Archive

Otago Graduates Win Awards

Posted 12:44am Monday 6th September 2010 by Staff Reporter

Two University of Otago graduates won national awards at the annual Dietitians New Zealand awards ceremony, the Otago Daily Times reports. Krystal Somner won the Nestle Healthcare Nutrition Young Achiever Award for her work in developing a screening tool for chemotherapy patients at risk of Read more...

Confirmed: Old People Hate Youths

Posted 12:43am Monday 6th September 2010 by Gregor Whyte

German researchers have found that old people enjoy reading news reports that cast young people in a negative light. The researchers responsible for the study posited that the tendency of old people to react positively to news stories portraying young people negatively was tied to generational Read more...

Bouncing off the Halls - 22

Posted 12:42am Monday 6th September 2010 by

This week’s eagerly-anticipated installment of Bouncing off the Halls begins on a more formal note, covering the antics of the University College’s premier social event: the Ball. Most of the Hall’s female population rounded off a week of pathetically starving themselves by crying Read more...

Is the end of the affair is near?

Posted 3:47am Thursday 26th August 2010 by

OUSA has given a clear indication that it no longer wishes to be a part of the New Zealand Union of Students Association (NZUSA) and University Sport New Zealand (USNZ) last week. In a Budget draft it has been revealed that OUSA plans to budget $0 for NZUSA in 2011, in stark contrast to the Read more...

At least OUSA isn’t this bad

Posted 3:45am Thursday 26th August 2010 by Gregor Whyte

At least $750 000 has been misappropriated by former members of the Whitireia Polytechnic Students' Association’s Executive, the Dominion Post reported last week. The scale of the fraud has left members outraged and the Association struggling to remain solvent. A professional audit of the Read more...

Hairy Gay Man to lead OUSA for a second year

Posted 3:43am Thursday 26th August 2010 by

OUSA President Harriet Geoghegan was successful in her re-election bid, after handily beating the four other candidates in the voting for the 2011 Executive. Geoghegan took the race with a total number of 948 eligible votes. Her closest rival was current Clubs and Socs Rep Dan Stride, who Read more...

OUSA Election Results

Posted 3:42am Thursday 26th August 2010 by Staff Reporter

PRESIDENT    Abstain: 177    No confidence: 137    Dan Stride: 704    Harriet Geoghegan: 948    Matt McKillop: 515    Mitch Edwards: 348    Nathaniel Hatch-Stevens: 36      Read more...

Hookers and Blow: Not budgeted for

Posted 3:37am Thursday 26th August 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

The first draft of the OUSA Budget, written by Finance Officer James Meager and General Manager Stephen Alexander, has been released amidst controversy over levy increases and withdrawing from NZUSA. However, there are several other changes in the proposed new Budget, and Meager was quick to Read more...

Execrable - 21

Posted 3:36am Thursday 26th August 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

Last week’s meeting was a dull and dreary affair, stretching three whole yawn-inducing hours. James Meager once again took over the Presidential role, although it seemed his main job was to make Harriet shut up. Presidential hopeful Dan Stride was M.I.A. (along with about half of the Exec), Read more...

Organic Festival

Posted 3:34am Thursday 26th August 2010 by

The Students for Environmental Action will hold their sixth annual Organic Festival at Sammy’s this Saturday. The main aim of the festival is to raise awareness of the environmental and health benefits of organic food and drink.    Tickets to the event cost $5 and include one free Read more...

Quiztacular

Posted 3:31am Thursday 26th August 2010 by Gregor Whyte

On Thursday OUSA will hold its second annual quiz evening, Bride of Quiztacular. This mega-quiz night, which aims to bring together Humanities students from across all different disciplines, will feature 10 rounds of “intense quiz competition,” Walker MacMurdo says. Teams are of Read more...

Top Supervisor Honoured

Posted 3:28am Thursday 26th August 2010 by Anthony Riseley

University of Otago physical education researcher Dr. Jim Cotter has been named the Otago University Students Association’s Overall Supervisor of the Year, in recognition of his work with postgraduate students. Dr. Cotter, a senior lecturer who joined the University staff in 2001, says the Read more...

