozen dead in their hovels after minor snow flurry; authorities pleased

Posted 5:29am Monday 8th August 2011 by Lozz Holding

Dunedin suffered its heaviest snowfall in fifteen years, bringing widespread chaos and disruption to the city, but also delivering a couple of days welcome entertainment to the student population that didn’t have to study for UMAT. During the early hours of Sunday July 24, snow began to fall Read more...

Students jizz themselves as rockstar student politicians hit Dunedin

Posted 5:27am Monday 8th August 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

NZUSA Co-Presidents David Do and Max Hardy visited Dunedin last week as part of a nationwide tour of member campuses in order to engage with constituent students. Throngs of female students had to be held back by security after Do and Hardy hit the Dunedin campus, such was the sexual allure of the Read more...

Because the only thing people like more than drinking is studying

Posted 5:26am Monday 8th August 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

The University of Otago has released plans to redevelop former student pub Gardies into a “study and social centre.” Last year the University paid $1.75 million to buy the Gardens Tavern and transform the former drinking den into a new facility called the Marsh Study Centre, named after Graeme Read more...

New Zealander of the Year

Posted 5:24am Monday 8th August 2011 by Staff Reporter

A New Zealand man who witnessed the horrific Oslo bombing has become an internet sensation after giving an interview that literally defies belief for its vacuous stupidity. Cameron Leslie, predictably a University of Waikato graduate, is a sales rep for Thomson Reuters in Norway and was attending Read more...

No More Mass Exodus

Posted 5:23am Monday 8th August 2011 by Teuila Fuatai

Due to negative media attention, the Canterbury Engineering Students Association has cancelled its Great Quake Escape event. The event had been planned as a celebration to thank students who had helped out after the series of earthquakes that devastated Christchurch. Speaking to the Otago Read more...

Bouncing off the Halls - 18

Posted 5:19am Monday 8th August 2011 by Lozz Holding

UMAT. Four letters that strike fear deep into the bosom of the deluded freshers that still actually think they’ll be getting into Med School on the back of that B+ average from first semester. Forget the clap, the can-man or crowbar-wielding, fat South Dunedin swamp-donkeys on P. The most Read more...

Vote Chat: Politicians talk Politics

Posted 5:17am Monday 8th August 2011 by Joe Stockman

Each Friday at noon, politics lecturer Bryce Edwards is interviewing politicians in an ongoing series called “Political Chat”. Last week, Labour's North Dunedin candidate and electoral shoe in David Clark stepped up to the plate and talked about existential philosophy, social justice, and running in Read more...

Students unite for non-shitty future

Posted 5:15am Monday 8th August 2011 by Julia Hollingsworth

New nationwide youth-led lobby group Generation Zero held a public lecture last Wednesday to encourage students to do something about climate change. Held at the St David’s lecture theatre, the venue was almost packed to its 550-person capacity. The lecture was entitled “Cheer up Read more...

Execrable - 18

Posted 5:12am Monday 8th August 2011 by Daniel Benson- Guiu

Upon entry, Critic received weird stares from the exec, perhaps in part because we arrived a whopping five minutes early. Not wanting the exec to think we were too keen, Critic stared at an empty chair for a while. Unfortunately, this didn’t put the exec off: they were all happy to see someone new Read more...

Cadbury

Posted 4:15am Thursday 28th July 2011 by Georgie Fenwicke

Guess what? It's chocolate time! That's right, the Cadbury Chocolate Carnival started on Saturday complete with chocolate house, sculptress extraordinaire Prudence Staite and cooking lessons with Judith Cullen. The event, which began in 2000, has grown from a three-day affair to seven days of fun Read more...

This Paper Possibly Propels Politico to Parliament

Posted 4:09am Thursday 28th July 2011 by Gregor Whyte

Former Critic Editor Holly Walker may earn a list seat in Parliament this year after the Green Party’s strong showing in a recent Colmar Brunton poll. Walker is twelfth on the party list, meaning she would squeak into Parliament if the Greens can replicate their poll showing of 10% at the Read more...

