Archive

Offender still at large after unprovoked Octagon stabbing

Posted 10:48am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Joe Higham

A twenty-one year old male was stabbed in the early hours of Sunday morning near Dunedin’s Octagon, in an attack that has provoked on-going shock and worry among the local community.  The victim had received multiple stab wounds to his neck and back in a seemingly unprovoked attack, Read more...

More action needed to make New Zealand smokefree by 2025

Posted 10:44am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Joe Higham

In 2011, the New Zealand Government decided to set a goal to have New Zealand smokefree by 2025, which is categorised as having fewer than 5 percent of New Zealanders smoking by 2025. Currently that number stands at 15 percent. Tobacco kills approximately five thousand New Zealanders every year Read more...

Hundreds gather to protest appalling ‘slop’

Posted 10:41am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Anonymous Bird

Around 300 people gathered outside Dunedin Hospital on April 29 to highlight their dissatisfaction with the standard of Compass Group’s food for patients.  The protest was organised by the Real Meals Coalition, who have vociferously called on the Southern District Health Board to Read more...

Acting Proctor unwilling to act on harassment claims

Posted 10:38am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Henry Napier

Acting Proctor Andrew Ferguson will not act on the accusations of harassment made by social work student Chris Boyd, saying Mr Boyd was offered the opportunity to meet with the then-Proctor Dave Miller which he refused. Last week fourth year social work student Chris Boyd contacted Critic with Read more...

Asbestos discovered in University Dental School

Posted 10:36am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Joe Higham

Building material that could contain asbestos has been discovered in the ground floor of the Otago University Dental School on Thursday morning. Otago University exclusively told Critic on Thursday evening: “there is no risk to people in the building, but we are taking a cautious Read more...

Healthy homes in the house

Posted 10:31am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Hugh Baird

Labour's healthy homes bill, which is set to bring in new regulations for rental properties passed its first reading late last week. The bill, which was passed by just one vote would make it compulsory for all rental properties to have proper insulating, heating and ventilation.  The Read more...

Execrable | Issue 10

Posted 10:27am Sunday 8th May 2016 by Joe Higham

The week’s executive meeting began with OUSA finance officer Jesse Hall’s financial report for the academic year to date. Laura Harris concluded that the report was a “comprehensive overview” and Hall spoke of how it showed that OUSA are in a “solid financial Read more...

Breakdown of the NBA playoff chances

Posted 11:01am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Sean Nugent

Western Conference Golden State Warriors – 2/1 In an article I wrote about the Warriors earlier in the year I said “in sport you have to expect the unexpected.” Well, here we are. After a record breaking season where they escaped any major injury setbacks, it took less than a Read more...

Too much coffee with Andrew Little

Posted 10:55am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Joel MacManus

Andrew Little, current Leader of the Opposition stares at the gigantic mug of cappuccino in front of him, “Actually… Yeah, I think this is number five today”. I try to restrict it to two or three cups a day. Maybe four. In a recess week you’re meeting with a lot of Read more...

Tesla passes through town without a sound

Posted 10:52am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Georgia Vosper

The Tesla SP90D electric supercar was on show last week in Dunedin, showcasing the future in the luxury automotive industry.  Tesla Motor Company was co-founded by Kiwi Ian Wright and has been revolutionary with the introduction of sustainable cars around the world. The Model S, one of the Read more...

Government signs historic Climate Change agreement

Posted 10:48am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Henry Napier

The Government has recently signed a major climate change reduction agreement in Paris, which according to the Minister for Climate Change Issues Paula Bennett will include a multi-faceted approach to reducing carbon emissions. The Paris agreement, which was finalised in December 2015, was signed Read more...

Government’s inflated positivity over increase in university fees

Posted 10:45am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Tom Kitchin

Otago university has argued that the increase in fees is necessary because it will help control spiraling costs. In October last year, Otago chief financial officer Sharon van Turnhout said the university was under “significant financial pressure” and “providing an acceptable level Read more...

Otago top ranked scientific research university in New Zealand

Posted 10:43am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Anonymous Bird

The University of Otago has been ranked the top university in New Zealand for publishing high-quality scientific research papers, according to the Nature Publishing Group.  This follows on from last year, where the university was also ranked first, second in 2014, and first again in Read more...

