Archive

Te Rōpū Māori: Te Rito 2024

Posted 11:12pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Te Rōpū Māori

IZZY  - KAIHĀPAI Kia ora koutou, ko Izzy Rewiri-Wharerau tōku ingoa, he uri ahau nō Ngāpuhi me Ngāti Awa. My role within Te Rito 2024 is Kaihāpai, which is the financial liaison of our rōpu. I was raised in Tūrangi, a small town in the central North Read more...

Split-Screen Slideshows

Posted 11:05pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Monty O’Rielly

As a reformed TikTok addict (getting in as much as 12 hours a day), I know how difficult it can be to concentrate on lectures after years of having our attention spans fried. Sometimes putting lectures on 2x speed just doesn’t cut it, and our malnourished Zoomer attention spans yearn for even Read more...

Spiked: An Invisible Crime

Posted 11:02pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Jodie Evans

TW: Mentions of sexual assault and detailed depictions of drink spiking  At university, everyone seems to know someone who’s been spiked. The phenomenon hangs in the air at flat parties and lingers about the bathrooms of student bars, yet remains grossly stigmatised. Following Read more...

The Critic Te Ārohi Guide to Second Hand Stores

Posted 10:43pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Phoebe Lea

Whether you're a fellow thrifter fresh to Dunedin or a third-year who never leaves North D, this is the guide for you. Critic sent our bona-fide fashionista Phoebe to scour the streets, sift through the racks, and explore every nook and cranny to bring you the inside scoop on the best op shops Read more...

Pint Night Cancelled to Student Uproar!

Posted 10:34pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Gryffin Powell

The fiercely loyal Pint Night community were in shock last week after U-Bar staff announced that Pint Night would be cancelled. The announcement comes after U-Bar was closed on Wednesday the 8th of May, for “maintenance work and improvements.” U-Bar management have reported that they Read more...

Criminology Society Publish Petition Protesting Youth Bootcamps

Posted 10:32pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Angus Rees

The Criminological Society of Otago (CSOO) has published a petition to the House of Representatives against the impending reintroduction of youth offender boot camps. CSOO is asking the government not to implement them, and “instead address the issues of inequality and deprivation that create Read more...

Ex-Critic Food Columnist Releases Cookbook

Posted 10:26pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Harriette Boucher

Fuck, Alice Taylor can cook. The former Otago Uni student and Critic Te Ārohi food columnist turned chef released a baking book ‘Alice in Cakeland’ last month. This has come after Alice took a whirlwind journey from University, to Masterchef stardom, to cooking in some of the Read more...

Local Produce: Look Blue, Go Purple

Posted 10:25pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Jordan Irvine

For New Zealand Music Month and for the 40th anniversary of Radio One, Local Produce will cover four iconic Dunedin bands by way of interviewing a member of each selected band and asking them about their legacy.  Look Blue, Go Purple (or simply LBGP) is the iconic all-female 5 piece from Read more...

Booze Reviews: The Yardie

Posted 10:22pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Chunny Bill Swilliams

21st season has officially arrived, and with it comes the means for celebration. You can’t really do anything new when you turn 21 but you’re officially an adult now. For third-years, this means that you no longer have to compete to be the biggest wounder on Castle Street; you can now Read more...

Debatable: What’s the best Pint Night venue?

Posted 10:19pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Otago University Debating Society

Debatable is a column written by the Otago University Debating Society. The Debating Society welcomes new members and meets at the Business School every Tuesday at 6pm. U-Bar It might be scummy and it might be crowded, but isn’t that really why we love U-Bar? Recently, there’ve Read more...

Faux-mosexual: Types of guys who trigger your gaydar on a night out

Posted 10:13pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Jonathan McCabe

It’s slim pickings for a queer man in 2024. The line between straight and queer is increasingly blurred in a sea of tote bags, good fashion, and “bro time” – it’s hard to discern between a potential connection, and a guy who’s merely Metrosexual (but the Read more...