ACT Party a Little Cagey

Posted 4:07am Thursday 28th July 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

OUSA President Logan Edgar was assaulted by a member of ACT on Campus shortly before entering his prison cell, where he spent two days protesting against VSM. The altercation began when Edgar screwed up a protest sign that a female member of the ACT group was holding, tossing it in the Read more...

The VC is Dead, Long Live the VC

Posted 4:02am Thursday 28th July 2011 by Gregor Whyte

The University of Otago will see a changing of the guard this week, as departing Vice Chancellor Sir Professor David Skegg steps down from the role on the 31st July after almost eight years heading the University. Skegg has overseen an era of significant change in the culture and practices of the Read more...

Logan Locked up for VSM's Bad Behaviour

Posted 3:56am Thursday 28th July 2011 by Lozz Holding

Last week OUSA President Logan Edgar locked himself inside a cage for 42 hours between 7pm Monday and 1pm on Wednesday. The stunt was designed to protest the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill. The bill was introduced to Parliament by the ACT party and, if passed, could leave Read more...

OUSA not the only scandalous student organisation

Posted 3:51am Thursday 28th July 2011 by Staff Reporter (with reporting from Nexus Magazine).

Proving that exec members behaving scandalously isn’t a phenomenon exclusive to OUSA, the Waikato Students’ Union (WSU) has removed Vice President Maori Toko Baker with immediate effect after he seriously breached the values of the organization. Baker’s behaviour included alleged minor Read more...

Students not too concerned about SJS Office closure

Posted 3:49am Thursday 28th July 2011 by Teuila Fuatai

The possible closure of local SJS branches and their replacement with a centralised call centre in Wellington has been met with general unconcern among students spoken to by Critic. Whilst many students acknowledged using SJS to look for employment, both during the university year and over the Read more...

Crowd Divided on VSM, United Against Hilary

Posted 3:44am Thursday 28th July 2011 by Staff Reporter

Gareth Hughes (Green Party), David Clark (Labour), Michael Woodhouse (National) and Hilary Calvert (ACT Party) took part in a debate on VSM - among other issues - on Friday July 15 at the Gazebo Lounge. The politicians were given five minutes to introduce themselves at the beginning of the Read more...

Chronicles of Castle - 17

Posted 3:42am Thursday 28th July 2011 by Sam Reynolds

After a prolonged absence, Chronicles of Castle is back like the bowl cut. I do apologise for the delay but the author has been busy gathering stories during the chaos of Re-O Week. The chaos of last week has left most residents in a zombie like state, with malnutrition striking down flats and Read more...

Execrable - 17

Posted 11:53pm Monday 25th July 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

Critic’s first experience of an outdoor Exec meeting wasn’t quite the delightful nature encounter that we were hoping for. Instead, it was cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey. Luckily, caged President Logan Edgar was on hand to provide the lols, not to mention the hot chocolate bribe Read more...

Jeffrey Harris

Posted 5:14am Monday 25th July 2011 by Georgie Fenwicke

Two doors down from a car mechanic and across the road from a photography studio, Jeffrey Harris works and paints. It is his compulsion. Not to paint in his words renders him ‘frustrated and angry and depressed and very twitchy. I have got to work.” In his industrial space, he welcomes me with a Read more...

Next stop the White House

Posted 5:11am Monday 25th July 2011 by Gregor Whyte

New OUSA President Logan Edgar has had a meteoric rise in politics. Only weeks ago Edgar was just another bum on a seat in BSNS104: Principles of Economics One. Now he finds himself in charge of a multi-million dollar organisation, and many are tipping him to go on to even greater things. Read more...

There goes the neighbourhood

Posted 5:09am Monday 25th July 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

A proposal has been issued to Student Job Search offices nationwide indicating that regional offices will be shut down in September, with a centralised call centre to be established in Wellington. As a result Otago would be left without any representation on campus, with the one staff Read more...