Otago University’s contribution to the World Wars

Posted 10:39am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Joe Higham

A week on from the ANZAC day commemorations, many of the emotive anecdotes, moving speeches, and poignant minutes of silence may largely be forgotten for another 51 weeks. New Zealand played a sizeable and courageous part in the wars, but how much of a part did Otago University play in the largest Read more...

Hipsters boycott sold-out festival

Posted 10:36am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Sam McChesney

It was time once again for long hair, bandanas, rull koiwi senging eccents, weed smoke and Double Brown at Pine Hill last Saturday as local music festival Feastock celebrated its eighth year. Around 400 people attended the sold-out event, which featured 18 acts from Dunedin, Auckland, Read more...

What has NZUSA given OUSA?

Posted 10:32am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Joe Higham

Last October’s referendum saw the student body overwhelmingly vote for OUSA to remain members of the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA). Do OUSA need NZUSA or are they simply a hollow representative body? Linsey Higgins, NZUSA’s president, told Critic she Read more...

Campus Watch accuses student of being a “gang member”

Posted 10:30am Sunday 1st May 2016 by Henry Napier

Campus Watch has been accused of harassing and abusing a University of Otago student based on his appearance resembling that of a gang member. According to student Chris Boyd a Campus Watch officer approached him and proceeded to question his status as a University of Otago student saying he Read more...

Sevens side struggles in Singapore

Posted 11:47am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Willy Chapman

Singapore hosted the eighth round of the World Sevens Series last weekend, with New Zealand struggling to be at their best in an overall disappointing tournament. However despite losing three games, New Zealand coach Sir Gordon Tietjens is looking at the positives as he prepares his side for the Rio Read more...

Barcelona slide blows La Liga race wide open

Posted 11:00am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Sean Nugent

Barcelona suffered their third straight league defeat on Monday, allowing Atletico Madrid to move level on points with four games to go. Not only has Barcelona’s lean run seen Atletico catch them, but bitter rivals Real Madrid have also narrowed the gap to just one point. With such a thrilling Read more...

Cricketers of the year

Posted 10:56am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Sean Nugent

New Zealand cricketers Kane Williamson and Suzie Bates have been named the Leading Men’s Cricketer in the World and Leading Women’s Cricketer in the World by renowned cricketing almanac Wisden. Williamson became the first New Zealander to receive the honour when it was introduced in Read more...

Alarm bells: What ever happened in Burundi?

Posted 10:53am Sunday 24th April 2016 by George Elliott

It is almost a year since the small landlocked nation of Burundi, in the African Great Lakes region, burst into the world headlines. Experts and commentators feared a repeat of the 1994 ethnic genocide next door in Rwanda when between half a million and a million people were slaughtered. The current Read more...

Latest Poll: National Rises, Labour Fails BSNS103

Posted 10:50am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Joel MacManus

In the new One News-Colmar Brunton poll, Labour fell by two points to 28% while National rose three to a new high of 50%, and leader Andrew Little took a painful slide in the preferred Prime Minister rankings to 7%, coming in third behind Winston Peters. In an attempt to explain this, I refer to Read more...

Things not looking so peachy for Rouseff

Posted 10:46am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Hugh Baird

Brazil's President Dilma Rouseff faces impeachment following claims that she tampered with state funds to hide budget gaps ahead of her 2014 re-election.  Brazil’s lower house of Congress voted last Sunday to authorize the senate to open an impeachment trial against Rouseff. Read more...

Earthquake devastates Ecuador

Posted 10:44am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Henry Napier

At least 7,015 people have been injured following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Ecuador.  The Andean country has recorded up to 570 deaths and over 2,500 injured in the latest estimates from Ecuador’s Risk Management Office.  The earthquake struck on the coast of Ecuador, Read more...

200 dead and 100 abducted in Ethiopian Raids

Posted 10:42am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Hugh Baird

Over 200 hundred have been killed and over 100 children kidnapped by armed militants from South-Sudan in a cross border raid into Ethiopia.  Officials from Ethiopia have blamed the South Sudanese Murle tribesman for the deadly attacks which took place within some districts in the Gambela Read more...

