Archive
Researchers Find Big Fossilised Duck in Central Otago
Posted 12:34pm Sunday 13th March 2022 by Denzel Chung
A team of researchers, including Otago staff and students, have discovered an exciting new fossil at St Bathans in Central Otago: a species of shelduck. The original animal is believed to have been massive, standing at a whopping 70cm. For a duck, that’s pretty tall. The duck was believed Read more...
Outcry Over Positive RAT Sale
Posted 12:31pm Sunday 13th March 2022 by Sean Gourley
A local caused a minor uproar when he claimed to be selling positive COVID tests for just $49 on the Facebook group Otago Flatting Goods. It is unclear from the post whether the four tests on offer were being sold separately or as a pack, or if it was even a genuine offer. The post first asked Read more...
“Satdee Night Antics” Lead To Stolen Sign
Posted 12:29pm Sunday 13th March 2022 by Denzel Chung
A brand-new promotional sign outside on Cumberland Street was stolen, with the theft blamed on “satdee night antics”. As of press time, it had not been found despite a juicy financial reward on offer. The sign was purchased just before Christmas by the Northgate Shop, which runs the Read more...
Polytech Provides Frozen Meals to Isolating Students
Posted 12:27pm Sunday 13th March 2022 by Zak Rudin
Polytech students rejoice: thousands of frozen meals are winging their way to your flats, dreamt up and prepared by a team of staff and students. The project began with Polytech senior lecturer Tony Hepinstall, who started the initiative as “a social enterprise where students could give Read more...
New Pastoral Care Code
Posted 12:23pm Sunday 13th March 2022 by Zak Rudin
A new Pastoral Care Code of Practice has been introduced this year, formalising the guidelines for how unis will take care of their students. It remains to be seen whether the changes on paper will translate into changes in practice. The Code of Practice came into effect on January 1st this year. Read more...
Second Week of Protests as Situation in Ukraine Intensifies
Posted 5:12pm Saturday 12th March 2022 by Aiman Amerul Muner
For the second weekend in a row, a small crowd consisting of Ukrainians, Russians and others gathered in the Octagon to oppose Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Among them are students whose families have been forced to flee what has now become a war zone. Among those in attendance on Read more...
Small But Vocal Socialist Counter-Protest On Museum Lawn
Posted 5:02pm Saturday 12th March 2022 by Denzel Chung
A protest intended to oppose the Wellington anti-mandate protest had to quickly pivot after the shutdown of the Wellington protest just two days before. Despite being small in number, those attending insisted the cause was still urgent enough to motivate them. Organised by Read more...
Official Endorsement for Mirror on Society
Posted 4:58pm Saturday 12th March 2022 by Fox Meyer
On Tuesday, 8 March, the University Council formally endorsed Te Kauae Parāoa, also known as the Mirror on Society Selection Policy. A recent review, involving staff as well as student voices highlighted a need to provide more support for students with disabilities, which was incorporated Read more...
“Systemic Racism, Discrimination, Bullying” Found in PE School, Wider Uni
Posted 4:29pm Thursday 10th March 2022 by Denzel Chung
A scathing review of “conduct and culture” in the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences has found serious concerns about “systemic racism, discrimination and bullying at the School and… within the [wider] University”. In response, new Read more...
University Shops Struggle With Omicron
Posted 2:58pm Sunday 6th March 2022 by Denzel Chung
The Omicron outbreak has hit Otago Uni’s cafés and food outlets hard. A one-two punch of fewer students on campus and staff shortages have led to financial losses and rolling closures of outlets. The University Union is like the Pablo Escobar of Dunedin’s campus – Read more...
Wanted: Chip Packets to turn into Survival Blankets
Posted 2:55pm Sunday 6th March 2022 by Denzel Chung
Some of Dunedin’s chip packets will be getting a second chance at life, with a new initiative turning them into survival blankets for rough sleepers. Jessica Ladbrook is Dunedin’s volunteer coordinator for the Chip Packet Project NZ (CPPNZ). With origins in the British Read more...
Iso Rules Baffle Students
Posted 2:52pm Sunday 6th March 2022 by Denzel Chung
Jake, a Master’s student living in Brighton, is in the middle of a 20 day isolation. “At the end of our first 10-day isolation we were all joking and saying “oh we’re gonna get it again, haha, we’re gonna have to restart”, and then that’s exactly Read more...
New IPCC Report: Impending Irreversible Climate Devastation (again)
Posted 2:35pm Sunday 6th March 2022 by Zak Rudin
As if a global pandemic and the threat of world war weren’t enough, the cheerful souls at the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have threatened climate-related mayhem will be coming for us as well. Again. The IPCC report, “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Read more...
