Archive

International student fees set to rise across the board

Posted 10:50am Sunday 17th July 2016 by Joe Higham

Otago University is set to increase fees for international students in all subjects bar one, a decision that has not been welcomed across the student body. The only papers that have escaped the increases are within the postgraduate clinical dentistry course, which will see their cost cut by up to Read more...

Sociability hit as ‘Pokemon Go’ takes hold

Posted 10:47am Sunday 17th July 2016 by Sally Wilkins

Gotta catch ‘em all” has taken on a whole new dimension with the release of Pokemon Go on July 6. Topping Apple’s app chart in mere days, the game has taken the virtual and real world by storm with users hitting the streets in search of Pokemon to catch. New Zealand, alongside Read more...

Opinion Piece: ‘Secret’ animal research facility plans “appalling”

Posted 10:41am Sunday 17th July 2016 by Otago Student Animal Legal Defence Fund

Otago Student Animal Legal Defense Fund are startled by Otago University’s announcement of plans of a new animal research facility, to be included in a new $50 million, five-storey development on the Dunedin campus.  As students whose fees contribute to the funding of University Read more...

More landlords need to use HD projectors as bait for tenants

Posted 10:37am Sunday 17th July 2016 by Joe Higham

With Flatting Week upon us and students already searching for their 2017 flats, Critic thought it would look at all of the flats students are, or will soon be, choosing from. Every flat listed on Trade Me as of 14 July with three-plus bedrooms that are located in North Dunedin has been included, and Read more...

Violent attacks hit Dunedin city

Posted 10:35am Sunday 17th July 2016 by Tom Kitchin

Fractured jaw, surgery, weeks spent in recovery. One may not expect such an assault from a night out in Dunedin. Unfortunately, on Friday July 8 this very kind of attack took place.     A group of four to five males assaulted a man and a woman around 11:00 – 11:30pm that night, on Read more...

Messi in a mess

Posted 10:40am Sunday 10th July 2016 by Hugh Baird

A Barcelona court has found Argentine and Barcelona football star Lionel Messi, and his father Jorge Messi guilty on three counts of tax fraud.  The court rulings come after the prosecution had argued that both Messi and his father, Jorge used tax havens in Belize and Uruguay as well as Read more...

Donald Trump is losing to himself

Posted 10:35am Sunday 10th July 2016 by Joel MacManus

Recent reporting on the financial and organisational state of the Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton campaigns show a historically unprecedented divide in resources and planning that could very well lead to a landslide election.  Hillary Clinton boasts 823 paid staff around the country, $42 Read more...

A Brit on Brexit

Posted 10:31am Sunday 10th July 2016 by Kirio Birks

The U.K. is set to dismember itself from the EU after a referendum which saw 51.9 percent of the public vote to leave.  The aftermath has been turbulent. The pound fell to its lowest point since 1985, and the global economy is tilting after US$ 3 trillion was wiped off world stock markets Read more...

New proctor supports Hyde Street, already student favourite

Posted 10:24am Sunday 10th July 2016 by Joe Higham

After his predecessor was in the job for a brief four months, Dave Scott was appointed as his replacement, a job he considers a “once in a lifetime opportunity.” Despite there being a host of similarities between his previous role in the police force and his new role, he told Critic that Read more...

OUSA Execrable | Issue 14

Posted 10:23am Sunday 10th July 2016 by Joe Higham

OUSA President Laura Harris will be away in the Chinese capital, Beijing, for three weeks from Saturday July 9, meaning she will miss the first three weeks of second semester. Harris was selected for a leadership scholarship by Otago University, which will take place at Beijing Normal University. Read more...

From an ABBA tribute band to opening for Sam Smith

Posted 10:20am Sunday 10th July 2016 by Hugh Baird

With Broods playing as part of the Reorientation festivities next Monday we thought we’d take the opportunity to sit down and chew the fat with Georgia Nott, who makes up one half of the brother sister duo, to talk ABBA tribute bands and life on the road!  You guys are down here for Read more...

France’s new generation ready to bring joy back to nation

Posted 11:15am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Sean Nugent

Paul Pogba and Antoine Greizmann headline a French squad full of youthful exuberance for the upcoming European Championships. As hosts, France will have the weight of expectation on their shoulders to win their first international tournament since 2000. A talented side, many onlookers see them as a Read more...