Former Critic Editor TV Star

Posted 3:27am Thursday 26th August 2010 by Staff Reporter

Former Critic Editor John Ong is to star in the new show Feedback on TV2. The show, based around a disgraced news presenter desperate to secure ratings, also stars Arthur Meek, Natalie Medlock, Orlando Stewart, and Ngapaki Emery.     The half-skit, half-sitcom comedy will Read more...

Former OUSA President Throws His Hat In

Posted 3:26am Thursday 26th August 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

Former OUSA President Simon Wilson has formally expressed an interest in being chosen as the Labour candidate for North Dunedin. He is the third person to express interest in the candidacy, along with the Selwyn College Warden Dr. David Clark and a woman named Glenda Alexander.    Read more...

University Won’t Ban Staff-Student Relationships

Posted 3:24am Thursday 26th August 2010 by Gregor Whyte

The University of Otago has confirmed that it will not ban relationships between staff and students. The University’s review of its policy on relationships between staff and students has been completed, and the University Senate will now discuss a revised policy, which mandates that Read more...

"Yes they are a bunch of fucktards, but they are the only fucktards we've got."

Posted 3:59pm Monday 16th August 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth and Gregor Whyte

The University of Otago was subjected to the bitchiest, and most dramatic, student election campaigns in recent memory last week. Four (or possibly five) candidates are after the top job. Mitch Edwards, Harriet Geoghegan, Matt McKillop, and Dan Stride all actively campaigned while Nathanial Read more...

Russian Relationship

Posted 3:48pm Monday 16th August 2010 by Staff Reporter

University of Otago students could soon face the prospect of sharing lectures with students at St Petersburg State University in Russia, after a visit by St Petersburg Vice-Rector Professor Konstantin Khudoley last week. The possibility of sharing lectures via video-casting was discussed, as was Read more...

Mental Illness Study

Posted 3:45pm Monday 16th August 2010 by Teuila Fuatai

A University of Otago study has found that those who suffer from mental illness between the ages of 18 and 25 are less likely to have a full-time job by the time they turn 30. Led by Dr. Sheree Gib, the study involved 950 participants and compared factors such as income level, mental health Read more...

Groundbreaking Study

Posted 3:39pm Monday 16th August 2010 by Kathryn Guise

Researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington have carried out the first ever study into the reasons why pregnant women are admitted to intensive care in New Zealand. These women suffer what is termed Severe Acute Maternal Morbidity (SAMM). This occurs when a pregnant or recently-delivered Read more...

School of Business Cuts Confirmed

Posted 3:37pm Monday 16th August 2010 by Gregor Whyte

The amalgamation of the University of Otago Accountancy and Business Law department and the Finance and Quantitative Analysis department will result in the loss of almost ten jobs, the Otago Daily Times reported last week. 9.8 Full-Time Equivalent Positions (FTE) in teaching and administration Read more...

Weatherston appeal delayed

Posted 3:36pm Monday 16th August 2010 by Calida Smylie

Clayton Weatherston's appeal against his conviction for murder has been delayed. eatherston, 34, will challenge his conviction for murdering his former girlfriend, 22-year-old Sophie Elliot, by stabbing and cutting her 216 times in her Dunedin home in January 2008. Currently serving a jail Read more...

Referendum: Will. Not. Die.

Posted 11:43pm Monday 9th August 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

The Referendum from Hell continues to cause controversy, despite an independent arbitrator throwing out all objections to how it was run.  Last Monday independent arbitrator Prof Paul Roth dismissed all the appeals that had been made.     In total eight formal Read more...

E-eeeek

Posted 11:42pm Monday 9th August 2010 by Gregor Whyte

A young woman collapsed and suffered a seizure after apparently consuming Ecstasy at the White-Out gig featuring Minuit at the Union last Wednesday.  An ambulance was called and the young woman was rushed to hospital. Concert-goers told Critic that many attending the gig had the Read more...

Proctor to be Probed

Posted 11:41pm Monday 9th August 2010 by

The Proctors Office is to be reviewed in October as part of a routine University of Otago process. The University is required to review all of its administrative departments at least once every five to seven years. The Proctor’s Office will be put under what is called an Read more...