Auckland University on the move

Posted 10:41am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Tom Kitchin

Auckland University are relocating. Well, to an extent. They’re not setting up shop in Dunedin just yet, but they have decided to sell their Tāmaki Innovation Campus, their campus farthest from the city centre, to a local property investment firm.  The role of the Tāmaki Read more...

Smoke-free Octagon effort heats up

Posted 10:39am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Henry Napier

The Octagon could become a smoke free area following support for a proposal to ban the activity from local businesses. Smokefree Otago has surveyed surround Dunedin businesses who recorded 73 percent of businesses wanting to ban smoking.  The proposal comes following a study conducted by the Read more...

Green Island Landfill fire “under control”

Posted 10:37am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Joe Higham

A fire that broke out at the Dunedin City Council’s Green Island Landfill has now been extinguished without causing any damage to nearby property.  The initial blaze began in the early hours of Monday morning, before being reported to the Fire Service and the DCC at 3.20am. Council Read more...

Otago researchers tripping (over their feet for psychedelic research)

Posted 10:31am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Sally Wilkins

Dunedin academics are part of an international resurgence into psychedelic drug research within a medicinal context.   “Psychedelics” are a class of drugs characterized by their mind-altering qualities and include LSD, psilocybin (magic mushrooms) and mescaline containing cacti. Read more...

Mental health counselling “pilot” under scrutiny

Posted 10:27am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Joe Higham

Critic has obtained information revealing a worrying situation in regard to the University’s handling of student’s mental health issues.  The counselling “pilot” scheme that the University of Otago has implemented recently has caused concern to some people, due to the Read more...

Hep C centre sufferers to lose access to lifesaving drugs

Posted 10:25am Sunday 24th April 2016 by Henry Napier

The closure of a Dunedin Hepatitis C resource centre may mean local patients will no longer be directed to overseas drug buying clubs to access necessary medicines. The local centre provides a range of services to patients who have contracted Hepatitis C, including facilitating access to overseas Read more...

Kiwis Begin To Take Flight In Super Rugby

Posted 11:03am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Willy Chapman

Not even half way through this year’s instalment of Super Rugby and New Zealand teams are strongly in the box seat. In what is turning out to be quite a lop-sided competition, New Zealand teams are dominating their overseas competitors as four Kiwi sides are on track to qualify for Read more...

Bollywood Meets Eden Gardens

Posted 10:55am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Sean Nugent

The IPL is back! Are you ready to parrrrtttyyy!!! Get ready for another few weeks of watching huge crowds of delirious fans go crazy as club bangers of 2012 blast across the stadium every time Chris Gayle hits a six. So please, don’t blush baby, as we preview the teams for this Read more...

Clark Eyes Top Job

Posted 10:48am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Joel MacManus

When Helen Clark announced her historic campaign for the United Nations Secretary-General last Monday, it was met with near universal acclaim from New Zealand media and political figures, who simply could not praise her enough, even if some of it was a little backhanded – Former opponent Don Read more...

Green Party: A Tale Of Two Leaders With Two Directions

Posted 10:40am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Henry Napier

The Green Party’s co-leadership structure provides the most accurate metaphor for the party itself. The Party has two leaders, Metiria Turei and James Shaw, each representative of two directions the party is taking going forward: The petty, outdated, overly-stringent projection of a moral high Read more...

Critic breakdown: Panama Papers

Posted 10:36am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Henry Napier

The Panama Papers are being called the biggest journalistic leak in history. The scandal has shed light on the tax-avoidance practices of some of the richest and most famous people in the world. Here’s what you need to know: The leak Two weeks ago 11.5 million files, or 2.6 terabytes, Read more...

Otago Hockey Aims To Strike At World Record

Posted 10:27am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Henry Napier

The Otago Hockey Club is attempting to break the record for the world’s largest hockey game. The record attempt, scheduled for Friday 15th, has docked over 250 registered participants, exceeding the previously held record of 134 players. According to Adam Walker, an organiser of the event, Read more...

Council Votes Against Making Homeless More Homeless

Posted 10:26am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Hugh Baird

Wellington councillors have voted against introducing bylaws that would put a ban on begging in the city.  The vote came after a report was released stating that begging in the nation’s capital was on the rise after many homeless had drifted from both Auckland and Read more...

