Archive

Execrable | Issue 14

Posted 10:57am Sunday 12th July 2015 by Laura Munro

The first issue brought to the table was the upcoming election, which will decide the 2016 executive. After much discussion, it was agreed that nominations will run from 9am on 8 September to 4pm on 15 September. Voting will run from 9am on 21 September to 4pm on 30 September. Voting will be by Read more...

Provisional LAP Allows Shots After Midnight

Posted 10:51am Sunday 12th July 2015 by Joe Higham

The Dunedin City Council is a step closer to implementing a Local Alcohol Policy (LAP) to tighten the rules and regulations for Dunedin establishments.  The original LAP, which was proposed last year, included a one-way door policy from 1am, no shots to be sold after midnight and no alcohol Read more...

Love Wins: Rainbows Everywhere

Posted 3:23pm Sunday 5th July 2015 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

On 26 June, history was made when the United States Supreme Court legalised the marriage of same-sex couples in all 50 states. Gay and lesbian couples were already able to marry in 36 states and the District of Columbia, but the 5–4 ruling means the remaining 14 states in the South and Read more...

Super Rugby “Controversy”

Posted 12:27pm Sunday 5th July 2015 by Daniel Lormans

We will have a full review of the Super Rugby season next week, but the Super Rugby playoffs and semi-finals have been dominated by incessant moaning about the “unfair” rules of the conference system, which many see as favouring under-performing teams. A lot of the moaning came from Read more...

NZ Warriors in the Top Eight

Posted 12:25pm Sunday 5th July 2015 by Daniel Lormans

Could this also be the year for our own New Zealand Warriors? It is the Warriors’ 20th year in the NRL, and they have had a typically up-and-down season so far. Some big wins over the Titans and Raiders in the last few rounds came at a good time, lifting them into the top eight as they prepare Read more...

Golden State Warriors win the NBA Finals

Posted 12:23pm Sunday 5th July 2015 by Daniel Lormans

Expect to see a lot of new Golden State Warriors jerseys around campus this semester as the team from Oakland, California, just won its first NBA title since 1975. In doing so, they scuppered the dreams of long-suffering Cleveland Cavaliers fans, who were confident of winning their first ever Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 14

Posted 12:02pm Sunday 5th July 2015 by Laura Munro

World Watch Quibdo, Colombia A woman and her baby have been found alive four days after their plane crashed in Quibdo. After unsuccessful attempts to trap rodents for food, the woman and her son survived on coconut water. The pilot of the twin-engine Cessna, which crashed on Saturday Read more...

Cyber Bullying Law Passes Third Reading

Posted 11:56am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Henry Napier

The Harmful Digital Communications Bill passed its third reading last week, placing it in the final stage of becoming law. The bill, also known as the Cyber Bullying Law, seeks to respond to the growing prevalence of harm created by social media and online activities. The new law officially Read more...

Obama gets a Fast Track on the TPPA

Posted 11:53am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Henry Napier

The United States senate has passed President Barack Obama’s fast track authority for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA).  The fast track authority was passed last week with a Republican majority of 60–38, allowing it to move on to a vote in congress. If successful, Read more...

Controversy for the Conservatives

Posted 11:41am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Henry Napier

Conservative leader Colin Craig has resigned his position, leaving the party’s future precarious. Craig resigned after allegations surfaced relating to the departure of his press secretary, Rachel MacGregor.  MacGregor resigned from the Conservative Party last year only days from the Read more...

Greece Fails to Make IMF Payment

Posted 11:23am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Zahra Shahtahmasebi

Greece has slipped deeper into a financial wormhole after failing to pay the 1.5 billion euros it owes to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). After last-minute efforts to extend the bailout repayment failed, Greece has become the only developed country to miss a scheduled payment to the IMF in Read more...

38 Killed in Tunisian Terrorist Attack

Posted 11:18am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

An attack on the Tunisian resort town of Sousse on 26 June has left 38 tourists dead and 39 injured. Seifeddine Rezgui, who disguised himself as a vacationer, opened fire at the Imperial Marhaba Hotel, killing mostly British tourists before being shot dead by police. The Islamic State (IS) has Read more...