Rip Scares Prompt Water Safety Advice

Posted 10:06pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Sam Smith-Soppet

Dunedin is host to a swathe of beautiful swimming and surfing beaches. However, two recent stories of beach-going students’ near misses with rips have prompted local surf clubs to warn students to stay safe when swimming in the ocean.  Cam, a second-year Physio student, told Critic of Read more...

OUSA Referendum Incoming

Posted 10:03pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Nina Brown

On May 27th, the OUSA Referendum will be up and running. Students will be sent the link to an online survey, giving you the ability to vote on matters close to home like accessibility, cost of living, academia, and recreation. It’s a bit like the Critic Census, but with lawyers and tangible Read more...

Cosy Dell Creeper Lurks Over to Queen

Posted 10:01pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Hugh Askerud

The Cosy Dell Creepers are reportedly extending their range, with multiple sources confirming that the figure has been snooping around flats on Queen St. The figure has been reportedly sighted in locations near Prospect Park, a pitch-black field located on the end of Queen St, allegedly prompting a Read more...

North D Speed Cam Catches 207 in 30 Minutes

Posted 9:59pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Gabrielle Scott

207 motorists were caught speeding in the span of 30 minutes in the North Dunedin area thanks to Transport Minister Simeon Brown’s targeted speed restriction plan. It was reported that almost seven speedsters were caught every minute to the dismay of Senior Sergeant Karl Read more...

Knox Spree of Lightbulb Thievery

Posted 3:07pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Hugh Askerud

In Issue 11, Critic Te Ārohi received a heated letter to the editor from Knox students who were “pissed the fuck off” after a wave of lightbulb thieving had swept through the college. “If we keep running out of lightbulbs in our double a’s, who will host pres?” Too Read more...

Uni Denies Accusations of Artificial Bird Noises on Campus

Posted 3:04pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Hanna Varrs

An Official Information Act request has revealed that the University does not, in fact, use artificial bird noises in its trees, putting an end to a long debate in the student community. Or has it. For context if you’re wondering what the fuck we’re talking about, you only need to Read more...

‘Let’s Get Accessible’ Reports Tertiary Ableism

Posted 3:01pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Hugh Askerud

The ‘Let’s Get Accessible’ project mapping disabled students’ experiences has found that a whopping 60% had experienced exclusion or discrimination in the tertiary environment. The project was released in February before being updated this month to include new data from a Read more...

Horoscopes: Week 12

Posted 2:56pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Critic

Aquarius Uranus is drawing you to social activism and meaningful connections this week. Check out what cool Facebook events are on and get involved – you never know who you'll meet. Actually go to the weird raves and slam poetry sessions you click ‘interested in’ to seem cool Read more...

Editorial: Vote ‘Yes’ to Sexy Garfield

Posted 2:55pm Sunday 19th May 2024 by Nina Brown

The OUSA referendum is coming up. Referendums are essentially one of the biggest ways students can influence the policies and stance of OUSA. Not that any of you noticed, but a couple weeks ago the OUSA exec were inviting students to submit questions that will be put to the student body on May 27th Read more...

Business School Exam Errors Called Out

Posted 5:38pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Gryffin Powell

Successive errors in finance paper mid-term exams in 2023 and 2024 have prompted the Business School to take “further action” to ensure they’re mistake-free in the future. While most students may experience one or two exam errors in their degree (hey, mistakes happen), for Commerce Read more...

Play for Palestine Charity Event Held By Te Rōpū Māori

Posted 5:34pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Sophie Hursthouse

On Sunday the 5th of May, Te Rōpu Māori held the charity event ‘Play for Palestine’ in support of indigenous people in Pirihitia (Palestine) and the Middle East. Tauira (students) signed up in teams of ten to play touch rugby, volleyball, and kī-o-Rahi for the Read more...