Harriet Geoghegan wants to be the next Harriet Geoghegan!

Posted 11:40pm Monday 9th August 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

Harriet Geoghegan is seeking re-election to the role of OUSA President. At the time of printing last week Geoghegan was the only person to publicly announce their candidacy. If Geoghegan is re-elected, she will be the first person to serve a second term as President since Paul “The Read more...

Would you like the Red Pill or the Blue Pill?

Posted 11:39pm Monday 9th August 2010 by

he University of Otago has formalised the new process that will govern those applying to the University for the first time next year. The new system will divide domestic applicants into those who gain Preferential Entry and those who will have to compete for places in the Competitive Entry Read more...

Proctology - 19

Posted 11:38pm Monday 9th August 2010 by Tailgunner Joe

he Proctor seemed to be having a bit of a slow week when I interviewed him, but as usual there were a couple of things exercising his mind: * Firstly, there have been “three or four” assaults on campus recently. These have been of the indecent rather than violent variety, although Read more...

Execrable - 19

Posted 11:37pm Monday 9th August 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

Despite the dramatic mudslinging of the week before, the Exec was determined to play happy families this week, and any remaining tension was almost undetectable to the untrained eye. At Welcom’s suggestion, OUSA passed a motion supporting efforts to reduce the harm caused by excessive Read more...

Groundbreaking Study

Posted 11:35pm Monday 9th August 2010 by Kathryn Guise

Researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington have carried out the first ever study into the reasons why pregnant women are admitted to intensive care in New Zealand. These women suffer from what is termed Severe Acute Maternal Morbidity (SAMM). This occurs when a pregnant or Read more...

Mental Illness Study

Posted 11:33pm Monday 9th August 2010 by Teuila Fuatai

A University of Otago study has found that those who suffer from mental illness between the ages of 18 and 25 are less likely to have a full-time job by the time they turn 30. Led by Dr. Sheree Gib, the study involved 950 participants and compared factors such as income level, mental Read more...

Animal Law Week

Posted 11:31pm Monday 9th August 2010 by Calida Smylie

The University of Otago's first Animal Law Week is being held this week. The events are being run by the Student Animal Legal Defence Fund (SALDF), and aim to increase all students' awareness about society's treatment of animals. A number of interactive seminars will be presented by SALDF Read more...

Critic Steals PM’s Cup

Posted 11:31pm Monday 9th August 2010 by Staff Reporter

Critic’s Wellington correspondent pulled off a daring heist last week, gaining international media coverage after stealing Prime Minister John Key’s used coffee cup. Jackson Freeman took the cup after covering a talk Key gave to students at a Vic Uni hostel. In the talk Key said he was unhappy Read more...

Rrrreeeooww: OUSA goes high-school

Posted 4:50am Monday 2nd August 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

OUSA is embroiled in a political crisis after five Executive members stormed out of an ‘Emergency Meeting’ dealing with matters resulting from the referendum. The meeting was called late last Thursday in an effort to push back the election date for the 2011 Executive by one week. Read more...

University Caps 31 Motherfuckers

Posted 4:48am Monday 2nd August 2010 by Teuila Fuatai

Thirty-one people have been declined entry to the University of Otago this semester due to the newly introduced enrolment limitations. Instituted in May, the new cap policy is designed to address burgeoning domestic roll growth. As a consequence entry was limited for 20 second-semester Read more...

Critic reads University’s emails…legally.

Posted 4:47am Monday 2nd August 2010 by Gregor Whyte

A Critic investigation has revealed that the University of Otago purchased Gardies with no clear plan of how to use the property. A Capital Expenditure Evaluation and related emails obtained under the Official Information Act make it clear that the University bought Gardies without a clear Read more...

Geoghegan Too Lazy to Even Enroll?

Posted 4:45am Monday 2nd August 2010 by

On 9 October this year, Otago local body elections will be held to decide the make-up of Otago’s regional government. Despite the importance of the local council in influencing facets of the student lifestyle it appears only half the student population in Dunedin is registered to vote, and Read more...

