Archive

Editorial: How To Love Yourself

Posted 1:31pm Sunday 19th April 2026 by Hanna Varrs

As a fading fifth year and seasoned older sister, I’ve decided to write some advice to my first year self. However, I think this advice is applicable to anyone in their initial years of uni.  I think I had a pretty standard Dunedin student experience. I’ve done the parties, done Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 8 2026

Posted 1:23pm Sunday 19th April 2026 by The Orb

Pisces With things getting increasingly out of budget, it might be time to turn one of your hobbies into a side hustle for the next R1 Market Day. Wrangle your flatmates into helping, pay in drinks and start a makeshift factory line during free hour of power. Your character from The Office: Kelly Read more...

Crossword Answers - Issue 8 2026

Posted 1:11pm Sunday 19th April 2026 by The Quizzler

ACROSS: 1 - Alcatraz 5 - Wordle 8 - Vexed 9 - Trophies 10 - Veto 11 - Typhoons 13 - Nauseous 15 - Ballet 16 - Temporarily 18 - Gut 20 - Eddington 21 - Audit 22 - Segway DOWN: 1 - Ain’t it Fun 2 - Ciao 3 - Techno 4 - Antenna 5 - Wrecking Ball 6 - Dodgeball 7 - Read more...

Crossword Answers - Issue 7 2026

Posted 1:37pm Tuesday 14th April 2026 by The Quizzler

Across: 1 - Great King Street 8 - Detonator 9 - Trunk 11 - Absorb 12 - Russell Crowe 16 - Steroid 17 - Edibles 19 - MDMA 20 - Mowed 22 - Adieu 23 - Endorsement 24 - NRL Down: 1 - Gladiator 2 - Ecstasy 3 - Thin 4 - Nicotine 5 - Sus 6 - Rewrap 7 - The Killers 10 - Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: Summer School Gets Steamy

Posted 3:59pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Lady Pain Grey

To set the scene, it was Summer School. Already a pretty cursed time of year. Half the campus was deserted, and the people left milling around campus were a little strange. I mean, who does Uni during the holidays? To add to the isolation, none of my flatmates had moved in yet. I was bored out of my Read more...

A Word From Know Your Stuff

Posted 3:56pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by KnowYourStuff Otago

Who are we?  KnowYourStuffNZ is a peer-led drug checking and harm reduction service that has been operating since 2015. We address the lack of factual, proven information available to drug users about the substances they intend to take by providing drug checking and drug-related information Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 7 2026

Posted 3:51pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by The Orb

Taurus Your current employer is making you wanna quiet quit, or even just straight-up ghost them. Even though the job market is fucked, it can’t be worse than your current job. The next desk your resume lands on will be the right one. You deserve higher than minimum wage anyway. Your Read more...

Inclusion On Campus

Posted 3:29pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Rihana Warsame

Within my short time as Welfare and Equity Representative, and throughout my studies in general, there is one topic that has come up consistently: students who identify as being in one or more equity groups often feel “othered”. This can come from not feeling included in conversations Read more...

Editorial: Drugs are Everywhere

Posted 3:25pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Gryffin Blockley

Kia ora and welcome to Critic Te Ārohi’s annual Drug Issue. This happens to be one of Critic’s most popular issues (alongside the sex issue – maybe we are all as mature as we think we are as young adults).  The first article I wrote for Critic in my tenure as Co-Editor Read more...

Better Cones and Gardens: The Logistics Behind a Rager

Posted 3:08pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Jonathan McCabe

Fresh out of first year halls, it’s finally your turn to host the party of the century. Last year, the tenants threw a rager – as did the ones dating back for the last fifteen years. No pressure! Whether you're chasing Lakehouse-level chaos or just trying to avoid a flop, the Read more...

Booze Review: Cody’s Bourbon & Cola 7%

Posted 3:05pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Swig60

Sup pissers and shitters. This week we set out with one goal: to tackle a tried-and-true Kiwi classic. It’s a drink with a reputation that walks the line between nostalgia and being a straight up punishment in a can. It’s Cody’s week – so get in the backseat of a Nissan Read more...

Crossword Answers - Issue 6 2026

Posted 12:34pm Sunday 29th March 2026 by The Quizzler

Across 1. Armenia 4. Two face 7. Goat 8. Verified 10. Seem 11. Inbred t13. Cables 15. Busted 17. Crook 18. Suspended 20. Tee 21. Rule Of Thumb 22. Nature 23. Enticing Down 1. Agressor 2. Exterminator 3. Invinsible 4. Twisters 5. Feeble 6. Exalted 12. ESPN 14. Shut Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 6 2026

Posted 12:12pm Sunday 29th March 2026 by The Orb

Pisces As you hear the Clock Tower strike twelve at Pint Night, you’ll rush to buy another shot. However, in your haste to get drunk, you will lose your three year old Converses. It’s not guaranteed your Prince Charming will find them, but maybe your next two-week situationship Read more...

