Archive

Landlord “Nit-Picking” to Keep Bonds from Tenants

Posted 10:36pm Thursday 6th August 2020 by Erin Gourley

A lost kitchen sink plug, dirty chairs, blown light bulbs, and a missing oven knob were among the reasons a Dunedin landlord claimed her tenants should not get their bond back.  Since August 2016, Karen Brown has appeared in 31 orders from the Tenancy Tribunal and one District Court case Read more...

No Visa Applications For International Students

Posted 10:22pm Thursday 6th August 2020 by Sinead Gill

From 10 August, applications for “most visitor, work and student visas” will be suspended for three months. Immigration New Zealand (INZ) announced this change in their 31 July update. The suspension means that tertiary students who have been studying online from their home countries Read more...

OUSA Reviewing Clubs for “Inappropriate Behaviour”

Posted 10:18pm Thursday 6th August 2020 by Erin Gourley

OUSA has begun a review aiming to understand and deal with inappropriate behaviour within affiliated clubs. OUSA’s CEO, Debbie Downs, listed several aims for the review. “To understand the extent of inappropriate behaviour within OUSA-affiliated Clubs and Societies,” is the Read more...

Discussion of China Could “Endanger” Auckland Students

Posted 10:16pm Thursday 6th August 2020 by James Joblin

A lecturer advised students taking PHIL105: Critical Thinking at the University of Auckland not to discuss issues that are controversial for the Chinese government, because of a risk of danger from “Chinese governmental agents”. The course is taught on two campuses in mainland China, as Read more...

Putting the “Toxic” in “Intoxication”

Posted 10:11pm Thursday 6th August 2020 by Fox Meyer

Alcohol is a chemical drug, and our bodies are biological machines. When you put too much of that drug into your body, it becomes difficult for the machine to function properly. And even though our bodies process alcohol subconsciously, there are a few decisions you can make to help your Read more...

Discussion of China Could “Endanger” Auckland Students

Posted 5:14pm Wednesday 5th August 2020 by James Joblin

A lecturer advised students taking PHIL105: Critical Thinking at the University of Auckland not to discuss issues that are controversial for the Chinese government, because of a risk of danger from “Chinese governmental agents”. The course is also taught on two campuses in mainland Read more...

OUSA Did “Nothing” About Alleged Sexual Assault in 2009

Posted 1:43pm Sunday 2nd August 2020 by Sinead Gill

Content warning: sexual violence, murder.  The alleged perpetrator of a sexual assault in 2009 continued to work at OUSA for years after the complaint was brought to them. OUSA still does not have a sexual misconduct policy, despite telling the complainant that they were developing a similar Read more...

Vending Machines Breakdown on Campus

Posted 10:21pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Jack Gilmore

Just like Health Scis, the vending machines in the Link have been suffering from multiple breakdowns over the past two weeks. Critic has noticed five vending machine breakdowns over the past two weeks. In a statement, a spokesperson for the University said: “There has been an issue lately Read more...

The Climb: An Investigation into the Most Efficient Way to Get Up the Richardson Building

Posted 10:19pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Annabelle Vaughan

The Richardson Building is one of Otago’s most iconic pieces of architecture. It is obscenely tall and radiates an obnoxious amount of big dick energy. However, it’s also one of the most challenging, harrowing and exhausting buildings to climb up. Getting to class in Richardson is Read more...

“Sophia Charter” Signed to Make Student Parties Less Risky

Posted 10:16pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Erin Gourley

The University of Otago and Sophia Crestani’s parents hope to see permanent changes in the student community as a result of The Sophia Charter. The Sophia Charter is named after Sophia Crestani, an Otago student who died during a flat party in October last year. The Charter aims to make Read more...

Is Sal’s really the 22nd best pizza in the world?

Posted 10:13pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Phillip Plant

The following is one man’s (who may actually just be a butch lesbian in disguise) account of Critic’s least significant investigation to date. You may be shocked, you may be horrified, you may be disgusted, but no matter what you feel, please keep reading because I worked really hard on Read more...

Student Votes Split Between Labour and Green

Posted 10:06pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Fox Meyer

Otago Uni students can’t decide how far left they want to lean. Colmar Brunton sampled only 0.00031% of the eligible voting population for their national poll, so Critic beat their standard by sampling 52 students to get this data, or 0.0029% of students at Otago (almost 10x more Read more...

PSA: On-Campus Food Gets Discounted in the Afternoon

Posted 10:00pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Jackson Burgess

Food available at cafes and restaurants on campus is cheaper towards the end of the day. A Critic reporter was pleasantly surprised to discover that their sandwich cost $2.50 rather than $5.00. Saint David’s cafe, Albany Cafe and other university-owned cafes all offer different deals to Read more...

Students Struggling To Pay International Fees

Posted 9:57pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by James Joblin

International students facing financial hardship feel that Pūtea Tautoko does not address their needs. “I spend more on tuition fees than anything else,” said Syd*. The funds available to help international students provide living costs, but avoid the expensive international Read more...

Rental Properties Alarmingly Expensive

Posted 9:42pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington

Student flats are being advertised on Facebook by private landlords requesting as much as $270 per room for a typical shared flat.  Facebook groups such as Otago Flatting Goods, Otago Buy Sell and Trade, and Dunedin Rentals have had private landlords advertising their properties for students Read more...

OUSA to Adopt Bill and Bill

Posted 9:41pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

The first working day after our beloved Bills returned to the University campus from their alleged ab-duck-tion, OUSA began the process of informally adopting our gay icons.  According to OUSA Welfare and Equity Representative Michaela Waite-Harvey, the Executive are currently Read more...

New OUSA Clubs and Socs Representative Elected

Posted 9:39pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Sinead Gill

702 students have elected their new Clubs and Socs representative for OUSA - Dushanka Govender. Dushanka was “kind of” surprised by the win. She told Critic, “everyone who ran was so capable and experienced, anyone would have done a good job in the role”. OUSA elections Read more...

Ransom Paid to 'Attacker' Who Potentially Stole Otago Alumni Information

Posted 12:43pm Thursday 30th July 2020 by Sinead Gill

A data security breach from May of this year may include information on Otago Alumni. The breach has since been contained following Blackbaud's negotiation and ransom settlement with "the attacker".   According to an email sent to Otago Alumni, Blackbaud (not to be Read more...

Happy 130th birthday OUSA, have a tree

Posted 2:12pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Fox Meyer

OUSA celebrated its 130th birthday by doing what any 130-year-old would do: planting a tree. However, in an unexpected and ghastly turn of events, the poor baby was forced to stand naked in Union Lawn for five days, an activity I’ve only ever done by choice. The tree was planted on Wednesday 8 Read more...

First Person to Vomit Inside The Maharajas Speaks Out

Posted 2:10pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Oscar Paul

Popular BYO restaurant The Maharajas have survived their first in-house vomit. The vomit, which occurred at 9:15pm on Friday 17 July, broke The Maharajas’ massive three year streak of puke-less student BYO curry nights. "I had two bongs before I came to dinner and my flatmate pressured Read more...