Anyone for interest?

Posted 4:43am Monday 2nd August 2010 by

Prime Minister John Key says student debt is a “disaster”, and has raised fresh debate surrounding the future of the current interest-free student loan model.    Key put across his views on the loan system during a question and answer session after a speech to students at a Read more...

Islam Awareness Week

Posted 4:42am Monday 2nd August 2010 by Anthony Riseley

Not to be out-done by last week’s dedication to Jesus, the Muslim University Students’ Association (MUSA) presents us with Islam Awareness Week, which begins today. Islam Awareness Week has been around for ten years, and is aimed at providing a better understanding of Islam and its Read more...

Exec Reports - 18

Posted 4:40am Monday 2nd August 2010 by Staff Reporter

 Imogen Roth     General Rep    Imogen sits on a whopping eight University and OUSA committees, including her position on the University’s senate. Her main area of interest post-VSM campaigning has been the strategic direction of the University and of Read more...

Neurosurgery Cuts

Posted 4:39am Monday 2nd August 2010 by Gregor Whyte

he Dean of the University of Otago School of Medicine, Dr. John Adams, has spoken out against the potential cuts to Dunedin Hospital neurosurgery services, telling the Otago Daily Times that any such action risked becoming the "death of tertiary services by a thousand cuts.” The review of the Read more...

Swine Flu Cases

Posted 4:38am Monday 2nd August 2010 by Calida Smylie

The University of Otago has reported that there have been two confirmed cases of swine flu this season. Despite this, the prevalence of influenza in Otago and Southland remains at expected seasonal levels. Otago and Southland medical officer of health Marian Poore says Public Health South are Read more...

Study Criticised

Posted 4:37am Monday 2nd August 2010 by Kathryn Guise

A study by University of Otago researchers that looked at childhood experiences, and discovered a link between traumatic upbringings and homosexuality, has been met with widespread criticism. According to the study’s findings, people who have violent or abusive childhoods are three times Read more...

OUSA Survivor contest turns nasty

Posted 12:04am Monday 26th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

Last week’s referendum looks set to result in a significant change to the governing structure of OUSA. Student General Meetings (SGMs) will also now be held online. When Critic went to print last week the results were still provisional, due to then-unresolved complaints regarding possible Read more...

Free candy and rides in van offered. Not creepy.

Posted 11:59pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by Anthony Riseley

Jesus Week is upon us, bringing an assortment of events which are sure to excite those religious (and possibly the not-so religious) students among us. Historically, Jesus Week has been held in relation to Islam Awareness Week (which is next week) and has now been running for eight years. Read more...

Proctology - 17

Posted 11:56pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by Tailgunner Joe

The Proctor kept me waiting for some time this week while he read a series of grave indictments to some young idiot who had been collared by Campus Watch a few nights ago. When he finally called me in, he noted this guy would probably be on remand if the police had got to him first, and that Read more...

Exec Reports

Posted 11:53pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by Staff Reporter

Shonelle Eastwood – Women’s Rep. Eager beaver Shonelle was the first to get her report in this time around. Shonelle has maintained good relationships with a variety of women’s community groups, and organised a balloon launch in memory of survivors of violence and sexual Read more...

Execrable - 17

Posted 11:49pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

Last week’s meeting was more succinct than a Shortland Street special, with Earnest Adams slices to boot. With Dan Stride at the helm, some more clubs were affiliated, namely the Jewish Students’ Association, The Renaissance Rapier Club, the Dunedin Abrahamic Students Interfaith Group, Read more...

OPSA withdraws from NZUSA

Posted 11:47pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by

The Otago University Polytechnic Student’s Association (OPSA) has officially withdrawn from the New Zealand University Student’s Association. OPSA President Meegan Cloughley cited concerns about NZUSA’s financial management and a perceived lack of proactive measures on behalf of students as Read more...

Vitamin C Just Keeps Getting Better

Posted 11:46pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by Calida Smylie

A University of Otago study published in the latest edition of the Cancer Research journal has found that Vitamin C may help fight cancer. The study showed that tumours had 40 percent less vitamin C than the surrounding normal tissue. The findings indicate that Vitamin C could limit the rate Read more...