Editorial: What is a question that you are really scared to know the answer to?

Posted 12:09pm Sunday 29th March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Hey there! Welcome back, and see you soon. It’s about to be the midsemester break, after all. It’s my week to do the editorial. I’ve procrastinated writing this until the night it was due, too stubborn to let Gryffin take over doing it instead. I scrolled through a lot of Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: DO NOT BLOW ME LIKE A FUCKING WHISTLE, BABY!

Posted 12:09pm Sunday 22nd March 2026 by Sam Jones

From the clickbait title, I would like to preface that I am a woman and not a whistle. There was a guy I was seeing and he was a bit of a freak, unfortunately not in a good way. Like he was just straight up weird. However, I succumbed to the idea of us having D1 basketball babies as he was Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 5 2026

Posted 12:04pm Sunday 22nd March 2026 by The Orb

Taurus Your inner child is running away from you. As you sit through your unnecessarily long lecture, you will wish you were still a kid who didn't have to put up with lectures and assignments. But enjoy the phase you're in right now, because you'll graduate eventually and forget all Read more...

OUSA Exec: Happy Saint Paddy’s (belated)

Posted 12:02pm Sunday 22nd March 2026 by Daniel Leamy

Kia ora students,  Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to all those who celebrated last Tuesday. Whether you were up well before the sunrise kitted out in green, or simply enjoying the sunshine between classes, the vibe around campus was unreal. The weather played ball in a rare Dunedin W, and Read more...

Editorial: I Became Friends with a Thirty-One Year Old – And You Should Too

Posted 11:59am Sunday 22nd March 2026 by Gryffin Blockley

I met David in line for a concert in Auckland a couple months back. I was faced with the feat of attending a gig alone, as someone who is a victim of a relatively insufferable music taste and introvertism. Despite not having mates by my side, it wouldn’t motivate me any further to face my Read more...

Crossword Answers - Issue 5 2026

Posted 7:45pm Saturday 21st March 2026 by The Quizzler

ACROSS 1 Metal band responsible for songs like 'Chop Suey' 8 Broadcasting 9 Book of the Bible containing hymns and such 10 Common version of Google 11 Doing nothing 12 Teased and mocked 13 Mythological warrior women 18 Transferred from parent to offspring 19 Cool, venomous Read more...

From the Pātaka

Posted 7:42pm Saturday 21st March 2026 by Brady Simeon

A few weeks into the semester, and the pace has already picked up for Te Rito. Between fresher flu outbreaks, the tamest St. Paddy’s Day of the decade, and the slow disappearance of week-one motivation, TRM has been doing its part to keep things interesting. Naturally, there are a few things Read more...

Booze Review: Miami Wine Cooler

Posted 7:39pm Saturday 21st March 2026 by Joan of Rark

Here lay the bodies of Swig60, our former and beloved Booze Reviewers… Nah. Sike, cuz! They just got a little too rowdy on Paddy’s and now can't even look at alcohol. Let alone write about it. So this task falls to me, Joan of Rark, the 2025 Booze Reviewer.  Grab your Read more...

Proctology – 29

Posted 7:36pm Saturday 21st March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Like ships in the night, Critic Te Ārohi and the Proctor haven’t been in direct contact for a while. Our communication has mostly been through Uni Comms media statements – like toxic exes that use their child to communicate. “Well, you can tell your father that I Read more...

Critic Lite

Posted 7:59pm Saturday 14th March 2026 by Critic

Last week, Critic Lite* hit stands with a reduced page count. For 2026, the magazine is alternating between 36-page and 16-page editions every other week. This change was announced in Issue 25 of Critic Te Ārohi last year, but many people did not know about this until the first Critic Lite* was Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 4 2026

Posted 7:40pm Saturday 14th March 2026 by The Orb

Pisces You're going to get ragebaited beyond belief this week. Seeing that your dealer has a 50-inch TV, while you had to sell your soul for the $50 note in your hand, will cause you to question if your degree is worth it. It's probably not, but you have started, so may as well Read more...

Editorial: My Reflections on International Women's Day and Baby Keem

Posted 7:37pm Saturday 14th March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

International Women’s Day was around a week ago now, on March 8th. I think a decent amount about what it means to be a woman, and the majority of the time my sentiment is that I’m very happy to be one.  However, I am a special kind of woman. I’m an intimidating one. I Read more...