CCTV Project Phase 3 Foiled by Covid-19, Budget Constraints
Posted 2:33pm Sunday 6th March 2022 by Zak Rudin
The University’s plans to install more CCTV cameras around North D has hit a snag. The culprit: our old friend Covid-19. The new CCTVs were planned to be placed on Union Street, between Campus and Unipol. They had claimed that this move would provide “safety for students and Read more...
Clubs Struggling without Clubs Day
Posted 1:58pm Sunday 6th March 2022 by Denzel Chung
The Omicron outbreak really screwed up many clubs’ recruitment plans. Most are relying on social media and word-of-mouth, but are finding they cannot replace a good ol’ Clubs Day tent. For the Otago University Tramping Club (OUTC), historically the largest club on campus by Read more...
“Good Karma” Nets OUSA’s $800 Camping Giveaway
Posted 1:56pm Sunday 6th March 2022 by Fox Meyer
OUSA recently held an online giveaway for $800 worth of new camping gear. The winner, Tayla, reckoned that “good karma” won her the grand prize, which she is hoping to show off at R&A. “Never have I ever won something like this,” said Tayla. She’d entered a Read more...
Peace and Conflict Centre Begins Improvements
Posted 1:53pm Sunday 6th March 2022 by Denzel Chung
A review into the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies has found an “unsustainably toxic” workplace culture despite “excellent” teaching staff and “enthusiastic” students. The University of Otago has committed to a “fundamental reset” in Read more...
Anti-war Protest in the Octagon as Russia Invades Ukraine
Posted 1:49pm Sunday 6th March 2022 by Denzel Chung
A crowd of around 50, including Ukrainians, Russians and others, amassed in the lower Octagon on the 26th to peacefully protest Russian aggression against Ukraine. An anti-mandate convoy passed through at the same time, providing a backdrop of honking, yelling and loud music. The group gathered Read more...
Offshore Students Frustrated but Hopeful
Posted 3:04pm Sunday 27th February 2022 by Ransford Antwi
Hundreds of international Otago students are stuck overseas, paying full fees for an educational experience that many feel is not reflective of the cost. If you thought a few weeks of online lectures and Zoom tutes was rough, imagine what it’s like to be an international student stuck Read more...
Flo and O Parties: Dying But Not Quite Dead
Posted 2:56pm Sunday 27th February 2022 by Denzel Chung, Keegan Wells & Ruby Werry
Flo and O-Weeks were notably quieter this year, with Covid cases on Castle sending a chill through North D’s collective spine. Apart from the usual suspects, though, most students seemed to make a reasonable effort at following the rules. Flo saw a sleepy Castle, with few students on the Read more...
OUSA Gives out 650 “Gifts of Generosity and Grace”
Posted 2:51pm Sunday 27th February 2022 by Fox Meyer
In less than a week, OUSA has distributed 650 care packages to isolating students across the city. The initiative comes as Omicron rips through the student population in North Dunedin. These packages are being delivered free of charge to students who are isolating. They contain food staples Read more...
Where the Hell are all these Wasps Coming From?
Posted 2:47pm Sunday 27th February 2022 by Fox Meyer
Wasp populations are at their yearly high, and students have reported fear, frustration and an “absolute fuck-ton” of the stinging insects around town. Critic Te Arohi reached out to the Zoology Department to get to the bottom of this. The short answer is simple: wasp colonies follow Read more...
Management Meddling Moves Fresher Frenzy From Friday
Posted 2:43pm Sunday 27th February 2022 by Denzel Chung
It was no coincidence. In a bid to end “antisocial behaviour” on Health Sci Friday, the Proctor worked together with Uni management to shift Health Sci exam dates last year. This attempt to minimise partying worked about as well as you would expect. With the final HSFY exam for Read more...
Proctor Cracks Down on Alcoholic Flat Party Sponsors
Posted 2:41pm Sunday 27th February 2022 by Sean Gourley
Some alcohol companies who have been unofficial sponsors of student flat parties have not been fined, but appear to have received a very stern talking to by the Proctor and the Police. According to the Proctor’s disciplinary report for 2021, some “alcohol manufacturers were Read more...
New ID Cards: Frothed by Freshers, Loathed by Most
Posted 2:38pm Sunday 27th February 2022 by Ruby Werry
The Uni has made big changes to enhance ID card security in 2022, bringing in a new, “minimalist,” overwhelmingly white design. Our informal survey suggested almost everyone hates it - with the notable exception of first-years, who don’t know any better. After the Proctor raised Read more...