Leaders budget chat proves predictable

Posted 11:08am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Joel MacManus

Bill English promised that this year’s budget would be ‘predictable and boring’. As it turned out, that applied not only to the fiscal announcements, but to the traditional leaders remarks. Andrew Little stayed disciplined on his rhetoric, painting the government as ‘out of Read more...

Clark V. Woodhouse | Issue 13

Posted 11:00am Sunday 29th May 2016 by David Clark

David Clark On the one hand, it does seem odd that the ability to become our head of state is genetically determined, a privilege reserved for a single inbred family of German descent. On the other hand, constitutional monarchies like New Zealand are amongst the wealthiest and healthiest Read more...

Critic breakdown: Budget 2016

Posted 10:54am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Henry Napier

The government collects approximately $75 billion a year from income taxes, corporate taxes and GST.  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. Spending breakdown: Read more...

Student finds $5 million in bank account, spends it all

Posted 10:44am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Charlotte Haselden

A 21-year-old student living in Australia went on a lavish shopping spree after mistakenly receiving an unlimited overdraft of nearly $5 million. Christine Jia Xin Lee, a Malaysian student living in Sydney, found Westpac bank had accidentally given her AUS$4.6 million which she spent over an Read more...

No good being TV’s Robin Hood

Posted 10:40am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Tom Kitchin

If you streamed the fight between boxing heavyweights Joseph Parker and Carlos Takam on Facebook last Saturday evening you’re a ‘lowlife shithead’ according to Dean Lonergan. The Duco events promoter and former rugby league player is seriously unhappy that the fight was Read more...

Escalating taxi rank violence causes DCC to get involved

Posted 10:37am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Joe Higham

Recent violence at Dunedin’s Octagon taxi rank has prompted the DCC to get involved in order to find a solution to the issue.  The taxi rank, which is located outside ‘10 Bar’, regularly has long lines until the early hours of the morning and runs parallel to the Read more...

DCC gets AC/DC (cars)

Posted 10:34am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

A new initiative by the Dunedin City Council (DCC) is looking to add twenty electric vehicles to the council’s car fleet.  The motion was put forward by Councillor Kate Wilson, and the changes will take place within the next five years.  Staff figures determine that even though Read more...

Students vent anger at disruption caused by Dental School demolition

Posted 10:32am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Joe Higham

Otago University dental students voiced their outrage during a meeting last week after they were told they would have fewer clinics as a result of the ongoing planned demolition taking place within parts of the dental school.  One dental student attributed the cause of the inconvenience to Read more...

“...and my axe”

Posted 10:29am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Sally Wilkins

The thief responsible for stealing almost 100 exam papers from the University of Otago clocktower building last November has been denied a discharge without conviction.  The 23-year-old woman’s lawyer, Stuart Grieve QC, successfully argued for permanent name suppression due to her Read more...

OUSA Execrable | Issue 13

Posted 10:21am Sunday 29th May 2016 by Henry Napier

The OUSA executive has suffered a major breakdown in communications according to Administrative-Vice President Jarred Griffiths.  Last week Mr Griffiths released a statement saying communication between himself and President Laura Harris have broken down, following ongoing rumours of an Read more...

Students to break free of third-world living?

Posted 11:04am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Connor Fry

Nine months ago I pulled my bed out from the mildew and mould creeping along the walls, sent a few emails to my then landlord asking about fixing the leaking roof of questionable structural integrity and opened my window to help air what other damp belongings I had with me. For me dripping walls Read more...

A quick preview of Roland Garros

Posted 10:51am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Sean Nugent

The 115th edition of the French Open begins in Paris on Monday, signalling the start of the second tennis major of the year. The long-awaited tournament will be noteworthy for a number of reasons, none more so than being the first major since Maria Sharapova was banned for using performance Read more...

Cancer victim receives United States first penis transplant

Posted 10:46am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Hugh Baird

A United States man who had his penis removed due to cancer has received the nations first penis transplant at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. Just last week Thomas Manning, a 64-year-old bank courier from Halifax, Massachusetts underwent the 15-hour surgery, which was made possible Read more...