Breaking: K-Hole Affects the P-Hole

Posted 5:28pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Phoebe Lea

A clinical correspondence in the New Zealand Medical Journal has revealed that recreational ketamine use can lead to irreversible bladder damage. In other words, too many keys of ket can lead to pee problems in the future.  Ketamine Bladder Syndrome (KBS) includes a range of conditions such Read more...

‘Cosy Dell Creepers’ Still at Large

Posted 5:23pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Harriette Boucher

A spate of incidents in Cosy Dell is making students feel unsafe in their own flats, as speculation suggests there could be more than one ‘Cosy Dell Creeper’ on the street. Despite the installation of security cameras and police activity, students have still reported feeling unsafe, with Read more...

He Whakapapa Māori, He Māori Koe

Posted 5:20pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Gemella Reynolds-Hatem

Nau mai ki Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka!  Kia Ora e te whānau,   He uri tēnei nō ngāi Tahu, Ngāi Tahu poutini, waitaha, ngāti Mamoe, syria me lebanon anō hoki Ko au te tumuaki takirua o Te Rōpū Māori i tēnei Read more...

Local Produce: Bored Games

Posted 5:15pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Jordan Irvine

For New Zealand Music Month and for the 40th anniversary of Radio One, Local Produce will cover four iconic Dunedin bands by way of interviewing a member of each selected band and asking them about their legacy. While some only see it as a jumping off point for Shayne Carter’s career, many Read more...

Debatable: Should animal testing be banned?

Posted 5:13pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Otago University Debating Society

Debatable is a column written by the Otago University Debating Society. The Debating Society welcomes new members and meets at the Business School every Tuesday at 6pm. For  Animal testing dates back to BC times, and has led to numerous medical and biological advancements, many of them Read more...

Midnight Marathoners for Charity

Posted 5:05pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Hugh Askerud

In a joint venture between the ski club (OUSSC) and canoe club (OUCC), and one lonely member of the bike club (OUBC), on Sunday May 5th a group of 30 students competed in the Red Bull event Wings for Life, a global charity run.  The group’s run was part of the global 2024 Wings for Read more...

Open Letter Penned in Solidarity with Palestine

Posted 5:02pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Lecturers are calling on their students to stand up in protest against the brutal suppression of anti-Israeli protests in the USA. The call comes in the form of an open letter addressed to the University of Otago, which aims to secure a pledge of solidarity with students and faculty from multiple Read more...

‘Wellness Hub’ Set to Drop in Place of Campus Shop

Posted 4:58pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Hugh Askerud

The University of Otago is stepping up its mental health game, announcing that the area which was once Campus Shop South will be turned into a ‘Wellness hub’ for student use. Currently under development by contractors, once open the hub will both supplement and unify the range of Read more...

Spenny Flights Affect Homesick Students

Posted 4:54pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Molly Smith-Soppet

Unaffordable domestic flights are keeping some homesick Otago students firmly in Dunedin in the upcoming break. A combination of increased domestic fares across the board and already steep peak ticket prices may mean the North Dunedin boomers are stuck with us over the winter break. On April Read more...

OUSA Exec Times Gives Critic Te Ārohi the Boot

Posted 4:48pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Feuds are unwinding in the student community after the OUSA executive released ‘The Exec Times’, an Instagram news bulletin literally doing the job Critic Te Ārohi is designed to. The first edition dropped on May 2nd – on a Thursday, no less! – introduced to students Read more...

The Haast Eagle’s Back, And Her Name is Gloria

Posted 4:45pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Hanna Varrs

If you think you’re good at paper mache: no you’re not. That’s unless your name is Maleah and you’re a third-year Gender Studies student. Critic Te Ārohi interviewed this paper mache whizz following a news tip in the form of a photograph depicting Maleah and her Read more...