$4 Lunches Under New Management
Posted 2:33pm Sunday 27th February 2022 by Denzel Chung
For the first time in over 20 years, OUSA’s famous $4 lunches will no longer be served by the Hare Krishna community. This is after Jane Beecroft, known as the “lunch lady” of the Hare Krishnas, announced her retirement in February. South Dunedin restaurant Tandooree Read more...
New VC Just Dropped
Posted 2:31pm Sunday 27th February 2022 by Fox Meyer
David is your new Vice Chancellor, sort of like the Uni’s CEO. He’s an infectious disease expert, a guitar-maker, and a very kind man who looks a bit like a more scholastic Colonel Sanders. Critic recently sat down with David to give him a quick vibe check, which he passed with flying Read more...
Testing Centres "Swamped" after Castle St. Covid Case
Posted 1:40pm Thursday 17th February 2022 by Denzel Chung
Students have flocked to North Dunedin’s Covid-19 testing centre in the hours since a positive case was linked to a Castle Street party. They are now turning away asymptomatic people, asking them to self-isolate instead. Barely two hours after the University advised all students Read more...
OUSA Discourages Partying, Receives Backlash
Posted 5:10pm Tuesday 15th February 2022 by Denzel Chung
An Instagram post requesting that students “put the parties on pause” has been taken off of OUSA’s story after receiving backlash from students. OUSA has since clarified that they “are not here to kill any good vibes for students,” but wants to ensure parties are kept Read more...
Prof. Jo Baxter Announced As New Dunedin Med School Dean
Posted 2:28pm Friday 11th February 2022 by Denzel Chung
The Dunedin School of Medicine has just announced that Professor Joanne ‘Jo’ Baxter (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Mamoe, Waitaha, Ngāti Apa ki te Rā Tō) will take over the Dean’s role from July 2022. She will be the first wahine Māori to ever hold the Read more...
Alcohol, Youth and Male-ness Define 2021’s Serious Misconduct Cases
Posted 11:26am Friday 11th February 2022 by Denzel Chung
CW: discussion of sexual misconduct cases Every single incident of serious misconduct in 2021 was caused by first and second-year students, almost all of them male. The Provost’s annual report for 2021 found nine incidents of “serious Read more...
Bong Lung could be for Life, Says Otago Study
Posted 11:52am Friday 4th February 2022 by Sean Gourley
A long-running University of Otago study has found that smoking weed long-term could lead to a distinct type of lung damage, which may be permanent. As part of the “Dunedin Study,” Otago researchers have tracked 1,037 individuals in Dunedin since they were born in Read more...
Otago Embraces Open-Access Publication
Posted 1:17pm Monday 31st January 2022 by Denzel Chung
The Uni has inked a deal that would allow researchers to publish their findings in over 4,500 different journals as open-access publications, for free, with more coming next year. Under these new “Read and Publish” agreements, which kicked in at the start of this year, Read more...
Student Health Braces for Omicron
Posted 11:32am Thursday 27th January 2022 by Denzel Chung
Student Health Services are preparing for a community outbreak of Omicron by moving away from in-person appointments, warning that wait times may increase due to a lack of backup clinical staff. To minimise the risk of staff and patients contracting Covid-19, under the Red traffic Read more...
“Fuck Covid,” Says CEO Offering Free Posters For Bands
Posted 12:48pm Wednesday 13th October 2021 by Denzel Chung
Phantom Billstickers, the street poster company, is offering Aotearoa’s bands and live performers free posters to promote their gigs post Covid-19. In a press release, Phantom stated that it “wants to see live performances roaring back once Covid restrictions end. So Read more...
Melissa Lama: Who Is She?
Posted 9:12am Sunday 10th October 2021 by Erin Gourley
“My life involves lots of different worlds,” says Melissa Lama. “There’s the Pacific community, I’m a mum, there’s student politics, and I study. I do it to myself but I wouldn’t change it, it’s who I am.” Melissa is your 2022 OUSA President. Read more...
Michaela Says Goodbye
Posted 9:10am Sunday 10th October 2021 by Erin Gourley
After a year as President and a year as Welfare and Equity Representative, Michaela Waite-Harvey is moving on to bigger and better things next year. Like “just studying” at Otago, instead of being a student politician. “I’m not going to completely excommunicate myself from Read more...