Re-O no Rio

Posted 5:05am Monday 25th July 2011 by Lozz Holding

Last week was Re-O Week, and although a number of events were cancelled due to both the weather and lack of attendance, the week was generally considered a success. OUSA organised a raft of events to keep the punters amused. Wednesday saw the President dressed up as the Mad Butcher giving away Read more...

Deloitte have more money than Latvia.

Posted 5:01am Monday 25th July 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

Radio One is still too expensive though. The Deloitte review’s recommendation to sell Radio One has sparked a “Save Radio One” campaign, which has gained a significant following throughout the proposal’s consultation period.   The review was undertaken to Read more...

Student politicians have conference.

Posted 4:59am Monday 25th July 2011 by Gregor Whyte

Nobody cares. Business as usual then. The New Zealand Union of Student’s Associations (NZUSA) recently held its July conference at Victoria University of Wellington, with the presidents of student’s associations from around the country meeting to attend talks and workshops, and Read more...

Execrable - 16

Posted 4:58am Monday 25th July 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

First meeting back and Critic dashed into the boardroom slightly late to discover the whole Exec had been instructed to “dress like gangstas,” while wearing “I Read more...

Sigh…

Posted 4:56am Monday 25th July 2011 by Gregor Whyte

A radical element within Critic Te Arohi, the feted University of Otago student magazine, has established a new company with the intention of buying out the popular student watering hole The Captain Cook Tavern. The new Critic subsidiary, Critical Capital Holdings, is the brainchild of Read more...

On the roof

Posted 4:54am Monday 25th July 2011 by Teuila Fuatai

A drunken student had to be removed from the roof of the Cadbury’s factory in Dunedin by the fire service, as students marked the traditional Re-O Week with festivities and a lot of drinking. During the incident last Tuesday, a University of Otago student was arrested for climbing onto the top Read more...

Bouncing off the Halls - 16

Posted 4:53am Monday 25th July 2011 by Lozz Holding

Older students often tend to blame many of the problems in life on freshers, and for good reason. Freshers are frequently guilty of ruining bars, pushing rent prices up by signing flat leases in April, and of giving you that insatiable itch around your pubic region after a SoGo fuelled dalliance Read more...

Hon Steven Joyce

Posted 12:06am Tuesday 12th July 2011 by Georgie Fenwicke

Steven Joyce likes a good cappuccino, but insists on nothing sprinkled on the top. Surely, that's more of a latte then? But no, apparently with a layer of espresso, milk and froth it distinguishes itself easily from the infamous beverage. Joyce, a name more synonymous with Guiness and Leprechauns, Read more...

Remember that token Scarfie candidate?

Posted 12:01am Tuesday 12th July 2011 by Lozz Holding

He won. By a lot. ‘Scarfie’ candidate Logan Edgar won a landslide victory in the OUSA Presidential by-election held just before exams last semester. The now President Edgar is 20-year old second year BCom student majoring in Marketing. He was born and raised in Te Anau, Read more...

Review recommends less staff

Posted 11:54pm Monday 11th July 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

In May 2011 OUSA engaged the services of Deloitte to complete a review of the current organisational structure. Along with the potential sale of Radio One (covered on page 11), the review has recommended the disestablishment of various staff roles within OUSA. No final decisions have yet been Read more...

Radio None

Posted 11:40pm Monday 11th July 2011 by Gregor Whyte

OUSA is strongly considering getting rid of student radio station Radio One after an independent review by financial services giant Deloitte recommended selling the station to save money. In May the OUSA Executive commissioned Deloitte to “complete a review of the current organisational Read more...

Cook Brothers to sell Cook

Posted 11:38pm Monday 11th July 2011 by Lozz Holding

Identity crisis imminent? The Captain Cook Tavern is officially for sale, ending almost constant speculation from Critic. The Cook Brothers Bars Company has put the bar on the market and expressions of interest are open until 4pm July 22. The Captain Cook Tavern first opened in 1864 and Read more...