Incriminating satellite images shed new light on MH17’s crash

Posted 10:44am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Jonathan Guildford

Incriminating new satellite images have been released, which would appear to confirm the exact time and location of the air defence system that was used to take down flight MH17 over eastern Ukraine on the 17th July 2014.  The satellite images were released by global intelligence agency, Read more...

Industry competition and journalism at stake in proposed giant media merger

Posted 10:40am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Joe Higham

Recently it has been confirmed that Australian and New Zealand media giants APN and Fairfax Media are in talks to merge, in a move that is subject to Commerce Commission approval. The two media outlets produce many newspapers, magazines and radio stations throughout both countries, including Read more...

NZ fisheries have caught 24.1 million more fish than they reported

Posted 10:36am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Joe Higham

A collaborative study has discovered that New Zealand fishery catches are 2.7 times more than previously reported. The study was conducted by Glenn Simmons from Auckland University, alongside various researchers at the University of Oxford and the University of British Columbia as well as Read more...

University of Otago animal research centre opposed by animal rights activists

Posted 10:33am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Anonymous Bird

On May 11 the University of Otago announced plans to build a $50 million animal research centre on campus.  The SPCA have actively opposed the plans, with the New Zealand chief executive explaining that animal testing causes unnecessary pain and suffering. He told the Otago Daily Times that Read more...

Police discover woman falsified abduction

Posted 10:30am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Joe Higham

A teenager who made an allegation to police claiming that two men in a parked vehicle attempted to abduct her has now been ousted as a liar following a thorough investigation into the claim. The 18 year old told police she was the victim of an abduction attempt at around 4.25pm on May 7 while she Read more...

MP believes hospital food steering in the wrong direction

Posted 10:27am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Tom Kitchin

Make sure you keep yourself healthy in Dunners this winter, because if you’re unlucky you might be sent to our glorious public hospital where you’ll be in for a treat when it comes to meal time. Some people have said it’s food you wouldn’t share to your pets, one person has Read more...

OUSA Execrable | Issue 12

Posted 10:22am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Henry Napier

The OUSA programme to provide free flu vaccinations to students will be offering a mere 150 shots to the 20,000 students enrolled at Otago University. OUSA has negotiated with Student Health Services to provide 150 free flu vaccinations to students for two hours on Thursday 26 of May, with a Read more...

Campus Watch turns up heat on fire safety in flats

Posted 10:18am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Henry Napier

Landlords should be responsible for ensuring working smoke alarms in student flats says Deputy Proctor Andrew Ferguson. The comments come following last week’s flat fire in the 6/60 flat on Castle Street where a fire begun early in the morning and continued to spread unbeknownst to the tenants Read more...

The Captain Cook Tavern is back, but not as students will remember

Posted 10:16am Sunday 22nd May 2016 by Liam Brown

Even Dunedin’s sweet summer children who have not yet survived a winter will still have heard praise of the revered pub, which was forced to close in 2014 due to legal matters. However, other factors such as students favouring a cheap trip to the liquor store for a Scrumpy or a box of Read more...

The Healthy Homes Bill is Andrew Little’s ‘Cool Runnings’ moment

Posted 11:12am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Joel MacManus

Feel the rhythm! Feel the ride! Get on up, it’s bobsled time!.” The 1993 family sports comedy Cool Runnings (AKA the greatest movie ever made), tells the tale of a rag-tag group of failed Jamaican sprinters who team up to become their nation’s first Olympic bobsled team. With the Read more...

Kangaroos kick Kiwis’ winning streak to the curb

Posted 11:09am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Willy Chapman

There has been a feeling of disappointment from both sides of the ditch after last weekend’s annual ANZAC rugby league test match between the Kangaroos and Kiwis. Despite the Kangaroos coming away with the 16-0 win, critics have labeled both sides performances as underwhelming.   As Read more...

The Oklahoma City Thunder & Arsenal F.C.

Posted 11:05am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Sean Nugent

Every year seems to be a repeat of the last for both the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA and Arsenal in the Premier League. As the Thunder stare down the barrel of another playoff defeat, it makes one wonder whether they will ever get a better chance to win the NBA championship. Having made the NBA Read more...

North Korea seeking peace?

