Archive

The Man Behind Craig Daniels: Will Murphy

Posted 12:23pm Saturday 23rd May 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Second-year Will Murphy (@willmurphycomedy) has “always been into theatre”, which makes it no surprise that when he enrolled in Otago he chose to major in Theatre Studies. With a “soft spot” for comedians, he grew up watching the likes of Rowan Atkinson (better known as his Read more...

Government to Tweak Climate Change Law

Posted 12:20pm Saturday 23rd May 2026 by Jack Evans

Amid a flurry of news from the Government, such as the cutting of fees free, and Judith Collins leaving Parliament (tofā soifua Judith), Minister of Justice Paul Goldsmith has dropped a bombshell for the future of Aotearoa’s climate change response. Here is a quick explainer from Critic Read more...

Diversify The Library: Books That Reflect Our Experience

Posted 12:18pm Saturday 23rd May 2026 by Gryffin Blockley

With over twenty thousand students, Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka tauira boast a massive range of backgrounds and lived experiences. In order to reflect this range, the team behind the library has a new project: Diversify the Library (DTL). They’re working hard to have their (already Read more...

Capping Show Review: Unleashed, Hilarious and Over Too Soon

Posted 12:17pm Saturday 23rd May 2026 by Harry Almey, Bella Bates, & Jonathan McCabe

Critic Te Ārohi, risking life and limb after publishing a not-so-positive review last year, returned to this year's Capping Show. Thankfully, we didn't have to worry. We only needed to get about 10 minutes in before realising that we weren't going to regret putting them on the front Read more...

Critic Te Ārohi’s (Theatrical) Guide to Mid-Year Break

Posted 12:07pm Saturday 23rd May 2026 by Saraia Allais

If you’re stuck down in Dunners for the upcoming break, don’t fall to the temptation of a three-week long bed rot. If you fancy doing something other than drinking the cold away, or finding hot new ways to procrastinate exam study, Critic Te Ārohi’s got you. Happy end of Read more...

Local Produce: U-No Juno

Posted 12:06pm Sunday 17th May 2026 by Ethan Montañer

U-No Juno are undoubtedly one of the most enthralling bands in the current Ōtepoti music scene, pulling from a colourful array of influences to craft their own self-described brand of “post-post-post-post-post-post-post hardcore”. Since 2024, the band have been carving out a name Read more...

International Students Report Insurance Delays

Posted 11:54am Sunday 17th May 2026 by Georgia Hejduková

International exchange students are a staple of the University of Otago’s community. However, it’s easy to forget to question some of the barriers they may face in getting here. One such barrier is health and travel insurance, which is a prerequisite for international students. While the Read more...

Runway Revival a Runaway Success

Posted 11:51am Sunday 17th May 2026 by Te Awhirēinga Heperi

Runway Revival 2026 had Errick’s packed with Ōtepoti’s most fashionable residents (believe it or not, they do exist down here). The fashion show featured a wraparound runway, twinkling lights, and the skilled Dunedin quartet, all put together by Presbyterian Support to showcase Read more...

A Peep Behind The Capping Show Curtains

Posted 11:49am Sunday 17th May 2026 by Harry Almey

'Twas the week before Capping opening night, and the walls of Central were plastered with missing posters of the cast. As worried as the next guy, Critic Te Ārohi put on a brave face and big-boy pants and went undercover to investigate. Critic understands that the cast of SQUEAL: A Read more...

“Misunderstanding” Results In University Removing OSJP Posters

Posted 10:37am Sunday 10th May 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Critic Te Ārohi recently received a tip from a café worker at St David Café, who was allegedly asked to remove posters put up by Otago Students for Justice In Palestine (OSJP) on the 22nd of April. The employee told Critic that café workers were asked to remove the Read more...

Unions Rally For May Day

Posted 10:31am Sunday 10th May 2026 by Molly Smith-Soppet

Union flags filled Union Hall last Friday (lol), as around 150 workers, students, and organisers gathered to mark May Day (also known as International Workers’ Day). The hui brought together a wide cross-section of unions — from nurses and firefighters to supermarket workers and Read more...

Palo Alto Partnership Under “Review”

Posted 10:28am Sunday 10th May 2026 by Hanna Varrs

What Happened? As previously reported, the University of Otago has confirmed a partnership with Palo Alto Networks (PANW), a cybersecurity company that has been accused of having “deep links to the Israeli government” by Otago Staff for Palestine (OSP). The partnership is intended to Read more...

Local Produce: Emily Esplin

Posted 10:24am Sunday 10th May 2026 by Maea Wikohika

Emily Esplin (she/they) is an emerging Ōtepoti artist carving out a sound that feels raw, honest, and distinctly their own. Her music sits somewhere between vulnerability and distortion, a space where soft introspection collides with an ever-growing rock influence. She’s also Read more...