O-week again.

Posted 11:36pm Monday 11th July 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

OUSA is promising a “diverse range of entertainment” to “keep you warm while it’s getting a little cold out” for Re-Orientation 2011. The festivities kick off on Wednesday with OUSA Clubs Day in the Union Common Room between 10am and 4pm, giving students and the public a chance “to check Read more...

Critic’s power and influence growing.

Posted 11:35pm Monday 11th July 2011 by Gregor Whyte

Critic’s hard-hitting journalism has successfully forced the ODT to redesign the ‘On Campus’ website after Critic’s groundbreaking coverage of an alleged ‘nefarious alliance’ between the ODT and the Otago Polytechnic (see Critic Issue 14, page 13). In June the ODT redesigned their website to Read more...

Exec Member Strides Off

Posted 11:29pm Monday 11th July 2011 by Julia Hollingsworth

OUSA Finance and Services Officer Dan Stride has resigned from his position after allegations of criminal conduct by Stride were referred to the police. Stride was accused of indecent assault and was offered diversion under the police diversion scheme. The incident occurred at a flat party, Read more...

Students incapable of learning

Posted 11:28pm Monday 11th July 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

Dunedin police are formulating a plan to reduce the number of burglaries in the scarfie-populated North Dunedin, having recorded 54 burglaries between March and June this year in streets mainly lived in by students. Inspector Campbell, the police Area Commander, described the area as Read more...

Mayor Dave Cull

Posted 4:20am Monday 11th July 2011 by Georgie Fenwicke

Last year, Dunedin wanted change. It demanded change. And Dave Cull seemed to be the man to deliver it. As such, he was voted in as your Mayor. You may have even given him the tick. Or did you vote back home? Having talked to the guy, I can see why Cull attracted the voters. He writes, he reads, is Read more...

Young voters could decide the MMP referendum

Posted 4:14am Monday 11th July 2011 by Josh Hercus

The youth vote could be the decider in the upcoming referendum on MMP, with current enrolment rates in the 18-24 demographic so low that they could prove critical in MMP’s tight contest to remain as New Zealand’s election system. Only 50.17% of youth aged 18 to 24 are enrolled to vote in Read more...

ODT and Polytech combine to take a dump on head of Uni

Posted 4:11am Monday 11th July 2011 by Gregor Whyte

The alleged uncovering of a nefarious alliance between the Otago Polytechnic and the Otago Daily Times (ODT) has triggered a ridiculous article in the student magazine Critic. Whilst browsing the ODT website to find filler news for the “Briefs” section of the magazine, Critic Read more...

Everything passes in OUSA Referendum. Except that darned constitution.

Posted 4:08am Monday 11th July 2011 by Gregor Whyte

The OUSA referendum resulted in all motions passing the vote, with the exception of the crucial motion addressing the current constitutional structure of OUSA. Motions accepting the OUSA audited financial statements and annual report for 2010 both passed with only minor opposition, although in Read more...

Otago Less Good

Posted 4:06am Monday 11th July 2011 by Gregor Whyte

Unimpressed with lack of couch burnings and riots, ranking agency punishes Otago with huge drop in rankings. New Zealand universities have fallen considerably in the just released version of the QS World Universities Rankings, with Otago University suffering the most significant tumble, Read more...

Execrable - 14

Posted 4:05am Monday 11th July 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

Acting-Acting-Vice-President Katie Reid chaired last week’s Executive meeting, with the presidential by-election causing a bit of a shuffle-up in the Exec structure. Administrative Vice President/Acting President Brad Russell didn’t want to chair the meeting in case it appeared he was Read more...

Election campaigns reveal that none of these candidates is the next Obama

Posted 4:03am Monday 11th July 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

By the time Critic is being read by all of our many [several] fans, the by-election results for President will be final, as voting closed at 4pm Friday June 3. Based on the results, the relative success of the candidates’ campaigns should now be obvious. However, prior to voting closing Critic Read more...