Abuse Link to Mental Illness Uncovered

Posted 11:44pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by Teuila Fuatai

A University of Otago study has found that children who suffer abuse are more likely to develop psychiatric problems later in life. The study, led by Dr. Kate Scott, examined the records of 2144 individuals in the Te Rau Hinengaro: New Zealand Mental Health Survey and differed from previous Read more...

Otago Gains $3.2 Million in Grants

Posted 11:43pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by Kat Guise

Researchers at the University of Otago have been awarded $3.2 million by the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology. The funding is part of a $48 million Government initiative to support research that could potentially benefit the economy.  A team from the Department Read more...

Bouncing off the Halls - 17

Posted 11:39pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by

Last week was a week of firsts in the fresher realm. It was the first Re-O Week for the freshers full stop, it was the first Re-O week without Gardies, and it was also the first Re-O Week with freshers who had never been to a Cookathon. Despite these incredulous setbacks, its seems necessity Read more...

Gun Show on Dundas

Posted 11:35pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by

The Armed Offenders Squad was called to a Dundas Street student flat last Monday, after receiving a call that a man was threatening female flatmates, and that weapons were being held at the address. After a standoff that lasted an hour, the Armed Offenders squad removed a 19-year-old man Read more...

Profile: Alison Shanks

Posted 11:28pm Sunday 25th July 2010 by Georgie Fenwicke

Forget the Olympics: the Commonwealth Games are where it’s at (or for this year at least). Kicking off in October in Delhi, India, one of those representing New Zealand is Otago’s own Alison Shanks. A budding ball sports star by trade, Shanks made the switch to cycling a few years ago and hasn’t Read more...

Whoops, how ‘bout another Semester then?

Posted 4:03am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Gregor Whyte

The University of Otago has been caught in an embarrassing situation after it incorrectly calculated the points a student required to graduate. Fifth-year BCom/BSc student Oscar Harvey was told by an Advisor of Studies at the start of the year that he needed to take four papers to graduate, Read more...

Do Does Dunnas

Posted 4:02am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by

Re-O Week might be big, but maybe the real party happened the week before, as OUSA and the University of Otago hosted the New Zealand University Students Association (NZUSA). Delegates from around Aotearoa came to Otago to discuss issues pertinent to their mandate and listen to a number of speakers, Read more...

Proctology - 16

Posted 4:00am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Tailgunner Joe

Over the holidays, most people either went home for the winter, or gathered in their lounges coming up with urban myths about how cold and disgusting Dunedin is. Hot air about cold weather is as much a part the Otago Student Experience™ as wearing your old school uniform to costume Read more...

Referendum: Happening

Posted 3:54am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

The future of OUSA’s governing structure and a proposal to move SGMs online is to be put to referendum this week. The new structure, if voted through, will consist of ten Executive members and the Te Roopu President as an ex-officio position with voting rights. There are five core positions: Read more...

International Cultural Night

Posted 3:51am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Staff Reporter

The OUSA International Cultural Council is holding its ‘Around the World in an Evening 2010’ night on Saturday 24 July. The event is taking place at the Dunedin Town Hall and tickets are on sale at the OUSA office. It promises to be “a wonderful celebration of cultural diversity” and Read more...

Food More Expensive

Posted 3:49am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Anthony Riseley

The University of Otago’s Department of Human Nutrition has conducted a food cost survey (2010) that confirms people spent more on their cheapest shopping trip than the previous year. Dunedin was found to be the third-least expensive place to buy a week's worth of ‘basic’ groceries Read more...

Food Miles Fail

Posted 3:48am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Teuila Fuatai

A University of Otago study has found that consumers pay little attention to 'food miles' when making purchases. The survey, which involved shoppers from four different UK supermarkets, found that only 5.6 percent of people nominated country-of-origin as one of the reasons for their purchase, Read more...