Posted 11:02am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Georgia Vosper

Kim Jong-Un has stated that North Korea will not be the first to use Nuclear Weapons. Jong-Un recently declared this at the National Workers’ Party congress, the first congress meeting in more than 35 years.  North Korea has said it will strengthen self-defensive nuclear weapons Read more...

Questions asked of Silver Fern Farms suitor

Posted 11:01am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Sally Wilkins

Research released by New Zealand First has questioned the viability of the proposed merger of Dunedin based Silver Fern Farms (SFF) and the “indebted” Chinese company Shanghai Maling. The merger comprises of a NZ$261m cash investment on behalf of Shanghai Maling in return for a 50 Read more...

Dunedin addresses listed in Panama Papers

Posted 10:58am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Henry Napier

The release of 240,000 names by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) following the Panama Papers leak, has left many New Zealanders perplexed as to how they were implicated despite having no involvement in so-called “foreign trusts”.  The online Read more...

Police officers breath easy after J-Day protest

Posted 10:56am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Sam Fraser-Baxter

Each year our national J-Day sees cannabis enthusiasts turn out to protest New Zealand’s prohibition of the drug.  Around 200 partook in J-Day in Dunedin’s Octagon which falls on the first weekend of May each year. This years events marked the 25-year anniversary since its Read more...

130 Dunedin activists protest ANZ’s $13.5 billion investments in fossil fuel

Posted 10:54am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Joe Higham

Approximately 130 people took part in a peaceful protest on Thursday May 12 against Australasian banking giant ANZ’s investments in the fossil fuel industry.  The protesters peacefully blockaded the entrances to the two ANZ banks on the corner of Hanover Street and George Street and Read more...

Young woman narrowly escapes abduction attempt

Posted 10:51am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Joe Higham

An 18 year old female, walking on Forth Street in North Dunedin at 4.25pm on 7th May was reportedly grabbed by a passenger in the back seat of a parked vehicle, in an attempt to abduct the young woman.  Despite the driver aiding the passenger in pulling her into the vehicle and also Read more...

Increased funding good news for Hep-C sufferers

Posted 10:49am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Henry Napier

Hepatitis-C suffers may be able to access currently unavailable, highly effective medicine in the near future following increased funding from the Government. Last week the Government announced an increase of $50 million to the PHARMAC—New Zealand’s drug buying agency. The Read more...

Why NZUSA sucks, & what we can do about it

Posted 10:39am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Sam McChesney

What do poop-flavoured lollipops, tits on a bull, and Matthew McConaughey’s shirts all have in common? They’re all slightly more useful than NZUSA. Last month, the annual chorus of boos aimed at the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations began, kicked off by Massey student Read more...

OUSA Execrable | Issue 11

Posted 10:36am Sunday 15th May 2016 by Joe Higham

Auckland University Students’ Association (AUSA) has given a notice of withdrawal to the New Zealand Union of Students’ Association (NZUSA).  The decision to give notice to withdraw from the organisation comes as a result of an AUSA review of NZUSA, which the AUSA Executive began Read more...

About as Likely as Kim Kardashian taking the Oval Office

Posted 11:13am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Sean Nugent

In arguably the greatest sporting upset in history, Leicester City have been crowned champions of the English Premier League after Tottenham Hotspur were held to a 2-2 draw by Chelsea, eliminating any chance of them catching the midland side. The 5000 to one rank outsiders were expected to be Read more...

Government to pump more coin into drugs

Posted 11:09am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Hugh Baird

Three weeks ahead of this year’s Budget announcement, Health Minister Dr Jonathan Coleman has announced an extra $39 million boost for national drug buying agency Pharmac.  Prime Minister John Key explained that it would boost Pharmac’s annual budget to $850 million a year. He Read more...

And the nominees are…

Posted 11:02am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Joel MacManus

The Indiana Primary last week gave the Republican Party one last chance to save themselves from having Donald Trump as their presidential nominee. If they could unite around one candidate, they could prevent him from getting to the magic number of 1237 delegates, and defeat him at a contested Read more...

#Zuckerberg2020

Posted 10:51am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Henry Napier

Facebook CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg may have signalled his intention to run for President of the United States sometime in the future. Facebook recently stated its proposed changes to the stock structure of the company, where a new class of non-voting shares would allow Zuckerberg to liquate Read more...