Mr Whippy Relaunches in Dunedin
Posted 9:05am Sunday 10th October 2021 by Denzel Chung
The one and only Mr Whippy has hit the streets of Dunedin. They launched with a bang on Saturday, giving out 600 free soft-serves in The Octagon. The Dunedin business is owned by husband and wife team Steve and Linda Mitchell, who also operate Mr Whippy vans in Central Otago. “We’ve Read more...
Lisa’s Mysterious Arms
Posted 9:01am Sunday 10th October 2021 by Denzel Chung
A strange poem fixating on the arms of Olympic kayaker Lisa Carrington has been popping up on posters around Dunedin in the last week. The poem, “Lisa’s Arms,” reads best aloud. Here it is: I want her arms. Imagine lying in those arms. Lisa’s Read more...
Asbestos Removed from Zoology Building
Posted 8:58am Sunday 10th October 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic
A technical report from July detailed that there is dangerous asbestos in some of the University’s heaters. The original heaters were removed, but many still operate in other buildings. The University did not respond in time for comment on this article. After hearing about asbestos in the Read more...
It Is Almost Chatime, My Dudes
Posted 8:55am Sunday 10th October 2021 by Asia Martusia King
The elusive Chatime, which has been edging students with its fabled branch in the Link since early this year, has said that it will finally open this October. The store, based on walk-bys by Critic staff, now looks pretty well set-up. They even have fake plants above the booths and a Read more...
OUSA Referendum Produces 125 Pages of Comments
Posted 8:48am Sunday 10th October 2021 by Denzel Chung
Students voted to reject only one proposal in the recent OUSA referendum: calling for an Exec member to be dedicated to distance and overseas students. Over 100 pages of comments were also submitted by students, including one student who repeatedly posted the Bee Movie script as their comment for Read more...
Uni Admits Misleading Staff on Shift Breaks
Posted 8:47am Sunday 10th October 2021 by Elliot Weir
Three weeks ago, we reported on widespread employment law breaches and sexual harassment amongst kitchen staff at University-managed halls of residence kitchens. Some staff then requested the mandated shift breaks that we outlined in the piece and were misled by management. When staff in one hall Read more...
LadBible Reports On OUSA’s Blues and Golds
Posted 8:43am Sunday 10th October 2021 by Fox Meyer
OUSA’s Blues and Golds awards are “in recognition of the sporting, cultural and service achievements of current University of Otago students,” said still-president Michaela Waite-Harvey. This year, Laurel Hubbard took home Best Sportswoman. Strangers on the internet, who Read more...
Australian Unis Mandate Vaccines on Campus
Posted 4:08pm Friday 1st October 2021 by Fox Meyer
Two Australian universities mandated last week that all students, staff and workers on campus be fully vaccinated. La Trobe University and the University of Melbourne were the first to require this, with Melbourne requiring everyone on campus to be vaccinated from November 5. Otago Read more...
Mental Health Awareness Whiteboard Sabotaged With Humour
Posted 4:05pm Friday 1st October 2021 by Erin Gourley
Sometimes, as a treat, OUSA will do something with good intentions that is nonetheless destined for disaster. Setting up a whiteboard in the Link for Mental Health Awareness Week and allowing people to write whatever they choose on a Post-It note, anonymously, is one of those things. The mental Read more...
Four Otago Uni Lecturers Take Out National Awards
Posted 4:02pm Friday 1st October 2021 by Denzel Chung
Well-known “Anatomy Mum” Dr Latika Samalia has taken out Aotearoa’s top tertiary education teaching award. In a remarkable Otago Uni power move, three of the other eight national award winners were Otago staff members as well. At the Ako Aotearoa Tertiary Teaching Excellence Read more...
OUSA Dog Is The Sixth Best Dog with a Job
Posted 3:59pm Friday 1st October 2021 by Fox Meyer
Ella, who works for OUSA Student Support, placed sixth in New Zealand's Top Dog with a Job contest. There were 402 entries this year for the overall contest, up 67% from 2020. Student support said, “firstly, we would like to congratulate all of the pups who were nominated and give an Read more...
OPINION: A Decade On, VSM Bill Still Looms Over Students
Posted 3:57pm Friday 1st October 2021 by Elliot Weir
Ten years ago, a controversial bill was voted into law that stripped student associations of their universal funding, leaving their futures in the hands of universities. Ten years on, should the bill be repealed? Centuries ago, in 2009, ACT MP Heather Roy introduced the Voluntary Student Read more...
New Residency Pathway Excludes Upcoming International Graduates
Posted 3:33pm Friday 1st October 2021 by Fox Meyer
International students about to graduate from the Uni will just miss the deadline for an exciting new residency visa application. Those who graduated before September 29 2021 will be eligible. Many international students began a degree this year as a means of staying in New Zealand. Upon Read more...