Otago’s Hepatitis C Centre Has Funding Cut As Government Lacks Necessary Empathy

Posted 10:21am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Joe Higham

Dunedin Hepatitis C Resource Centre Otago has recently had its funding cut by central government, leaving them needing to seek new funding streams or close their doors entirely.  The reason given by the Government for their decision is that “The Ministry of Health has taken steps Read more...

Execrable | Issue 7

Posted 10:17am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Henry Napier

Two OUSA Executive officers who were not in Dunedin at the start of their tenure have not received their full honorarium payments. Both Administrative Vice-president Jarred Griffiths and Finance officer Jesse Hall have had payments withheld from January 1 to February 11. OUSA President Laura Read more...

Otago University enrolment numbers up for 2016

Posted 10:13am Sunday 17th April 2016 by Joseph Higham

The University Council Meeting that took place on Tuesday last week provided promising news of increases in both international enrolment numbers and first year domestic student numbers, resulting in the University of Otago meeting their enrolment target for 2016. The announcement marked the first Read more...

From Schoolyard To Eden Park

Posted 10:53am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Sean Nugent

It was just another lunch break at Mt Eden Normal Primary School in mid-2005. There were around seven or eight of us that would play some kind of sport all year round during lunchtime. Generally we would play cricket in the summer and rugby in the winter. At the time we had an abundance of quality Read more...

Universal Basic Income: Labour Attempts Blatant Pr Stunt, Fucks It Up

Posted 10:49am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Joel MacManus

A couple weeks ago the Labour Party’s ‘Future of Work Commission’ published a discussion paper on the possibility of instituting a Universal Basic Income. This interesting concept is popular among certain economic theorists involves paying every citizen aged 18 or older $11,000 a Read more...

Following The Karadzic Verdict, It’s Time For A Tribunal On Syria

Posted 10:48am Sunday 10th April 2016 by George Elliott

More than two decades after the deadly siege of Sarajevo and the massacre of some 8,000 Muslims in Srebrenica, a United Nations tribunal in The Hague has convicted former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes committed during the 1992-1995 war in Read more...

“No Doubt” U.S Drone Strikes Killed Civilians

Posted 10:46am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Liam Brown

United States president Barack Obama confirmed suspicions last week that there has “no doubt” been civilian casualties of U.S. drone strikes. Speaking from a news conference at the nuclear security summit in Washington, Obama acknowledged the shortcomings of using drones to carry out Read more...

The Panama Papers Leak: The Secret Lives Of The Filthy Rich

Posted 10:43am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Sally Wilkins

Touted as the biggest confidential document leak in history, the release of “the Panama Papers” has rocked the world’s financial elite and strengthened calls for clampdowns and greater transparency on the tax haven system. The leak comprises 2.6 terrabytes of data Read more...

Eu Begins Deporting Refugees, Despite Plans Labeled “illegal”

Posted 10:41am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Joe Higham

On April 4, the Greek Police, along with the EU border agency Frontex, began the process of deporting almost all migrants and refugees from Greece to Turkey, thus removing them from the European Union.  The practicability of removing all migrants and refugees from Greece en masse has been Read more...

Green Party Calls For A Charge On Fresh Water

Posted 10:37am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Henry Napier

Opposition parties are calling for Government action on polluted fresh water following a report showing 61 percent of monitored water ways are ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. A charge for water for farmers would help solve the growing pollution in New Zealand according to Green Party Read more...

Health Professors Rally For Sugar Tax

Posted 10:34am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Jessica Thompson

Several health experts around the country have proposed that sugary drinks such as coke, fanta and sprite be taxed to help combat New Zealand’s high rate of child obesity (fourth highest in the world), diabetes and heart disease. Over 70 health academics have voiced their opinions, Read more...

Arrest Causes Surge In Student Loan Repayments

Posted 10:32am Sunday 10th April 2016 by Joe Higham

The arrest of Ngatokotoru Puna, an overseas-based borrower who defaulted on his loans, at Auckland Airport in January has caused overseas borrowers to begin making repayments on their student loans, the Government says.  According to a Government press release, overseas borrowers repaid Read more...