Leary’s Theory for Better Mental Health Services

Posted 10:19am Sunday 10th May 2026 by Harry Almey

Ingrid Leary, Labour MP of Taieri since 2020, and Labour Spokesperson for Mental Health, recently sat down for her first-ever interview with Critic Te Ārohi. Young people consistently have ranked the mental health crisis and climate change as their top concerns for the future, so Ingrid wants Read more...

North D in Thirty Years: What Will Our Flats Look Like?

Posted 10:18am Sunday 10th May 2026 by Stella Weston

The North Dunedin Spatial Plan Project aims to ensure that there is enough housing for students in North D for the next thirty years. But that’s not just any housing – it’s housing that encapsulates what students want. Novel! Organised by the City Development Team of the Dunedin Read more...

“Stay Petty”: The Subs and Cats Saga

Posted 2:48pm Sunday 3rd May 2026 by Bella Bates

The drama is bubbling over between two of Dunedin’s biggest players in student nightlife in a TikTok-based standoff. Suburbia (lovingly known to the fresher population as ‘Subs’) took to TikTok with a not-so-subtle jab at rival Catacombs (‘Cats’). Feathers were Read more...

University Trials Partnership With Parking Enforcement Services

Posted 2:45pm Sunday 3rd May 2026 by Gryffin Blockley

Parking Enforcement Services (PES) have been contracted to conduct a parking enforcement trial at two car parks over the next three months, a University of Otago spokesperson has confirmed to Critic Te Ārohi.  You may recognise PES from major supermarket parking lots in Dunedin, or, if Read more...

Critic Te Ārohi x The Maharajas: Charity Edition

Posted 2:43pm Sunday 3rd May 2026 by Imogen Perry

Critic Te Ārohi and Dave from The Maharajas: we’ve got a loving history. A match made in heaven, one might say. On Saturday the 9th of May, Dave and the Maharajas team will be hosting the ultimate charity night – good vibes, good flavours, good people. So we’ve taken the Read more...

Crisis Café Opens In North East Valley

Posted 2:41pm Sunday 3rd May 2026 by Harry Almey

It’s another win for wellbeing in Otago, with the South Island's second Crisis Recovery Café opening in the North East Valley. Operated by the Otago Mental Health Support Trust (OMHST), the café shares spaces with the Valley Project. Critic Te Ārohi sat down for an Read more...

Local Produce: Rheumy

Posted 1:35pm Sunday 26th April 2026 by Ethan Montañer

Rheumy are a self-described “kosmiche noise group” who materialised into Ōtepoti’s music scene in early 2025. The trio create compositions that can be difficult to pin down with descriptions — the music is somehow free-form yet intentional, rhythmic yet droning — Read more...

Student Wellbeing Hub is (Officially) Open

Posted 1:26pm Sunday 26th April 2026 by Harry Almey

Two years after announcing that Te Pou Whirinaki (the Wellbeing Hub) would take the place of the old Campus South stationary shop, Vice-Chancellor Grant Robertson, and National Party Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey, gathered on the 15th of April for its official opening. Te Pou Whirinaki Read more...

Strait Talk: What’s Actually Going On in Hormuz?

Posted 1:24pm Sunday 26th April 2026 by Bella Bates

With TikTok explainers flying around and group chats spiralling, Critic Te Ārohi went straight to Professor Robert Patman to make sense of the escalating situation in the Strait of Hormuz. Patman, a Professor in the University of Otago’s Politics Department, specialises in international Read more...

Possums? We Don’t Know Her

Posted 1:22pm Sunday 26th April 2026 by Luke MacLeod

The Otago Peninsula was declared possum free in March, making it one of the first inhabited landscape-scale areas in Aotearoa to successfully eliminate the pest. Critic Te Ārohi reached out to Chris Arnison, Community Coordinator and Operations Director of the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Read more...

Execrable: Written Warning, MoU and Political Planning

Posted 1:18pm Sunday 26th April 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Celebrating 4/20 likely in a different way to most students, the OUSA Exec still managed to push their fortnightly meeting up to a marathon two and a half hours on the 20th of April. Who can say they aren’t dedicated? There was a heap on the agenda to get through, and get through it they Read more...

‘Dunedin Herald’ Taking Shit Posting to the Next Level

Posted 1:17pm Sunday 26th April 2026 by Stella Weston

The Dunedin Herald is a new satirical Instagram account, self-described as “our most special city’s most trusted news”. Despite being only six days old at time of writing, they’ve gained over 1400 followers. Although the student behind the account wanted to remain anonymous Read more...