Erections Continue at New College
Posted 3:30pm Friday 1st October 2021 by Fox Meyer
There’s a new residential college going up by Emerson’s brewery, in case you’ve been wondering what all the dramatic scaffolding is for. Te Rangihīroa College is set to be operational by semester two, 2023. Chief Operating Officer Stephen Willis told Critic that the college Read more...
OUSA Referendum Open For Voting
Posted 3:27pm Friday 1st October 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic
This week OUSA’s yearly referendum is up for voting, and it’s time to exercise those sexy democratic rights. The referendum is divided into two sections: wider initiatives and amendments to the constitution. There are plenty of extremely important initiatives this time around, and we Read more...
OUSA and UOPISA Sign First Ever MOU
Posted 3:24pm Friday 1st October 2021 by Erin Gourley
For the first time, OUSA and the Pacific Island Students’ Association (UOPISA) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU). The MOU sets out that OUSA and UOPISA out the associations recognise each others’ roles, and that they will “actively promote their parallel Read more...
Otago Uni Calling for Voluntary Redundancies
Posted 3:22pm Friday 1st October 2021 by Erin Gourley
The University of Otago is calling for voluntary redundancies from staff. The University will start accepting “expressions of interest” for voluntary redundancy from 4 October. The scheme was announced on Tuesday 28 September at the Vice-Chancellor’s staff forum. The email, Read more...
Less than Half of Students in Link Wear Masks
Posted 3:19pm Friday 1st October 2021 by Erin Gourley
According to an informal Critic survey (conducted via the sophisticated method of tally chart), 42% of students are wearing masks in the Link. The survey, conducted last week, involved observing students at different times in the Link and on Union Lawn. Fewer students were wearing masks outside, Read more...
New Model for Student-Uni Collaboration Launched
Posted 3:15pm Friday 1st October 2021 by Denzel Chung
Student associations and the Government have developed a new model for collaboration between students and tertiary institutions. It is hoped that this model will better reflect the diversity of the student community, and eventually reshape how students and tertiary institutions communicate and Read more...
One-Way George Street: Worse than Hiroshima?
Posted 3:12pm Friday 1st October 2021 by Fox Meyer
The DCC voted last week to make George Street a 10km/hour one-way system. Predictably, the move was met with mixed reviews. The Dunedin News Facebook page was, as always, ripe with all sorts of colourful comments, including ones that likened the change to the bombing of Hiroshima. Here are some of Read more...
Students Happy With George St One-Way Decision
Posted 3:11pm Friday 1st October 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic
In an historic vote last Wednesday, the Dunedin City Council moved to turn George St into a one-way heading south, with construction beginning shortly. It has been over thirty years since George Street was last redeveloped. Apart from that jeweller who is now using Aaron Hawkins’ face as a Read more...
Otago Uni Calling for Voluntary Redundancies
Posted 4:58pm Tuesday 28th September 2021 by Erin Gourley
The University of Otago is calling for voluntary redundancies from staff. The University will start accepting “expressions of interest” for voluntary redundancy from 4 October. The scheme was announced today at the Vice-Chancellor’s staff forum. The email, Read more...
NZUSA Renews Calls for Universal Education Income
Posted 2:56pm Sunday 26th September 2021 by Denzel Chung
A group of 48 students’ associations across Aotearoa, led by the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA), Te Mana Ākonga, Tauira Pasifika and the National Disabled Students’ Association, have renewed calls for the Government to extend students a Universal Education Read more...
Exec Quarterly Reports: Third time’s the charm
Posted 2:53pm Sunday 26th September 2021 by
Well, well, well, here we go again. It was a hectic quarter, filled with zoom calls, jabs, puppies, elections, earthquakes, and bar closures, but your Exec have a lot to show for it. Well, most of them do, but Jack’s just excited to get out of here. The big theme this quarter was postponement, Read more...
Silverline Says Consent Workshop About “Sex and Relating”
Posted 2:49pm Sunday 26th September 2021 by Denzel Chung
Silverline, a student-led mental health initiative, has been called out for saying a sexual violence prevention workshop was about “sex and relating”. On Thursday September 16, student Kayli called attention on Twitter to a Facebook post by Silverline, promoting a Student Job Search Read more...
Dunedin’s Beerfest Moved to Crate Day
Posted 2:47pm Sunday 26th September 2021 by Erin Gourley
OUSA has changed the dates of the Dunedin Craft Beer and Food Festival (Beerfest) due to Covid. The dates have been changed from the end of October to early December. That means the second day of Beerfest, Saturday 4 December, will coincide with Crate Day. The press release announcing the change Read more...