Otago Gains $3.2 Million in Grants

Posted 3:47am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Gregor Whyte

As expected, the University Council has voted to go ahead with two departmental mergers. The two departments within the College of Education will merge as well as two departments in the Commerce division to form a new Department of Accountancy and Finance. The University has previously said the Read more...

Execrable - 16

Posted 3:45am Tuesday 20th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

Execerable has been on hiatus for a while, and the sneaky Executive has lost no time discussing important things, namely, the upheaval of the constitutional structure. On the June 29, the Exec moved a motion to tell NZUSA “we are unhappy with you.” Nothing yet on how NZUSA replied, but Read more...

BREAKING: Exclusive details of armed standoff at student flat.

Posted 6:55am Monday 19th July 2010 by Staff Reporter

A standoff with armed police occurred today at a student flat in Dundas St. Critic has spoken exclusively with a student with knowledge of how the situation initially developed.   The student says that the incident involved a 'random' student, found to fill a room when another Read more...

BREAKING: Fires, 5 arrests at Castle St party

Posted 11:07am Tuesday 13th July 2010 by Staff Reporter

Couches were set on fire and five students were arrested last night on Castle St for disorderly behaviour, following a large keg party on the street.   Two female students, aged 19 and 20, were among those arrested. One climbed onto a fire engine.   The fire service Read more...

Scarfie Mothership Offers Surrender to Death Star.

Posted 12:07am Monday 12th July 2010 by Staff Reporter

The owners of the Captain Cook Tavern want to throw in the beer-soaked tea towel, and have secretly approached the University of Otago asking to be bought out. Critic understands that The Cook owners approached the University asking if it wanted to buy them out, after the University reportedly Read more...

Exec Reshuffle.

Posted 12:05am Monday 12th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

An online referendum will be held next week to decide the future structure of the OUSA Executive and whether Student General Meetings should be moved online. The OUSA Executive has voted to change the Executive structure, reducing the 17-strong Executive to only ten. This now has to be approved Read more...

Uni Says No to Money-Burning Freedom Learning

Posted 12:04am Monday 12th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

Fears that the University of Otago is becoming a degree factory have been given more weight as interest-only enrolments will no longer accepted from 2011. Last year, 26 equivalent full-time students (EFTS) were enrolled as interest-only students, taking only one or two papers for recreational Read more...

Polytech Fortunes Continue to Yo-Yo.

Posted 12:03am Monday 12th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

While the University of Otago is forced to make numerous budget cuts, the Otago Polytechnic is embracing its best annual financial performance for around 15 years. Chief Operating Officer Philip Cullen says that the 2010 budget has been revised, meaning that there is now an expected budget Read more...

Gardies Gonsies.

Posted 12:01am Monday 12th July 2010 by

Legendary student pub The Garden Tavern, affectionately known as ‘Gardies', has pulled its last jug. The doors to the iconic watering hole closed for the last time on Friday, June 18, a day prior to the widely-expected closing date. The University bought the pub last semester for $1.75m Read more...

University leaders scrambling for the lifeboats. Sort of.

Posted 11:59pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

Health Sciences Pro Vice Chancellor Don Roberton will retire in February next year when his five-year contract comes to an end. In his role, Roberton is responsible for students enrolled in dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, and physiotherapy. In total, students taught in the health sciences Read more...

It's raining men (and paint) at ReO Week.

Posted 11:57pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by

ReOrientation Week kicks off today. The week-long festival, which is organised by OUSA, begins with with ‘Manday’, a day celebrating manhood and manly deeds. The day starts early with a cooked breakfast served in Main Common Room, while the FIFA World Cup Final is played on the Big Screen. Read more...

Beg for new Skegg.

Posted 11:54pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by

The hunt is on for a new Vice Chancellor after Sir Professor David Skegg's announcement that he is stepping down. Sir Professor Skegg handed in his resignation last month. Although he is only required to stay in the role for three months after giving notice, he has given 14 so that there is ample Read more...

Bling bling, money ain't a thing.

Posted 11:51pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by

The University is throwing money at the Stadium like a rap artist throws dollars at a stripper. Despite the widespread cutbacks across the board, the University has found room in their budget for a $20 million boost to the University’s stadium building, University Plaza One. In the most recent Read more...