Nine Killed in Racist Church Shooting

Posted 11:16am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

Nine people were shot dead during a Bible study group in Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday 17 June. Dylann Roof, a 21-year-old white male, shot and killed the nine African-Americans at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in what is believed to be a racially motivated Read more...

Council Rejects Opening of Graves

Posted 11:13am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Bridie Boyd

The Central Otago District Council (CODC) has declined a proposal which would have allowed the University of Otago to dig up unmarked graves in the region’s 17 cemeteries. In 2013 an archaeologist reported that there could be almost 800 unmarked graves in Central Otago. With the support of Read more...

Otago Student Re-Homes the Nepalese

Posted 11:07am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Laura Munro

Aformer University of Otago student has set up camp in Nepal in order to rehome families after over 700,000 houses were destroyed in the recent earthquakes. Matthew McAtamney, who graduated from Otago in 2012 with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing and Tourism, has been travelling back and forth Read more...

The Queen Can Not Be Saved

Posted 11:02am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Angus Shaw

As students return for re-orientation, BYOs may no longer be the same. A new accord, or agreement of standards, developed by the Dunedin Police and the Southern District Health Board was announced last Monday. The accord aims to reduce intoxication in Dunedin BYO restaurants and make BYOs Read more...

Pre-Sex Pregnancy Prevention

Posted 10:57am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Laura Munro

Senior lecturers from the University of Otago are calling for a free, universal LARC (Long-Acting Reversible Contraceptives) programme to be made available for teenage women before they become sexually active. LARCs include the Jadelle, the copper IUD and the Mirena, all of which offer 5–10 Read more...

Students Fight for Uni Council Seats

Posted 10:53am Sunday 5th July 2015 by Joe Higham

The University of Otago’s governing council is set to hold a vote on 14 July, which will determine the number of council seats allocated to students. The council currently has two seats for students; these are held by OUSA President Paul Hunt and Recreation Officer Jonny Martin. A Read more...

New Zealand Hosts FIFA U-20 World Cup

Posted 12:06pm Sunday 24th May 2015 by Daniel Lormans

New Zealand is hosting the FIFA U-20 World Cup for the first time, welcoming 24 teams from six world football confederations for 52 games around the country. The final will be held in Auckland on 20 June, while Dunedin is hosting three double-header group-stage games and one of the knockout matches. Read more...

Winter Is Coming. So Is the End of the Super Rugby Season...

Posted 12:02pm Sunday 24th May 2015 by Daniel Lormans

The Hurricanes look to have sealed their home advantage for the Super Rugby finals as they are 14 points clear at the top of the table with the best points differential and the most tries scored. Their end of season run-in sees them take on all four of the other New Zealand teams in the final Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 13

Posted 11:39am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Magnus Whyte

World Watch Colombia A Roman Catholic bishop has offended believers at a conference on gay marriage and adoption. Bishop Juan Vicente Cordoba said that homosexuality was not a sin and that gays were welcomed by the church. He then wondered whether any of Jesus’s 12 apostles might have been Read more...

Greens: KiwiSaver for Kiwi Kids

Posted 11:32am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Henry Napier

The Green Party has revealed a new savings scheme aimed at tackling child poverty. The proposed scheme aims to enrol all children in a Kiwisaver fund when they are born. The proposed fund would operate similarly to the current Kiwisaver scheme, with the government contributing $1000 for each Read more...

In My Opinion: Henry’s word | Issue 13

Posted 11:29am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Henry Napier

Average Auckland house prices have increased by $100,000 over the last year. Every New Zealand bank agrees unanimously that a crisis exists. Even the Reserve Bank has urged the government to take action. Last week National released its budget, which includes steps to tackle the housing crisis it Read more...

Budget 2015

Posted 11:21am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Henry Napier

What is the Budget? The budget is the annual allocation of government funds to state services and initiatives. The allocation covers all government spending from social welfare to health. Every year a budget is announced that shows the government’s spending priorities. Here’s a Read more...

Former Egyptian President Faces Death Sentence

Posted 11:08am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

Ex-Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi has been sentenced to death for his involvement in a mass prison break in 2011. Morsi, who was Egypt’s first democratically elected leader, was sentenced along with 120 others for the break, which was part of an uprising that brought him into power. The Read more...