Delivereasy Statistics Reveal Dunedin’s Food Delivery Diagnosis

Posted 1:15pm Sunday 26th April 2026 by Imogen Perry

A fifteen minute walk in the cold versus experiencing the full offerings of Fatty Lane from bed for a $5 delivery fee – this choice is becoming shamefully easy. Kiwi-owned delivery platform, Delivereasy, has recently shed light upon customer statistics, revealing the tendency for tauira across Read more...

Q&A with Q and Dave

Posted 1:42pm Sunday 19th April 2026 by Stella Weston

Qiulae 'Q' Wong believes that the “role of government is to look at the horizon and stand for that.” She’s sick of the divisive, “pendulum politics” that we see in New Zealand today, with governments undoing policy changes with every switch in power. Founded in Read more...

OUSA Q1 Exec Reports: These guys want to get paid

Posted 1:38pm Sunday 19th April 2026 by Gryffin Blockley

After riding the high of their election wins last year, the OUSA Executive have had to put their heads down and start the mahi for 2026.  The Exec gets paid through something called ‘honorariums’. In order to receive their honorarium, the Exec members must hand in a quarterly Read more...

Critical Tribune: Breatha Raises Hand in Class

Posted 1:29pm Sunday 19th April 2026 by Dildo Connor

Second year breatha, Shooda Sckipt, was sat in his Tuesday morning lecture last week. Talking to Critical Tribune reporters, Shooda recounted that he had “surprisingly mustered up the courage” to make it to a lecture for a class that had an upcoming midterm assignment – no small Read more...

The Bowling Club Needs Students

Posted 1:25pm Sunday 19th April 2026 by Molly Smith-Soppet

Whether you don’t know what to cook in the flat tonight, are struggling with midterm stress, or your body is beginning to deteriorate due not seeing a vegetable in a week, Critic Te Ārohi has a solution for you. The Bowling Club delivers straight to OUSA Clubs and Socs, which is a perfect Read more...

Vice-Chancellor’s Welcome Email Returns 100% AI Prediction

Posted 4:34pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Critic Te Ārohi recently received a news tip from an anonymous student that ran Vice-Chancellor Grant Robertson’s welcome email through GPTZero (Model 4.2b). The message was sent to all students at the start of the year, and had the subject-line “Student update: 25 February Read more...

Explainer: Albany Street Connection Project

Posted 4:27pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Since 2021, the Dunedin City Council (DCC) has done heaps of advertising, letter drops, media coverage and public consultation about the changes happening to Albany Street and surrounding areas. The $4.8 million Albany Street Connection Project (ASCP) construction and road reseal will fully take Read more...

University Defends Partnership With Palo Alto Networks

Posted 4:17pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Stella Weston

The University of Otago announced its partnership with international cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks (PANW) in May of last year to aid in the development of a new Masters in Digital Technology at the budding Queenstown campus. However, the partnership has recently come under scrutiny by Otago Read more...

Local Produce: Bunchy’s Big Score

Posted 4:12pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Ethan Montañer

Bunchy’s Big Score is an Ōtepoti art/pop/rock band who have become well-loved in the local scene over the past two years. Known for their noisy ear-worm bangers and ridiculously fun live shows, the quartet is preparing for what will be their biggest year yet. The band’s current Read more...

Critical Tribune: Hyde Street Party 2026 Flat Themes Unveiled

Posted 4:09pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Dyldo Connor

As Otago students return from mid-sem break, speculation from the shitposters of the Castle26 Facebook group has been at an all time high. Critical Tribune is here to put the rumors to bed and confirm the official Hyde Street Party flat themes. Critical Tribune investigative journalists spoke to Read more...

Thursdays in Black: More Than Just a Black T-Shirt

Posted 4:05pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Bella Bates

The concept behind Thursdays in Black (TiB) couldn’t be simpler: wear black on Thursdays. Through symbolically wearing black each week on campus, TiB Otago creates weekly visibility and raises awareness of those who have experienced or are experiencing sexual violence.  Despite winning Read more...

What’s Going On With Eduroam?

Posted 12:32pm Sunday 29th March 2026 by Bella Bates

This year, Critic Te Ārohi has noticed a spike in online grumbling about the University Wi-Fi, eduroam. Students have taken to forums (such as Castle26 and UoO Confessions – our favourite unofficial channels) in droves to air their grievances, which mostly boil down to this: the internet Read more...

Get Standards and Start Complaining

Posted 12:29pm Sunday 29th March 2026 by Stella Weston

By not speaking up when something is wrong with a product or service, young people and students are losing themselves a collective estimated $16.5 million every year. Kadie Wilson, an advisor for consumer services at MBIE had some words to share with students about the benefits of making a fuss when Read more...