Elderly rural couple takes Undie 500 in under their wing.

Posted 11:49pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by

A kindly Marlborough couple have found themselves offside with their neighbours after agreeing to let the Undie 500 use their backyard as a destination. While not quite Castle Street, the paddock will host the Canterbury engineering students after they turn up in their <$500-dollar Read more...

Afrotago President resigns

Posted 11:48pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by

Afrotago has found itself without a leader. Kelechi Chinaemerem Osunwa, the previous President of Afrotago, has tendered his resignation from the club, citing lack of member support and a failure to achieve objectives. He also felt that poor support from the general committee has played a role Read more...

President Egghead

Posted 11:46pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by

Software giant Microsoft has labeled OUSA President Harriet Geoghegan an ‘Egghead’. The company’s flagship word processing programme, Microsoft Word suggests ‘Egghead’ as the correct spelling for ‘Geoghegan’, a Critic investigation has revealed. The President’s last name, correctly Read more...

Profile: Andrew Boyens

Posted 10:27pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Georgie Fenwicke

A Geography and Economics graduate from the University of Otago, Andy Boyens is currently in Austria preparing for the upcoming Football World Cup in South Africa. The tallest defender in the squad, he has a wealth of experience having played professionally in the States for the last few years. Read more...

The Circus Comes to Town.

Posted 10:24pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Gregor Whyte

The Education and Science Select Committee lands in Dunedin tomorrow to hear oral submissions regarding the Education (Freedom of Association) Amendment Bill. The committee is expected to hear from a sizeable list of submitters, overwhelmingly consisting of those in opposition to the bill. Read more...

Execcies set to vote themselves out of a job?

Posted 10:23pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

The report of the OUSA Governance Structure Review working party was released this week, and has been met with decidedly mixed reactions. The review was begun in July last year to investigate the effectiveness of governance and representation in OUSA as an organisation.   The report Read more...

Council decision all but ensures carnage, makes Gardies closure a way bigger deal.

Posted 10:22pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Gregor Whyte

The Dunedin City Council has done its best to ensure trouble on the night of June 19 by passing a temporary liquor ban to cover much of North Dunedin, timed to coincide with the last night of the Gardies Tavern and the All Blacks vs. Wales test match at Carisbrook. In specifically Read more...

Execrable - 14

Posted 10:21pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

Last week’s Exec meeting spanned two boardroom visits, much to everyone’s dismay. The extra event proposal, a.k.a the Exec’s attempt to mitigate Undie 500 riots, was discussed. he plan is to have a rugby face off between the universities of Canterbury and Otago, with a gig afterwards. Read more...

That time of the semester.

Posted 10:20pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Teuila Fuatai

After a semester of hard work, early morning classes, and inebriation, exams are finally here, with the first taking place tomorrow morning. Exams are administered by Academic Services, who were helpful enough to give us a few details about this examination window. In total, including Read more...

Batton down the hatches

Posted 10:19pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Calida Smylie

The University of Otago Council will today vote on recommendations from the University Senate to restrict enrolments for the 2011 academic year. The vote is a result of an influx of domestic enrolments which has pushed the University well beyond its Government funding for Equivalent Full Time Read more...

OUSA not immune to tough economic times.

Posted 10:17pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by

OUSA’s annual operating surplus fell by just under $300 000 last year, a figure that may have an impact on the organisation’s ability to provide services to students. At the end of 2008, OUSA had an operating surplus of $1 002 902. At the end of 2009, however, this figure was down to $705 Read more...

Profile: Dr. Paul Oestreicher

Posted 8:32pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Georgie Fenwicke

Dr. Paul Oestreicher is the visiting fellow for Peace and Conflict studies and is in Dunedin working on a project concerning the abolition of armed violence in the world. A former editor of Critic, Oestreicher grew up in Dunedin after escaping Nazi Germany with his parents in 1939. After studying in Read more...

Training Facilities Opened.

Posted 8:25pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Teuila Fuatai

The Otago Clinical Skills Laboratory has received a $600 000 upgrade. Unveiled last week, the refurbished facilities include 12 consulting rooms, a waiting room, and a new simulated hospital room. Designed to improve training for students in the health professions, the laboratory provides an Read more...