Boston Bomber Sentenced to Death

Posted 11:03am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Angus Shaw

Dzhoker Tsarnaev has been sentenced to death for his role in the 2013 attack on the Boston Marathon, which killed three people and left more than 260 wounded. In April a jury found Tsarnaev guilty of all 30 charges related to the attack, which included charges of terrorism. 17 of these charges Read more...

Religious Education Heads to High Court

Posted 10:59am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Amber Allott

A complaint about the unfair treatment of a 9-year-old girl whose family opted her out of a Bible in Schools programme has escalated into a High Court battle that could see religious education removed from public schools. The Churches Education Commission, which provides bible courses to 660 Read more...

No Smart Watch Bans for Otago Exams

Posted 10:54am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Bridie Boyd

Despite not having any cheating instances with watches to date, Massey University has implemented a ban on all watches for students during examinations. The university said the ban was a reaction to “changing technology”. The watches, recently released by Apple, allow individuals to Read more...

Polytech Faces Hardest Test Yet

Posted 10:52am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Joe Higham

The Otago Polytechnic is consulting on a proposal to implement “just cause” drug testing for students in high-risk courses. Consultation occurred between staff at the Otago Polytechnic and the Otago Polytechnic Students’ Association (OPSA) on Monday 18 May. Leslie Scoullar, Read more...

Execrable | Issue 13

Posted 10:47am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Joe Higham

The executive began by bashing the comments the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) President Rory McCourt made regarding the recently aired Sunday episode. McCourt reportedly told the Otago Daily Times on 16 May: “Sometimes students come to Dunedin for that Read more...

Party for Nepal Shakes off the Fines

Posted 10:44am Sunday 24th May 2015 by Joe Higham

A house party held to raise funds for the crisis in Nepal had its fine for “unreasonable noise” revoked by the Dunedin City Council (DCC). The party, held at the “Melocasa” flat on the corner of Union and Queen streets on 14 May, was organised to raise funds for Nepal Read more...

Tackling Homophobia

Posted 12:02pm Sunday 17th May 2015 by Daniel Lormans

A recent multinational study has confirmed what we all knew anyway — that there is still a massive problem with homophobic behaviour in sports. Australians are leading the way in tackling this issue, and there are calls for New Zealand to follow suit. The Australian Sports Commission Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 12

Posted 11:35am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Magnus Whyte

World Watch Italy A football team made up entirely of African migrants has won promotion from the bottom tier of Italy’s league system. The Koa Bosco team won a play-off game that put them at the top of their local championship in the southern Calabria region. The team was formed in 2013 Read more...

Opinion: New Zealand Becoming a Republic

Posted 11:18am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Tim Lindsay

Over the last few weeks, we have seen the birth of a royal baby, Prince Harry visiting our shores and a formal process to decide whether to change New Zealand’s flag. In light of these events, it may be worth considering the state of New Zealand’s constitution and whether we are making a Read more...

In My Opinion: Henry’s word | Issue 12

Posted 11:15am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Henry Napier

Rumours of Prime Minister John Key’s potential departure from the leadership were sparked after #ponytailgate came to life and ended very quickly. However, almost immediately, speculation flew over who might rise to the top of the party if the prime minister were to step down. Last week, Read more...

UK Labour Party: Worst Result in 28 Years

Posted 11:12am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Henry Napier

On 7 May the UK Labour Party experienced a dismal defeat at the hands of the Conservative Party in the general election. The party had its worst result in 28 years, winning only 232 of the 650 seats in parliament. New Zealand Labour leader Andrew Little said he was disappointed at the result, Read more...

Super-City Gets Super Rates

Posted 11:08am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Henry Napier

Auckland Mayor Len Brown revealed last week that Aucklanders should expect rates increases as part of a new budget aimed at tackling transport congestion. The transport levy passed by the Auckland Council has rates increasing by an average of 9.9 percent throughout the supercity.  The Read more...

Liberia Declared Ebola Free

Posted 11:01am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Amber Allott

On Saturday 9 May the World Health Organisation (WHO) officially declared Liberia free of the Ebola virus. It had been forty-two days since the last Ebola victim in the West-African nation was buried.  During the year-long epidemic, there were 4769 probable, confirmed or suspected Ebola Read more...