OUSA Reception Rescues At Least $25,000 of Lost Property

Posted 12:26pm Sunday 29th March 2026 by Harry Almey

In the days after St. Patrick's, OUSA Lost Property received 26 quality drink bottles, 14 chargers, 5 pairs of headphones, 4 Apple pens, 3 reading glasses, 2 telephones, 1 driver's license (rescued from Castle26 box negotiations), and 80 more assorted items. They don't have a partridge Read more...

Cost of Living and Unemployment Take a Hit on OUSA Student Hardship Fund

Posted 12:21pm Sunday 29th March 2026 by Gryffin Blockley

With 2026 well underway, many of Ōtepoti’s tauira are feeling the pressure from gold-plated petrol prices and the hellscape of Aotearoa’s supermarket duopoly. With seemingly the cost of everything on the rise, student hardship is taking a toll, and she’s not slowing for Read more...

Local Produce: AW / Andrew Wilson

Posted 12:17pm Sunday 29th March 2026 by Ethan Montañer

Andrew Wilson is an Ōtepoti-born musician with a hectic but impressive musical career. Many will know him as the frontman/guitarist of post-punk trio Die! Die! Die!, one of Aotearoa’s most important and consistent bands of the last 20 odd years. In that band he’s played innumerable Read more...

Local Produce: Deaf Raccoon

Posted 12:29pm Sunday 22nd March 2026 by Ethan Montañer

Deaf Raccoon are one of Dunedin’s most exciting new alternative punk bands, and are a testament to the importance of having all-ages gigs. Having only played their first gig in April of last year, the four-piece have already released a single, played the Rockquest National Finals, and made Read more...

Tamatha Paul Talks Housing

Posted 12:18pm Sunday 22nd March 2026 by Stella Weston

Tamatha Paul, Green MP for Wellington Central, and Party Spokesperson for housing (among other things), caught up with Critic Te Ārohi for a chat about the Green’s upcoming housing campaign. Housing is something that affects everyone, whether you’re “a student living in a Read more...

Dunedin Youth Orchestra Unlocks New Sound

Posted 12:15pm Sunday 22nd March 2026 by Stella Weston

In a grand collaboration with Dunedin Youth Orchestra, international performer and composer Daniel Verstappen (yes, a relative of the F1 driver) will be playing at Hanover Hall on the 1st of April. Belgium-born Daniel fell in love with New Zealand when he visited two years ago, and he hopes this Read more...

Second Year Law Camp Cancelled “For The Foreseeable Future”

Posted 12:14pm Sunday 22nd March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Law Camp was a fixture of the second year law experience at the University of Otago. Hosted by the Society of Otago University Law Students (SOULS), they quietly cancelled for this year’s iteration of the camp. The event was traditionally a getaway to the country – featuring skits, Read more...

Semesters Dropped to 12 Weeks For 2027

Posted 12:11pm Sunday 22nd March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

This just in – the University of Otago is planning to change our semesters from 13 weeks to 12 starting from 2027. The saved week will be used as what they’re calling a “reading week” for students.  It’s well known that Otago’s hick cousins, Lincoln and Read more...

Case of Meningococcal Disease Found In Student Community

Posted 7:53pm Saturday 14th March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

As many are well aware, the University recently confirmed a case of meningococcal disease within the student community. Vice-Chancellor Grant Robertson’s reassurances regarding the situation were beamed directly to everyone with a student.otago.ac.nz address. Meningitis is not to be messed Read more...

Fringe Starts with Bang(s)

Posted 7:47pm Saturday 14th March 2026 by Stella Weston

With shows ranging from comedy to ballet and everything in between, the Dunedin Fringe Festival is in full swing. Running from the 11th of March to the 22nd, this program is stacked with 93 shows in venues across Ōtepoti. Time to text the flat gc and do a wholesome outing for a Read more...

Politicians vs Professors

Posted 7:44pm Saturday 14th March 2026 by Te Awhirēinga Heperi

With an eager crowd watching and the sun shining overhead, a football game kicked off on Logan Park last Sunday, March 8th. Usually, that’d be nothing out of the ordinary. But if passersby cared to look a little closer, they’d see that gangly adolescent limbs had been traded with the Read more...

Local Produce: Monkey Do

Posted 7:42pm Saturday 14th March 2026 by Ethan Montañer

Monkey Do are a new pack of primates/alternative rock band who love the Ōtepoti music scene, and have spent the past year refining their sound at Pint Nights and flat gigs. Critic Te Ārohi caught up with Rowan (guitar, he/him), Mack (bass, he/she), Pato (guitar, he/him) and Kam (drums, Read more...

Foo Fighters Seeking Help

Posted 12:26pm Sunday 8th March 2026 by Dylan O'Connor

Local Ōtepoti feminist punk band, SEEK HELP!, has been announced as one of the openers for the upcoming concert of American rock band Foo Fighters. SEEK HELP! made history last year by being one of two bands representing Otago at Smokefreerockquest 2025, and they finished in third place. Now, Read more...

