Archive

Below Average Pay for Summer Studentships

Posted 2:09pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Erin Gourley

Students working summer studentships at the University of Otago felt that they had to choose between fair pay and academic experience. Some students believe that the academic experience earned was worth it. Some students received pay as low as $10 per hour worked in the summer of 2018 and Read more...

Student Safety Policy to be Released in Light of Sophia Crestani’s Death

Posted 2:07pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Erin Gourley

“The Sophia Charter”, a policy named after Sophia Crestani and developed by the University, will be signed into effect this Wednesday.  The Charter is named after Sophia Crestani, the Otago student who died at a flat party in October of last year. “Full details will be Read more...

Dedicated Campus Queer Space Faces Further Delay

Posted 2:06pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Naomii Seah

The University of Otago still doesn’t have a dedicated queer space, despite the promises made about the space by the OUSA Exec back in 2019.  Finding a queer space on campus has been a talking point for the OUSA Executive since late 2018, when then-Welfare Officer Abigail Clark began Read more...

CRITIC TANGENTIALLY TAKES OVER PART OF SALIENT AND MASSIVE MAGAZINES

Posted 2:02pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Sinead Gill

Planet Media, the advertising department for OUSA, has taken on an 8-month trial run of managing the sales the student magazines for Victoria and Massey Universities, Salient and Massive. The three incredibly dashing young men behind Planet Media help Critic with our ad revenue and are Read more...

OPINION: Fuck Sexual Violence, and Fuck Anyone Who Thinks it is Excusable

Posted 1:57pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Kayli Taylor

Content warning: sexual violence. The University of Otago is 151 years old, and has likely seen 151 years of sexual violence and abuse on campus. The most recent allegations against Josh Smith, former OUSA Clubs and Societies representative and president of the Dunedin Fire and Circus Club, are Read more...

Series of Evacuations on Campus Inconveniences Some Students

Posted 1:55pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Annabelle Vaughan

Evacuations on campus caused a slight inconvenience for students, and is potentially karma for their eaerness to be on campus this early in the semester. St Dave’s was evacuated on Friday, then Central Library on Saturday, and Mellor Lab was evacuated on Wednesday, all within the span of a Read more...

Bye Bi Birdie?

Posted 1:52pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Fox Meyer

DOC is still to confirm whether Bird Rescue Dunedin (BRD) released the Bills, but it appears that, yes, our darling ducks were relocated to Tomahawk Lagoon. Cue our collective tears. In case you’ve missed it, our resident queer icons recently got in trouble for a brunch date at Kiki Beware. Read more...

Campus-Wide Reports of Sketchy Door-Knockers

Posted 1:51pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Fox Meyer

Two young men have been knocking on North Dunedin doors and asking if any men live in the flat who would like to take part in their religious or University survey. They have reportedly been doing this door-knocking since as early as 6 July.  It’s a bit sus, but might not be anything Read more...

DCC Keeps Promises Like Your High School Boyfriend

Posted 1:42pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Fox Meyer

The DCC say they are doing their best, having made six promises and upholding only one. One year ago, the group that represents students (OUSA) delivered a list of issues to the group that represents the city (DCC), and asked them to pledge their commitment to whichever of the causes they wanted Read more...

ClinicalKey Licence Cut By Uni

Posted 1:34pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Erin Gourley

The University has decided to cut their subscription to ClinicalKey after the research database reportedly increased their license fee by “well beyond” 6%. ClinicalKey is a research database for Health Science and Science students. According to the library website, it provides Read more...

OUSA By-Election Not-Debate Not-Analysis

Posted 1:28pm Sunday 26th July 2020 by Sinead Gill

Ah. Another year, another OUSA Exec resignation, another by-election. Despite even fewer people attending this debate than ever (Critic couldn’t see any non-OUSA Execcies or staff members in attendance), all three of these candidates seem to be the most qualified for an OUSA position in Read more...

Breathas Were Nice to Bar Staff in Re-O

Posted 1:06pm Sunday 19th July 2020 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic

OMG you guys chivalry is not dead, the breathas are nice now! Bartenders report that drunk students tended to be nicer than normal over the Re-O Week. “Well, as a bartender I’m very used to pretty normal amount of verbal abuse from breathas, being cut off and slurs of poorly thought Read more...

Smith “Taking A Step Back” After Complaint of Alleged Sexual Violence

Posted 10:18pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Erin Gourley

Content warning: sexual violence Former OUSA Clubs and Societies Representative, Josh Smith (a.k.a. Josh Smythe), was accused of sexual violence by a student in 2019. At the time, OUSA was informed of the complaint, and OUSA “understands” that a police statement was made. “A Read more...

Former Clubs and Socs Representative Accuses OUSA President of “Blatant Lie”

Posted 10:13pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Sinead Gill

After saying he resigned for personal reasons, Josh Smythe has now alleged that OUSA President Jack Manning gave him an ultimatum in a private meeting.  According to Josh, he wanted to stay on as the Clubs and Societies Representative, but was told: “The only option is if you take a Read more...

Sleepovers Possible at UBS Thanks to the OUSA Exec

Posted 8:20pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Caroline Moratti

The upstairs of University Bookstore on Cumberland Street is set for revolutionary change, with the OUSA Exec voting to adopt the “accommodation option” proposed by their Finance and Expenditure Committee.  Although much of the building’s development is shrouded by the Read more...

Restaurant Boom Over Re-Ori

Posted 8:19pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Jack Gilmore

According to workers in Dunedin restaurants, students turned out in droves during Re-O to support the many eating establishments in our fair city. This might explain the proportion of vomit on the streets of North Dunedin. Many restaurateurs, waiters, and cooks have reported to Critic that they Read more...

More Free Mental Health Appointments for Students from 2021

Posted 8:15pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Erin Gourley

More students will be able to access free therapy and treatment for mental health from 2021, thanks to a $25million of funding towards mental health services for tertiary students aged 18 to 25.  The funding, announced on 11 July, will target students who are mildly or moderately distressed Read more...

Cutler Told Tenants to Trash the Trash Rules

Posted 8:14pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Erin Gourley

Matt Cutler has been advising students to put out low-cost, unmarked rubbish bags for collection, rather than the official DCC rubbish bags.  “[...] With rubbish just put it in low cost bags at night - there’s collection every week day in the city. Just don’t put your mail Read more...

Property Destruction Pretty Lit During Re-O

Posted 8:14pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Kaiya Cherrington

Re-O Week was extra chaotic this year, with couch burning and other property destruction reported in the student area. Students witnessed a notable amount of damage happening throughout the week as parties were held on streets such as Hyde, Leith, Frederick, Queen, and Castle. Couch burning is a Read more...

Otago University has an Underground Beer Pong Society, and it’s Really Fucking Strange

Posted 8:13pm Thursday 16th July 2020 by Annabelle Vaughan

Turns out, the Otago University Beer Pong Society is real and exactly what you would expect - a bunch of testosterone-fuelled guys who miss their high school sports teams a little too much.  Otago Uni and the student gremlins which inhabit this community have some very odd and highly Read more...