Calls for EU to Ban Animal Testing

Posted 10:59am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Angus Shaw

Following a petition with 1.2 million signatures, the European parliament met on Monday 11 April to discuss the possibility of banning animal testing throughout Europe.  At the meeting, Stop Vivisection — which created the petition and is actively against animal testing — put Read more...

Union Prepares for Legal Action against SDHB

Posted 10:55am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Bridie Boyd

On 7 May 2015, the Southern District Health Board (SDHB) made a decision that all food would be outsourced through the Compass Group. As a result, the Service and Food Workers Union (SFWU), which had put forward a counter proposal, has announced it will take legal action against the SDHB. The Read more...

Baltimore Declares State of Emergency

Posted 10:52am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Oliver Gaskell

The United States city of Baltimore has declared a state of emergency in response to ongoing riots involving violent clashes, looting and arson. The riots began on 18 April after the death of Freddie Gray, an African American who passed away from injuries sustained during his arrest. Gray, 25, Read more...

Prayer Rooms Open - Hallelujah!

Posted 10:48am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Joe Higham

The University of Otago opened and blessed two new prayer rooms last week, upstairs in the University Union Building at a ceremony attended by people of many different  faiths.  The rooms replaced the previous rooms underneath the Archway building, which were in use for seven years. The Read more...

Students Demand Apology for Sunday Broadcast

Posted 10:39am Sunday 17th May 2015 by Laura Munro

TVNZ’s Sunday episode, “Party Central”, has received backlash from students after it aired on 10 May. The episode showed two residents, one living in close proximity to the 17-man flat “Backpackers”, sharing their views on how University of Otago students interact Read more...

Fetish Ball

Posted 12:31pm Sunday 10th May 2015 by Laura Munro

When I first talked to the Fetish Ball organiser, Richard Barker, I asked him to describe what exactly a fetish was. He laughed and said, “I would prefer you to go to Google for that.” I took to Urban Dictionary. A fetish is “a sexual fixation or obsession with a Read more...

England Looks to Regroup after World Cup

Posted 12:23pm Sunday 10th May 2015 by Damian George

Still trying to repair the damage caused by its poor performance at the Cricket World Cup, England will head into this month’s test series against New Zealand on the back of a five-wicket loss to the West Indies in Barbados. James Anderson took six wickets in the West Indies’ first Read more...

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao Fails to Deliver

Posted 12:21pm Sunday 10th May 2015 by Daniel Lormans

One of the richest and most talked about sports events ever failed to live up to the hype as Floyd Mayweather bobbed and weaved his way to a points decision victory over Manny Pacquiao in his home turf of Las Vegas. “Money” Mayweather played the swagged-up villain while the Read more...

Battle for the Black Jersey Begins

Posted 12:10pm Sunday 10th May 2015 by Daniel Lormans

Round 12 of Super Rugby provided two important games, with the Highlanders running in seven tries against the Sharks and the Hurricanes winning a close game against the Crusaders that wasn’t settled until deep into extra time. What stood out in both these games were the performances of the Read more...

News in Briefs | Issue 11

Posted 11:57am Sunday 10th May 2015 by Magnus Whyte

World Watch United Kingdom An anonymous artist, “Wanksy”, has been spray-painting phallic shapes around his town’s potholes in an effort to draw attention to them to be fixed. He said the situation has “got really bad recently” and he has cyclist friends who have Read more...

In My Opinion: Henry’s word | Issue 11

Posted 11:41am Sunday 10th May 2015 by Henry Napier

National’s treatment of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) will eventually hurt the party. The TPPA is a multilateral investment agreement between twelve states. In short, this means a bunch of countries get together and make up some rules that they’ll all abide by and, in Read more...

James Shaw Interview

Posted 11:38am Sunday 10th May 2015 by Henry Napier

Greens MP James Shaw is currently travelling New Zealand in his bid for the Green Party co-leadership following the resignation of Russel Norman earlier this year. He has a different perspective on politics than would be expected of a typical Greens MP. Last week, Critic sat down with Shaw to see Read more...