E-Waste Department Saves Uni $40,000 in 2025

Posted 12:24pm Sunday 8th March 2026 by Harry Almey

Te Oraka, a gem in the centre of campus, is full of student-run businesses and second-hand goods. Lesser known is that it also houses a selection of rescued e-waste. Critic Te Ārohi dusted themselves off one dreary day, and went to explore. Tucked in behind the second-hand clothes (nothing Read more...

Plug Pulled on Electric Hyde

Posted 12:22pm Sunday 8th March 2026 by Imogen Perry

Electric Hyde, a proposed event advertised in popular Castle26 Facebook group as an alternative to Elective Avenue, was quickly cancelled following discussions with the University and the Otago University Students’ Association. Critic Te Ārohi understands that Hyde Street residents were Read more...

Students, Lecturers and Tutors React to New LMS Aoroa

Posted 12:18pm Sunday 8th March 2026 by Bella Bates

In a move that has been met with both confusion and celebration, the University of Otago has officially started the roll out of Aoroa, its shiny new learning management system (LMS), powered by Brightspace. Despite being touted as a modern upgrade, Aoroa has already been critically received by Read more...

Local Produce: Cue-Go

Posted 12:08pm Sunday 8th March 2026 by Harry Almey

One day, in a rush to class, you'll pass Startup Dunedin on Leithbank. If you take a moment to really look, you'll spy a poster in the window of a student business they have proudly nurtured. Ready, set, Cue-Go.  The audio-visual event tech company, Cue-Go, is a star in the sky, Read more...

New Cheap Lunch Spot Opens Next to Campus

Posted 5:30pm Sunday 1st March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Students may have noticed a new food truck operating out of the Museum Llawn, staffed with broad smiles and piling $5 Love Feasts onto plates. Jane Beecroft caught up with Critic Te Ārohi to discuss the mahi behind Krisha Kai, as well as the menu. “Samosas, smoothies, hot chips, apple Read more...

Otago Alumni Creates Flatchat: A Site That Lets You Read and Write Flat Reviews

Posted 4:56pm Sunday 1st March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Ryan Cole is a 2022 University of Otago software engineering graduate, and the creator of Flatchat. He “really enjoyed” his time at Otago, and had some “fun and interesting” flatting experiences – including some more gnarly ones. “That’s where the idea for Read more...

Local Produce: The Plan Gig Guide

Posted 1:57pm Sunday 1st March 2026 by Ethan Montañer

No matter how long you’ve been in Dunedin’s music scene, it can still feel impossible to keep track of every gig that’s happening throughout the week. Luckily for you, a small team of local musos and fans have put together The Plan Gig Guide, a printed guide featuring a Read more...

Spilling The Green Tea With Chlöe and Francisco

Posted 1:43pm Sunday 1st March 2026 by Bella Bates

Before making their case for the upcoming election, Green Party Co-Leader Chlöe Swarbrick and Dunedin electoral candidate Francisco Hernandez joined Critic Te Ārohi for a more intimate Q&A over at Pearl Diver. Chlöe didn’t eat the crusts of her potato pizza, but we’ll Read more...

OUSA $4 Lunch SURGES to $5 Lunch

Posted 10:20am Monday 23rd February 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Cheap lunch over in OUSA’s Clubs & Socs building has been a mainstay of campus life for decades now. Brought to you by St Kilda’s Tandoree Garden, $4 Lunch has looked the same since 2022. However, four years later, 2026 brings a change in price as well as menu: a $1 price increase, Read more...

Local Produce: WarPossumTV

Posted 4:13pm Sunday 22nd February 2026 by Ethan Montañer

Ōtepoti’s music scene has a knack for producing incredible young bands, across any and all styles. Committed to preserving and capturing this talent, while adding in his own DIY flair, is Tane Cotton. “I think every local scene is special and needs to be preserved, but I think ours Read more...

Inflation Hits Rob Roy

Posted 4:05pm Sunday 22nd February 2026 by Jonathan McCabe

The price of Rob Roy’s learner cone has climbed to $3.50, a whopping thirty cent increase from last year. This is the second wave of price surges to face ice cream enjoyers since the Ma family took over the reins in July of 2024. Third year student Nico reckons that the iconic spot has gotten Read more...

Castle26 Admins Tell All about Shitposting Crackdown

Posted 4:02pm Sunday 22nd February 2026 by Gryffin Blockley

Castle26: arguably the cornerstone of the North D community. The sixteen thousand strong membership (allegedly free of freshers) have provided an important space to find a random Facebook flatmate, sell your Electric Ave ticket for exorbitant prices and laugh at your mates license being held ransom Read more...