Crossword Answers - Issue 4 2026

Posted 7:26pm Saturday 14th March 2026 by The Quizzler

Across: 1 - Green Lantern 7 - Rodrick 8 - Burrito 9 - KO 10 - Lego 13  - Rollerblades 18 - Salamander 20 - Heroism 21 - Nuance 22 - Auctioned Down: 1 - George Lucas 2 - Eroding 3 - Napier 4 - Turbo 5 - Nebraska 6 - Depose 9 - Kneepads 11 - Or 12 - Abhorrent 14 - Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: Issue 3

Posted 12:14pm Sunday 8th March 2026 by Lady Pain Grey

Ah… Second year. The time that life feels like it is peaking – and it absolutely was. I was flatting with my best friends, I still had all my summer money and exams hadn't started yet. It was that sweet spot in the semester between St Paddy's and Hyde Street Party. Nothing felt Read more...

Letters: Issue 3 2026

Posted 12:03pm Sunday 8th March 2026 by Critic Staff

AN OPEN LETTER ABOUT THE FUTURE OF CRITIC TE ĀROHI Last year, I had the honour of judging the Aotearoa Student Press Awards, where Critic Te Ārohi capped off its 100th birthday by winning Best Publication for the 13th time in the last 20 years.  Critic Te Ārohi is not only Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 3 2026

Posted 11:53am Sunday 8th March 2026 by The Orb

Scorpio Your lecturer keeps mumbling and refuses to wear their mic right, causing that all-too-familiar antsy feeling to creep back in. So this time, rather than changing your whole degree again, try going to UniPol and get that serotonin hit that makes you feel grounded. Your perfect crime: Read more...

OUSA giving students a reason to engage

Posted 11:49am Sunday 8th March 2026 by Flynn Nisbett

OUSA is the green sign on the way into town, Clubs and Socs, and the people that run O-Week. That is what we are, but it isn’t all we are.  Some think OUSA should be just a service provider, steering clear of taking political stances in fear of alienating some. Others think it should Read more...

Editorial: Optimism isn’t dead yet

Posted 11:46am Sunday 8th March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

If you’ve been on the internet recently, you may have noticed the world feels like it’s turning to shit. While we’re not here to say whether it’s all gonna be okay or not, we are here to preach the concept of optimism.  Being Co-Editors requires thick skin and Read more...

Better Cones and Garden: A Look Through The Hole in the Wall

Posted 11:27am Sunday 8th March 2026 by Jonathan McCabe

What happens when you – or someone you invited – destroys the walls of your flat? In the first edition of this brand new column, I speak to two students who have had to deal with the fallout of a rager turned rage room. Throughout this series I, a nosy neighbour on a relentless Read more...

From the Pātaka

Posted 11:23am Sunday 8th March 2026 by Brady Simeon

The early weeks of the semester always feel a bit like the campus stretching its legs again. And once things get moving, they move quickly. A lot’s happened over the past few weeks – so first things first, we’re clearing out the pātaka. Something Spicy There hasn’t Read more...

Booze Review: Tui Vodka Red

Posted 11:18am Sunday 8th March 2026 by Swig60

Salutations suckas and suckettes. It was our mission this week to provide an Electric Ave Booze Review, but at $14.50 a drink – and the fact some beloved members got turned away at the bar – Swig60 says “fuck that”. Here’s a Tui Vodka Reds review instead.  First Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 2 2026

Posted 2:39pm Sunday 1st March 2026 by The Orb

Pisces It's time to go for another round of groceries, because that fuzzy mush in the back of your fridge will not sustain you. Break open your piggy bank and have a cry in New World when you see how much eggs cost this week. If you were a drug you'd be: Ritalin Capricorn Your Read more...

Crossword Answers - Issue 2 2026

Posted 1:53pm Sunday 1st March 2026 by The Quizzler

Across 1. Jumanji 4. Gorilla 7. Goo 9. Tuatara 10. Brainiac 12. Taxidermy 13. Asian 14. Trickles 16. Moa 17. Hot 19. MCs 22. Negative 23. Cheetah 24. Enigma 26. Edward Norton 27. Pi   Down 1. Jabba the Hutt 2. Activist 3. IG 4. Read more...

Editorial: Where did all the pages go?

Posted 1:51pm Sunday 1st March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Last year, Gryffin and I were faced with one of the first tough decisions we’d need to make as Co-Editors. Critic is funded by OUSA, and due to the increasing cost pressures they face, Critic changing to a fortnightly publication was pretty much all but confirmed. We fought hard to make sure Read more...

Editorial: An Obituary to $4 Lunch (2021-2025)

Posted 3:12pm Sunday 22nd February 2026 by Hanna Varrs

It was the first day of Ori last week, and underneath the (short-lived) sun of a packed-tent city, our shit was rocked. After innocently opening an Instagram story from our friends OUSA Clubs & Socs, $4 Lunch had been unceremonially rebirthed as $5 Lunch. What seemed like the last bastion of Read more...