Starters Employees Get Wage Subsidy
Posted 2:44pm Sunday 26th September 2021 by Fox Meyer
Employees of Starters Bar (RIP) have received a government-funded wage subsidy for the lockdown period, despite the fact that the bar never actually re-opened. OUSA CEO Debbie Downs said that because OUSA “fully expected [Starters] to be reopening post lockdown,” the staff were still Read more...
Melbourne Rocked by Earthquake Amidst Protests
Posted 2:40pm Sunday 26th September 2021 by Fox Meyer
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Melbourne on Wednesday around noon, the largest quake in seismically-quiet Victoria for 50 years. The earthquake came amidst increasingly tense collisions between riot police and ‘unions’ protesting the State’s Covid policies. Jono, a PhD Read more...
Initiation Spills Onto Street
Posted 2:36pm Sunday 26th September 2021 by Fox Meyer
An initiation at the Leith Street complex turned into a pitifully-sized brawl during the sunset hours of Thursday 23 September. People abandoned their balcony and rooftop seats when the fights broke up, and spilled out into the streets when the music stopped. Three highschoolers watched the Read more...
Call for Independent Body to Monitor Universities’ Response to Sexual Violence
Posted 2:32pm Sunday 26th September 2021 by Erin Gourley
Stop Sexual Harassment On Campus (SSHOC) has started a campaign to create an independent body that would monitor how universities in Aotearoa respond to sexual violence. They’re encouraging staff and students at universities to fill out their petition in support of the new independent Read more...
TERF Counter-Protest Mostly Wholesome, Despite Assaults
Posted 2:29pm Sunday 26th September 2021 by Asia Martusia King
A “Suffrage Day celebration”, hosted by self-proclaimed gender-critical feminists in the Octagon last Sunday was counterprotested by a transgender-positive Jump Jam pizza party. The counterprotest was described as “wholesome” by attendees, and no arrests were made. Read more...
Best and Worst Flat Awards 2021
Posted 7:32pm Friday 24th September 2021 by Critic
We're looking for the Best and Worst Flats in Dunedin for 2021. There are Delivereasy vouchers up for grabs: $200 for winners and $100 for runners-up in the Best and Worst categories. To enter, fill out the Google form here. Read more...
Covid Dissuades Potential Postgrads
Posted 3:47pm Monday 20th September 2021 by Fox Meyer
Earlier this year, we wrote about a surge in postgraduate enrolment rates due to something we called a “panic Masters”. This year, still unsure of what the future holds, some students have expressed that they’d rather stay away from further study than enrol in it just to feel like Read more...
OUSA “Strongly Supports” Gender Self-Identification
Posted 3:35pm Monday 20th September 2021 by Erin Gourley
OUSA has submitted in strong support of gender self-identification on birth certificates. The proposed Bill, currently at its final stage before the House of Representatives, would make it easier for people to change the sex or gender on their birth certificates without going to court. The Read more...
No Regulations on Lead in Plumbing
Posted 3:33pm Monday 20th September 2021 by Oscar Francis
Government inaction on lead fittings could be causing irreversible harm to millions of children. Lead levels in plumbing fittings are currently unregulated, and the government needs to take urgent action, according to Greg Wallace, CEO of Master Plumbers, Gasfitters & Drainlayers Read more...
Big Storm Cuts Off West Coast’s Cellular Connection
Posted 3:29pm Monday 20th September 2021 by Fox Meyer
Most of the West Coast lost connection to wifi and cellular coverage last week, though nobody elsewhere seemed to notice. Sunday’s crazy storm destroyed part of the fibre optic network on the Coast, cutting residents from Haast to Whataroa off from the rest of the country. This is the Read more...
Med Students Make Public Apology for Med Revue
Posted 3:02pm Monday 20th September 2021 by Denzel Chung
The Otago University Medical Students Association (OUMSA) issued a public apology on Facebook for offensive jokes in their annual Med Revue. This statement is believed to be the first of its kind for a student performance at Otago Uni. The statement, released on Monday 13 September, was co-signed Read more...
Push to Fight Meningococcal Disease in Aotearoa
Posted 3:01pm Monday 20th September 2021 by Fox Meyer
The Meningitis Foundation wants every school leaver to be vaccinated against meningitis, not just those going into residential halls. “Meningococcal disease” is a mouthful, but the numbers speak for themselves. New Zealand has 24 times the rate of meningococcal disease than the USA. Read more...