By-Election brings Old Worms out of the Woodwork

Posted 3:58pm Sunday 22nd February 2026 by Molly Smith-Soppet

Dunedin is heading back to the ballot box… Again. A by-election is being held to fill the vacant seat left by the tragic passing of Councillor and former Mayor Jules Radich. Nominations are currently open and will close on March 2nd, with voting beginning April 10th.    This Read more...

Fundraising for Mental Health: A Marathon, not a Sprint (Literally)

Posted 3:53pm Sunday 22nd February 2026 by Molly Smith-Soppet

On March 7th at 5am, while the rest of Ōtepoti is fast asleep or stumbling home after a big Friday night, Philip Yeardley will be up running in circles. For 100 kilometres.  Having already completed a marathon, a 50km run, and the Three Peaks challenge, men's mental health advocate Read more...

Critic Te Ārohi Wins Best Publication at Aotearoa Student Press Awards

Posted 12:25pm Thursday 13th November 2025 by Critic

In its 100th year, Critic Te Ārohi won Best Publication at the Aotearoa Student Press Association Awards (ASPAs) held in Ōtepoti on November 8th. Known for its irreverence and bold approach to student life at the University of Otago, the magazine placed in all but four categories at the Read more...

Skilled Students Snag Blues and Golds

Posted 4:05pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Gryffin Blockley

The annual Blues and Golds awards were held last Thursday to celebrate cultural and sporting achievements of Otago tauira. The yearly ceremony is a collaboration between the University and OUSA, proving just how well some students are able to lock in. In total, 56 individuals or clubs got an award. Read more...

Job-Seeking Students Say “Bullshit” to Luxon’s Employment Claims

Posted 3:10pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Nina Brown

Prime Minister Chris Luxon and Minister for Social Development Louise Upston announced last week that the Government will be imposing further restrictions for Jobseeker applicants. The news sparked an influx of national headlines speculating whether Luxon’s “tough love” approach Read more...

OUSA Quarter 3 Wrapped: Part II

Posted 3:04pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Gryffin Blockley

At last week’s Exec meeting, the last half of the quarter three reports were approved. Here’s what those Exec members got up to to get paid for their honorarium (i.e., top-up their StudyLink). It was a drama-filled quarter for many, but here’s what the Exec were doing when Critic Read more...

A Letter from Grant Robertson

Posted 2:32pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Grant Robertson

As we head to the end of the year, I wanted to wish you all good luck with exams, and hopefully a restful summer before as many as possible of you return in 2026.  It has been a difficult year for universities in Aotearoa. The year began with us still reeling from the government’s Read more...

Promposals Sweep North D

Posted 2:26pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Liberty Murray

A group of exchange students swapped their jorts and scuffs for black tie attire on Saturday, October 4th to bring American-style proms to Ōtepoti. Complete with elaborate promposals, the classic awkward photos, and highly sought after awards, organisers Buck and Murray described the Read more...

Critical Tribune: STI Rates Plummet in North D as Castle Clears Out for Exams

Posted 2:24pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Mary Fartin Benz

Reports from frightened freshers have highlighted the concerning increase in Butter hats and Birks across Central Library’s floors. “I didn’t know they knew where campus was!” said Tim, a first-year and future breatha from Studholme, telling Critical Tribune he’s Read more...

Critical Tribune: Fresher Gets Quick Lesson In Tenancy Law After Falling Out With Friend Group They Signed With In January

Posted 10:59pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by Anna Marrs

Critical Tribune has received several news tips over the past couple of weeks complaining about the “absolute state” of tenancy law. Turns out, signing a contract with your mates halfway through first sem isn’t a committed display of the fact you’ll love each other forever, Read more...

Polytech Proposes Switch To Telehealth Student Health Services

Posted 10:20pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by Hanna Varrs

On the 26th of September, the Otago Polytech advised kaimahi, ākonga, the Otago Polytech Students Association, stakeholders, and the media (except for Critic – we found out through a student) of a proposal to move to a telehealth set up for their student health provision for the 2026 Read more...

OUSA Quarter 3 Wrapped: Part I

Posted 10:16pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by Gryffin Blockley

In the blink of an eye, quarter three wrapped up at OUSA at the end of August. With everything from scandals to elections dominating headlines, the Exec has still been hard at work serving students’ interests. While its impossible to cover everything, here’s a taster of what the Exec has Read more...

“Business As Usual” OUSA Budget Dropped

Posted 10:10pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by Nina Brown

OUSA’s budget for 2026 has dropped. You might read “budget” and feel your eyes glaze over. But just as your budget is crucial to stretching StudyLink payments across keeping a roof over your head, avoiding scurvy, and storing away a little extra for barista-made treats or a box on Read more...