Crossword Answers - Issue 1 2026

Posted 2:36pm Sunday 22nd February 2026 by The Quizzler

ACROSS: 1. Lex Luthor 5. Skrillex 10. GG 11. Androids 12. Narcotic 14. Ellie 16. IT 17. Drank 20. Slasher 21. EN 22. Act 23. Settings 27. Yellowstone 29. Ghoulish 31. Bog 32. Ringtone 34. Horse 37. Up 38. Kiwi 39. Moe 40. Splinter 42. DS 43. FBI 46. Raisins 47. EA 48. Read more...

Te Rōpū Māori – Māori Students Association

Posted 2:26pm Sunday 22nd February 2026 by Te Rōpū Māori

Te Rito is the Student Executive team for Te Rōpū Māori and is made up of Tumuaki Takirua (Co-Presidents), Kaihāpai (Treasurer), Kaipāpāho Matua (Communications Officer), Kaiwhakahaere Kaupapa (Social and Events Officer), Ngā Āpiha Hauora (Co-Recreation and Read more...

OUSA Exec: Welcome Message

Posted 2:16pm Sunday 22nd February 2026 by Daniel Leamy

Kia ora students,  I hope everyone has recovered from the recent lashing of rain and enjoyed O-week. It’s always chaotic, exciting, and at times overwhelming, but it’s also one of the things that makes being an Otago student so special.  You’re part of an incredibly Read more...

Mi Goreng Graduate: Greek Traybake

Posted 4:25pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Ruby Hudson

We have arrived at the final recipe of the year! Greek traybake is my all time favourite dinner so it felt like an apt way to finish up my column at the fabulous Critic Te Ārohi. This recipe is totally hands off to cook, uses seasonal ingredients, and is utterly delicious. In my opinion you Read more...

Booze Review: Jam Shed Shiraz

Posted 4:18pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Joan of Rark

Hello team, Joan here. I would just like to take a moment to point out (not that it hasn't been mentioned by every other bastard in the twenty something pages you went through to get here) it is the last issue for 2025. With that comes some sad goodbyes, particularly Miss Boss Lady, Nina Read more...

Local Produce: Kesi.ink

Posted 4:12pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Jonathan McCabe

For the final edition of the year, one brave soul got our logo tattooed onto her tricep. Tevya Faed, one of Critic Te Ārohi’s finest illustrators added to her collection of tattoo’s booking in for an appointment with her go-to tattoo artist, Kesi. In a post-match interview with Read more...

Editorial: Long Live Critic

Posted 2:54pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Nina Brown

There have been many versions of this editorial – my last. First was the list of evidence I’d compiled for the eventual case to be made that I’ve aged out of studenthood. It started at the first Critic drinks in O-Week when, rather than opting for Scrumpy (the best value for Read more...

OUSA Exec: Kia Kaha, Otago

Posted 2:33pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Liam White

As this year draws to a close, I’ve found myself reflecting on the year we’ve had, the people I’ve worked alongside, and what this university really stands for. When I first stepped into this role, I promised that our Executive would do things differently. We didn’t always Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: The Ghosts of Beds Past

Posted 2:22pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Lady Jane Grey

Have something juicy to tell us? Send your salacious stories to moaningful@critic.co.nz. Submissions remain anonymousIf you’re anything like me, you’ve probably had a few memorable moments between the sheets of whatever bed you currently call home. But after a recent revelation that Read more...

Debatable: Is it reasonable to leave your stuff in the library during a lunch break in exam season?

Posted 2:07pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Zoe Eckhoff

For: Whatever happened to the childhood sacrality of dibs? If your stuff is there, that spot is yours and yours only. You snooze, you lose suckers. But let's not forget the trade off here, because in leaving your belongings behind you are putting yourself at risk of some devious Read more...

Horoscopes: Issue 26 2025

Posted 2:05pm Monday 13th October 2025 by The Orb

Pisces You have been drinking way too much alcohol and having too much fun considering how close to the end of the semester we are. Time to take a break from staying up until 3am every night of the weekend and time to lock yourself in the library to get shit done. Your tattoo style: Read more...

Local Produce: Subpar Analogue Music

Posted 10:55pm Saturday 4th October 2025 by Via Hooks

Subpar Analogue Music is the latest brainchild of Mario Girardet (of Caribou) and Jeremy Kinley (of The Audio Visual Drop Kicks). The music collective encompasses music recording, events managing, and flat gigs – tied together by a shared ethos of community. Mario and Jeremy outlined a new Read more...