University Asks Students Not To Cheat In Online Exams
Posted 2:59pm Monday 20th September 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic
In an email sent to students last week, the University asked them not indulge in rule-breaking during their online exams. They said that “academic integrity is paramount” and that they require all students to follow the “honour code”. Some students, already pushed to the Read more...
International Students Find Barriers to Student Health
Posted 2:58pm Monday 20th September 2021 by Denzel Chung
An international student says Student Health needs to do more to raise awareness of their services, in particular saying their provision of language-appropriate support is lacking. Jess* told Critic Te Arohi that although she had some awareness about Student Health when she began studying at Read more...
No Grade Bump This Time Round
Posted 2:57pm Monday 20th September 2021 by Fox Meyer
There will be no universal grade bump for Otago students due to lockdown. Assignments due between 18 to 27 August will be given an extra five marks, and markers have been urged to consider passing students with a final mark of 47 to 49 percent. Professor Pat Cragg, the University’s Academic Read more...
Geology Department gets $8.6 Million to look at Mud
Posted 1:48pm Monday 20th September 2021 by Fox Meyer
Otago’s Geology Department just secured $8.6 million to study carbon sequestration in Fiordland. The funding, which will run for five years, was secured by a multidisciplinary team led by Associate Professor Chris Moy and Honorary Professor Gary Wilson. Professor Claudine Stirling, also in Read more...
Where Should OUSA Put the New Student Bar?
Posted 1:46pm Monday 20th September 2021 by The Critic News Team
With the untimely demise of the “last great student pub”, Otago students will be thirsty for a new watering hole. OUSA mentioned that a replacement venue will be sussed, and we came up with a few ideas to help them expedite the process. If you’re a fan of any of these alternatives, Read more...
Starters Shuts Down, Forever
Posted 11:45am Monday 13th September 2021 by Denzel Chung
The iconic Starters Bar, beloved by freshers and freshers at heart, has suddenly closed down after a decision by the OUSA Executive. OUSA, who bought the North Dunedin bar in 2018, cited earthquake safety concerns as the reason for closing down. They are hopeful that a replacement bar in Read more...
Fonterra-funded Science Says “Our Byproducts Probably Won’t Give You Cancer”
Posted 1:33am Saturday 11th September 2021 by Fox Meyer
Two Otago scientists have criticised the optimistic results of a nitrates study co-funded by Fonterra and MBIE. The original study concluded that it is “highly unlikely” that the presence of nitrate contaminants could increase your risk of cancer. Nitrates have been linked to cancer Read more...
Tutors and Demonstrators Miss Out On Extra Payment
Posted 1:30am Saturday 11th September 2021 by Erin Gourley
The University announced a $400 payment to help low-paid staff with the expense of working from home, but tutors and demonstrators were left out of the payment. This is despite the fact that they are some of the lowest-paid staff at the University. The payment was $400 made available to Read more...
Afghan Students Face Uncertainty and Distress
Posted 1:28am Saturday 11th September 2021 by Oscar Francis
Following the defeat of the American-lead coalition by the Taliban in mid-August, a humanitarian crisis has ensued. Seeing the Taliban retake the capital, the ensuing refugee crisis, and the failure of our institutions to respond adequately has been tough on Otago’s Afghan Read more...
Students Stranded on Placements in Lockdown
Posted 1:23am Saturday 11th September 2021 by Runze Liu
Around 530 students studying health professional programmes were out on placement across the country when the snap Level 4 lockdown was announced, according to the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Health Sciences Paul Brunton. For some, like Owen, a third-year pharmacy student who was placed in Whanganui Read more...
NZUSA Statement Changed After Student Backlash
Posted 1:20am Saturday 11th September 2021 by Denzel Chung
The New Zealand Union of Students Associations (NZUSA) put up a Facebook post praising the Government’s support for students. After just 24 minutes, and comments from students, the post was extensively revised to take a more critical stance. I believe this is what they call a Read more...
OUSA Supports Ban on Conversion Therapy
Posted 1:13am Saturday 11th September 2021 by Erin Gourley
OUSA made a lengthy submission in favour of the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill, which proposes to ban conversion practices (including conversion therapy) in Aotearoa. They were one of over 100,000 submissions on the Bill. The OUSA submission, written by Political Read more...
Some Gymmers Still Ignoring Unipol’s Level 2 Rules
Posted 1:08am Saturday 11th September 2021 by Denzel Chung
With the drop to Alert Level 2 came the long-awaited re-opening of Unipol. However, it seems that gym-deprived students have not been obeying the new Level 2 restrictions. Unipol announced their re-opening in a Facebook post last Wednesday evening, saying that their doors would open for the Read more...