Fitzy’s DJ Decks and a Dream

Posted 10:08pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by Stella Weston

As exam season looms, OUSA hosted their Future DJ Competition to refocus on what's really important to students: loud sounds in a club. Hosted in collaboration with George FM and Catacombs, the event boasted an impressive array of prizes intended to help kickstart DJ careers, from festival sets Read more...

‘Dental for All’ Roadshow Hits Ōtepoti

Posted 10:05pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by Molly Smith-Soppet

The Dental for All campaign has kicked off with a nationwide roadshow, stopping in towns and cities all across the motu to push for one thing: free, universal dental care. Last Rāhina, the group cruised into Ōtepoti to run a forum at the OUSA Clubs and Socs building. Guest panelists Read more...

Ammonita Have Brought the Noise

Posted 10:00pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by Gryffin Blockley

OUSA’s annual band competition, Bring the Noise, wrapped up its seventh iteration at U-Bar last week. Presented by Radio One, the competition involved two heats and a final where Ōtepoti bands battled head-to-head, playing only original songs. Last Wednesday, Ammonita took out the title Read more...

Heavy Breathers Continue to Run (Away From Critic)

Posted 12:47am Monday 29th September 2025 by Matilda Rumball-Smith

The Heavy Breathers completed the Emerson’s Dunedin Marathon on the 14th of September. A marathon is a long way. Pretty tiring stuff. So tiring that they couldn’t be fucked being interviewed about it for this article. Fair enough. The Heavy Breathers began in 2023: 33 boys who raised Read more...

POLSA Debate Team Says Scarfie Culture is Out

Posted 12:17am Monday 29th September 2025 by Nina Brown

Should Scarfie culture be officially recognised as intangible cultural heritage? Three Greens politicians, Mickey Treadwell, Francisco Hernandez and Rosie Finnie, think yes. But in a debate hosted by the Otago Politics Students Association (POLSA) at the Business School on Friday September 19, three Read more...

IVY Confused for ‘SoundCloud Rapper’

Posted 11:13pm Sunday 28th September 2025 by Gryffin Blockley

Fresh off the heels of their debut album ‘Hush’, Ōtepoti five-piece IVY encountered a bump in the road during their album promotion. Early on the 20th of September, just eight days after the album drop, a new single appeared on their Spotify profile: DIE ALONE. To the dismay of Read more...

Housing For All: Yarns with Tamatha Paul and Co.

Posted 11:10pm Sunday 28th September 2025 by Via Hooks

It’s the time of year when flatting is on the mind. Whether you’re sorting out next year's lease, continually tidying the communal spaces ahead of flat viewings, or frantically trying to assemble the perfect group to live – it’s top of the to-do list for many tauira. It Read more...

Critical Tribune: University declares state of emergency as brainrot spreads across campus

Posted 11:01pm Sunday 28th September 2025 by Gear Sloppit

The University of Ota-goon has announced an Official State of Emergency after a “catastrophic outbreak” of brainrot left hundreds of students unable to form original sentences, instead communicating exclusively through TikTok sounds and vintage Tumblr quotes. In a press conference Read more...

OUSA Made Breatha Again

Posted 3:08pm Friday 26th September 2025 by Gryffin Blockley

With the highest voter turnout in years, OUSA’s 2026 Executive Election concluded last Thursday. Just over 2300 votes were cast in a chaotic campaign period that saw a barrage of social media posts, chalking, and posters around campus. After snagging 52.45% of the votes, Daniel Leamy is your Read more...

Law’s (Objectively) Hardest 200-Level Paper Goes Open Book

Posted 6:35pm Sunday 21st September 2025 by Gabe Jonson

In second-year Law, students are put through the wringer with four full-year papers: Criminal Law, Law of Contract, Property Law, and Public Law. Usually, the exams are closed-book, but for 2025 LAWS203 (Property Law) is now set to be an open-book exam.  The Faculty of Law cites the change Read more...

Thursdays in Black Hosts ‘What I Was Wearing’ Exhibit

Posted 5:59pm Sunday 21st September 2025 by Hanna Varrs

Content Warning: Sexual violence, child sexual abuse, rape, intimate partner violence Following their recent success in the second annual Sex Quiz fundraiser, the Thursdays in Black exec held the What I Was Wearing exhibit in the Main Common Room last week between Wednesday and Read more...

Rail Jam: Bringing the Ski Slope and the Stoke onto Campus

Posted 5:57pm Sunday 21st September 2025 by Jonathan McCabe

The forecasts were true. It was a snowy day on Union lawn last Thursday. Yeehaw! Twenty two tonnes of snow landed on Union Lawn on Thursday the 18th of September ready for punters to carve some fresh lines in the midst of a bustling campus. There was no better chance for ski bums to prove why Read more...