High

Posted 4:02am Monday 11th July 2011 by Basti Menkes

University of Otago researchers David Fergusson and Joseph Boden have directed a statement at Prime Minister John Key regarding the prosecution of older teenagers/young adults for possessing marijuana. They have argued that although most teenagers are safe from the harm this drug can cause, Read more...

Drunk gets drunk for charity

Posted 4:00am Monday 11th July 2011 by Staff Reporter

Two Dunedin students lived the scarfie dream and made money for charity in a neat dovetailing of interests by deciding to drink for 40 hours non-stop for the 40 hour famine. The students warmed up for the famine with eight drinks, and then settled into a more reasonable Southern Read more...

Bouncing off the Halls - 14

Posted 3:59am Monday 11th July 2011 by Lozz Holding

I’m not a religious man. Magic and imaginary friends have never really been my thing. But I’ll be the first to admit it’s a goddamn miracle that no poor bastard has broken their ankle crossing the newly refurbished Leith Bridge. What was wrong with it in the first place is beyond me but Read more...

Tiny Ruins

Posted 3:44am Wednesday 6th July 2011 by Georgie Fenwicke

Tiny Ruins is the artistic pseudonym of Hollie Fullbrook, an English-born/New Zealand-raised up-and-comer. Her eerie, haunting melodies have an insistence that renders one both relaxed and pensive at the same time. Eat your heart out Runga and Moa! Her album Some Were Meant For Sea is released this Read more...

Proctology -13

Posted 3:30am Wednesday 6th July 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

The Proctor had some words of wisdom to impart this week about “planking”, a recent fad that involves lying down with your arms by your sides in weird public places and photographing it. In short; don’t do it. There have apparently been some students planking around campus recently, Read more...

Police institute highly realistic plan to arrest 30,000 for standing up at rugby game

Posted 3:28am Wednesday 6th July 2011 by Lozz Holding

Many students are outraged, and frankly a tad bewildered, after hearing that the Dunedin police force are planning to clamp down on Mexican waves at rugby games in the new Forsyth Barr Stadium. The configuration of the new stadium means that in certain places the crowd will be less than six Read more...

Cagey Issue. Eggscellent bad pun potential.

Posted 3:11am Wednesday 6th July 2011 by Kari Schmidt

A motion requesting that food outlets on campus stop using factory-farmed products has been included as part of the OUSA referendum, which has been open for voting since May 23 and closes on June 2. However, some students have expressed doubts about whether the motion, ostensibly supported by Read more...

OUSA wants a share of the COC?

Posted 12:17am Wednesday 6th July 2011 by Lozz Holding

A motion is being put to students in the current student referendum that would see the 2006 motion that OUSA officially opposes the Student Code of Conduct (COC) rescinded, and would also void the referendum result of 2005 wherein students voted that OUSA should be in opposition to the Code. Read more...

Presidential Candidates Debate: Showdown of the Century

Posted 12:14am Wednesday 6th July 2011 by Aimee Gulliver

0.25% of Students Listen. The campaign period is officially underway for the four candidates running for the role of President of OUSA in the upcoming by-election.   Candidates are current Acting President Bradley Russell, Welfare Officer Shonelle Eastwood, Colleges and Read more...

Chronicles of Castle - 13

Posted 12:10am Wednesday 6th July 2011 by Sam Reynolds

As exams draw nearer, more and more residents are being forced to join the fashion parade that is going to the library in Dunedin. The library is traditionally more hated by blokes than the fuckwit who invented the dildo. However, this year is different as residents don’t have the comfort of halls Read more...

Best result in a decade for Polytech

Posted 12:00am Wednesday 6th July 2011 by Staff Reporter

The Otago Polytechnic has achieved its highest operating surplus in a decade, climbing $2.26 million into the black for the last operating year. The surplus comes despite a difficult economic climate and a reduction in core government support for polytechnics in recent times. Chief Executive Read more...