Office Plants Sentenced to Death By University
Posted 1:05am Saturday 11th September 2021 by Asia Martusia King
On Friday 2 September, postgraduate students and staff across Otago campuses were allocated 15-minute slots to re-enter campus and retrieve essential research material. Office plants were explicitly forbidden to be rescued. Some postgraduate students are reportedly “devastated” by Read more...
Flat Parties May Require Sign-Ins
Posted 1:03am Saturday 11th September 2021 by Fox Meyer
New Level 2 guidelines mean you’ll have to take attendance at flat parties. Hon Chris Hipkins said last week that any places where “people gather consistently and in large numbers” must abide by attendance-keeping rules. This means scanning in, signing in, or whatever other method Read more...
How Otago Will Function at Delta 2
Posted 12:55am Saturday 11th September 2021 by Erin Gourley
All updates in this article are accurate as of Thursday 9 September. Since Level 2 (Delta Edition) was announced, students have been wondering how the University would function under the new guidelines. There were a few chains of communication that operated slowly, with the Ministry of Read more...
Extra Course-Related Costs Look Unlikely
Posted 3:01pm Sunday 5th September 2021 by Alex Leckie-Zaharic
During the lockdown last year, the Government gave us the ability to put ourselves into an extra $1,000 of debt by expanding the course related costs scheme. But not this year. Students remain frustrated at the lack of financial support. Education Minister Chris Hipkins did not respond in Read more...
Passwords Changed to Boot Exec from Social Media
Posted 2:57pm Sunday 5th September 2021 by Erin Gourley
The OUSA Exec was given a taste of social media access and now they want more. During the first few days of lockdown, they were given access to OUSA’s Instagram and Facebook in order to promote the Exec election. Just a little bit, as a treat. That meant that the elected students on Read more...
A Third of Hall Residents Headed Home
Posted 2:44pm Sunday 5th September 2021 by Fox Meyer
Following the quick shift into Level 4, many hall residents decided to gap it back home rather than stay in Dunedin. The University was quick to offer a 100% rebate to students and subwardens who left their residential colleges for lockdown. President Michaela Waite-Harvey said that OUSA was Read more...
“Cursed” Pint Night Gig Postponed for Fourth Time
Posted 2:39pm Sunday 5th September 2021 by Fox Meyer
One specific Pint Night line-up have had their gig postponed and rescheduled four times in a row due to Covid. Since the first lockdown cancelled their original Pint Night on 18 March 2020, Rezzy Crooks, Jam Henderson and Alex Dykes have been trying their best to get on the subterranean stage, to no Read more...
Students Voice Support for Ending Conversion Therapy
Posted 1:55pm Sunday 5th September 2021 by Elliot Weir
As the September 8 deadline for public submissions looms, numerous churches, many with Otago student groups, have publicly expressed concern over the Conversion Practices Prohibition Legislation Bill. After this deadline, the Bill will appear before the Justice Select Committee. Many activist, Read more...
Uni Loo Rolls Linked To Deforestation, Human Rights Abuses
Posted 1:50pm Sunday 5th September 2021 by Denzel Chung
Otago Uni is buying toilet paper from a company linked to deforestation and human rights abuses, particularly in Indonesia. This company has been blacklisted by tens of environmental groups worldwide, including Greenpeace and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Your flat will probably have a few Read more...
International Students “Neglected” During Lockdown
Posted 1:41pm Sunday 5th September 2021 by Denzel Chung
Major avenues for international students to get financial support have been shut down by the Government, with no replacement in sight. The New Zealand International Students’ Association (NZISA) have claimed this shows international students are being “neglected” by both the Read more...
Close Election Sees 15% Of Students Elect New Exec
Posted 1:35pm Sunday 5th September 2021 by Denzel Chung
A new OUSA Exec for 2022 was appointed over lockdown. The races this year were very close, with most races won by just a percentage point or two. Three of the races were a foregone conclusion: President (won by Melissa Lama), Finance & Strategy (won by Emily Fau-Goodwin) and Political Read more...
No Internet? You're Not Alone
Posted 2:05pm Friday 3rd September 2021 by Erin Gourley
UPDATE: The internet is back, as of 2.15pm. Hope everyone with an assignment due this arvo can recover from this 25-minute break. Turns out the outage was caused by DDOS attack. Wifi outages are affecting all of New Zealand at the moment. The issues appear to affect Orcon, Read more...
Previous Results 