Alumni Fly From Afar to Settle 20-Year-Old Boozy Bet

Posted 5:55pm Sunday 21st September 2025 by Nina Brown

Born out of a drunken argument over who was slower, Otago alumni Blake Plummer and Jolyon Swinburn agreed to race in a marathon at age 40. The boys cracked open a cold one as they told Critic Te Ārohi the story of a 20-year-old bet that brought them back to their alma mater for the Read more...

Castle Packs out for Pizza Eating Comp

Posted 5:50pm Sunday 21st September 2025 by Zoe Eckhoff

Suburbia has extended their dominance over students’ Saturday nights into the following day by hosting a Biggies Pizza (Sub’s day-time persona) eating competition on Sunday, September 13th. Hosted at the infamous Courtyard flat, roughly 21 nominees from various Castle St flats attempted Read more...

Fiery Exec Campaigns “Healthy Democracy”

Posted 9:27pm Thursday 18th September 2025 by Nina Brown

It’s election season for the OUSA Executive. With 20 candidates vying for a position in 2026, three lunch-time forums were held last week to provide the opportunity for candidates to share their policies. Knowing most students don’t have the capacity to sit through six hours of Read more...

Critical Tribune: EMERGENCY: Snow Forecast for Union Lawn Microclimate as 36 Tonnes of Snow Scheduled to Arrive this Thursday

Posted 1:34pm Monday 15th September 2025 by Petra Barfy

Panic sweeps through the University of Otago campus this week after meteorologists issued an unprecedented forecast predicting “localized blizzard conditions” for Union Lawn, where a sudden 36-tonne snowfall is expected to bury the area on September 18. The snowstorm, strangely absent Read more...

100 Dancers Storm the TCol Stage

Posted 1:16pm Monday 15th September 2025 by Molly Smith-Soppet

Otago Dance Association (ODA) are tumbling headfirst down the rabbit hole this month with the crowning jewel of the club: their annual showcase. Mark your calendars for the 26th and 27th of September when 108(ish) students will take the stage. This year, the performance is a stage-adaptation of Read more...

Otago’s Campus Celebrates 50 Years of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori

Posted 1:09pm Monday 15th September 2025 by Gryffin Blockley

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori has reached its golden jubilee, celebrating 50 years of advocating for Aotearoa’s native language. This year's byline is ‘ake ake ake’ – a forever language. It’s a huge occasion for pride and community-building for many on the University Read more...

Background Checking Wanna-be Mayors

Posted 1:02pm Monday 15th September 2025 by Nina Brown

If you’ve gone on a cruise out of town lately, you’ll have clocked the shocking array of roadside billboards begging for that sweet democratic #1 ranking. Last week, OUSA hosted the candidates for the upcoming local body elections in a series of forums, held in the Main Common Room at Read more...

Student Pen Becomes Magical Sword

Posted 12:22pm Monday 15th September 2025 by Harry Almey

Ah, Otago students, we know how it is. You're forever time poor; all those books, never enough time to actually read them. So, you can imagine Critic Te Ārohi’s surprise when we heard the cry: one of Otago's own is becoming an author! Here are the trials and tribulations it takes Read more...

Amnesty Youth Debuts Night Lecture Series

Posted 12:14pm Monday 15th September 2025 by Gryffin Blockley

In only their second year of existence, Amnesty Youth Otago (AYO) have rapidly become one of OUSA’s most on-to-it clubs. Fresh off the heels of winning Team of the Year at the recent Amnesty Dove Awards, the team is channeling their efforts into a new initiative: a lecture series. And as an Read more...

Execrable: Refusals to Resign & Letters Abound

Posted 6:44pm Sunday 7th September 2025 by Hanna Varrs

Push For Jett Groshinski’s Resignation In bombshell news, Political Representative Jett Groshinski was asked to resign by two-thirds of the OUSA Executive at their most recent meeting on Thursday, August 28th. The Exec told Critic Te Ārohi that the decision was “not made Read more...

Critical Tribune: Breather attends a lecture in person and discovers he really likes it

Posted 5:20pm Sunday 7th September 2025 by Matt Hilda

“I didn’t really know what the bros were up to during the day,” Zack admitted. “They were always off to go see David, or Burns. Even when they said they were at Castle 2, I went over to the flat on Leith and the boys just told me to fuck off. I felt a bit left Read more...

Episode II: Return of the Spud

Posted 5:12pm Sunday 7th September 2025 by Harry Almey

It's been an eventful time for the Polytech’s potato-preneur Emily Gilbert. In the span of a month, she’s reached student stardom with her stupendous spud scoop – from an experimental culinary assignment to Patti’s and Cream sales and a national TV stint. Forget Leo and Read more...