By golly!OUSA By-election Results!

Posted 8:23pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by

The vacant posts on the OUSA Executive have been filled in a by-election last week. The two posts up for grabs were the Health Sciences Divisional Representative, and the Postgraduate Representative. In the former race, David McKelvey cruised to an easy victory over No Confidence, winning 134 Read more...

University Stonewall.

Posted 8:21pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Gregor Whyte

The University is refusing to give any details about how much it has spent on the Campus Master Plan so far. Architects and planners have been bought in from overseas, weeks of consultation have taken place, and a glossy 196-page report has been produced for the media and interested parties. Read more...

University being anti-social.

Posted 8:20pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Calida Smylie

Proposed restructuring of the University of Otago’s Social Work and Community Development department has prompted a group of concerned students to urge caution. Plans are in the works that would see the Social Work and Community Development department merged with the departments of Sociology and Read more...

SGMs to go viral?

Posted 8:19pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by

The OUSA Executive was expected to vote on a raft of changes to how students set association policy as Critic went to print late last week. Prime among these was a motion to hold Student General Meetings (SGM) online, in an effort to increase student participation in the constitutional process. Read more...

Authorities Back $40K Booze Study

Posted 8:18pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

The University, the City Council, and OUSA have come under tough scrutiny after Critic revealed they collectively spent $40 000 on a four-and-a-half-page report on student drinking. It appears that no concrete guidelines, expectations, or clear terms of reference were given at the start of the Read more...

Proctology - 13

Posted 8:16pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Tailgunner Joe

While sitting in the Proctor’s waiting room this week I couldn’t help overhearing him tell someone that “If you come up here again you’ll be getting a thousand-dollar fine.” That someone then left his office with a cheerful and satisfied expression on her face, indicating once again the Read more...

Restaurant Bookings Possible Again.

Posted 8:13pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Gregor Whyte

Graduation season has rolled to an end for another May and bookings are once again possible in restaurants classier than Blue Sky. This year’s three graduation weekends saw almost thirteen hundred graduates make the trek to the Town Hall to cross stage in person. Each graduation ceremony Read more...

When it rains, it pours.

Posted 8:12pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by

The grim reaper is at it again, this time stalking the corridors of the University of Otago College of Education. Tertiary Education Union southern organiser Kris Smith told the Otago Daily Times that staff members from the College of Education were called to a meeting last Wednesday, and were Read more...

Charity Offended by Offensive Show.

Posted 8:11pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Julia Hollingsworth

After the “traumatising” content of the Capping Show this year, Rape Crisis Dunedin has declined OUSA’s offer to be the official charity this year. Heidi Cripps of Rape Crisis Dunedin said the move was made due to the lyrics and content of the sextet sets. Rape Crisis felt that receiving Read more...

Andrew Spraggon

Posted 4:26pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Georgie Fenwicke

Calling all experienced music managers. Andrew Spraggon and his band Sola Rosa have recently gone independent, splitting from their record label, Warners and are in need of your help. A talented troupe of musicians, they have a good work ethic and play well with others. Their last album, Get Read more...

Sorry.

Posted 4:18pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Anthony Riseley

An Auckland academic has apologised and paid the legal fees of a University of Otago professor, and of the University, after inaccurate information was published in a ‘leading’ academic book.   In her book, A History of the ‘Unfortunate Experiment’ at National Women's Read more...

More More More. Cuts.

Posted 4:17pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Guy Wilson

The University of Otago has begun a review of two of its departments that employ general staff. The University has some 40 non-academic departments, and the two under review are human resources and UniPrint, the in-house printing service. The University is seeking ways to make its operations Read more...

OUSA Elections

Posted 4:16pm Sunday 11th July 2010 by Gregor Whyte

Elections for the vacant positions on the OUSA Executive will be held from midnight Wednesday May 26 to 4pm Thursday May 27.  The vacant positions are Health Sciences Divisional Representative, and Postgraduate Representative. If you want to know more about the candidates you can head Read more...