Man Breaks into Flat to Rap

Posted 4:43pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Adam Stitely

A Great King Street complex flat’s Thursday evening was abruptly interrupted on April 25th when an unwanted (rather intoxicated) visitor by the name ‘Strike’ knocked on their door. Under the assumption he was known to one of his flatmates, one of the residents let him in. What Read more...

Moaningful Confessions: The Chamber of Secrets

Posted 4:38pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Critic

Going to the doctor about sex-related stuff can be scary, and quite embarrassing sometimes. But do not fret, I have a story to share in solidarity to encourage you all to go get your genitals checked if they are exhibiting strange symptoms. I was experiencing bleeding with penetration for a few Read more...

Horoscopes: Week 11

Posted 4:35pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Critic

Aquarius Aquarius, this week you will reconnect with someone you haven't thought about for a long time. This person will be the Tom to your Jerry, even if just for a night. Remember to just go with the flow and you won't be led astray. Scent of the week: Dior Sauvage mixed with 3-day-old Read more...

Frontiers of Scarfiedom: The Legacy of the Capping Cult

Posted 4:33pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Nina Brown

Now in its 130th year, the Capping Show is a time capsule of the ever-evolving Otago University student culture. To recap Capping – and reuse a joke that Critic has made time and again in our 99 years writing about it – what began as a 19th century flash mob of sorts during graduation Read more...

Editorial: Popping My Capping Cherry

Posted 4:24pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Nina Brown

Let’s get this out of the way: I’ve never been to the Capping Show. After talking to cappers for this issue, though, that’s something I really regret.  The Capping Show has been around for 130 years. It’s soldiered on through world wars, pandemics, and 33 seasons of Read more...

Critic Vs. Writer’s Block

Posted 4:00pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Critic

It’s that time of year again: the born-and-bred Southlanders are starting to put on layers, all plans are “soft plans”, and everyone’s trying to get their shit together so badly that they’re ending up constipated. Exams are on the horizon, assignments are piling up and Read more...

Technically Legal: Weird Laws You May Not Have Heard Of

Posted 3:47pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Adam Stitely

Otago students generally have a pretty laxed view on obeying Big Brother. After spending a few years living in North Dunedin, following the intricacies of the less serious side of the law starts to seem like more of a recommendation than an enforced hard line. Some laws, however, are downright Read more...

Opinion: Why We Need the “Sheatha”

Posted 3:42pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Sam Garry

With the approach of the 130th Capping Show ‘Beezie’, it got the team at Critic Te Ārohi thinking. Every time we reference the stereotypical Otago student, we reach for the term “breatha”. And for good reason: they’re an easy mark with a well-established culture, Read more...

Booze Review: White Claw

Posted 3:25pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Chunny Bill Swilliams

The world’s most patriotic drink is now in Ōtepoti Dunedin, meaning the common breatha will be turning their hats backwards, putting on the loudest tech house, and getting absolutely frat-boy wasted.  For booze reviews, this is like your first child being born, marrying the love Read more...

Wandering Womb: The Root of All Your Feminine Rage

Posted 8:33pm Sunday 5th May 2024 by Jodie Evans

Wandering Womb noun a) Spontaneous migration of the uterus within the female body, anywhere from the pelvis to the mind.    Characterised by symptoms including but not limited to: Headaches, tremors, fainting, chest pains, abdomen pain, vertigo, sexual desires, intellectual Read more...

Reduced Grad Programmes a Cause for Concern

Posted 8:27pm Sunday 5th May 2024 by Gryffin Powell

Recent cuts by the National-led coalition government to public service graduate programmes have left some students fearful over job prospects after uni.  The National-led coalition has been trying to reduce government debt since coming to power last year, and while this reduction is being Read more...

Salmond Fresher Catches Leith Fish With Bare Hands

Posted 8:25pm Sunday 5th May 2024 by Angus Rees

A Salmond College fresher successfully caught (and released) a massie trout in the Leith River a couple weeks ago. Johan Lokman, the resident who made the catch, reported the joys of his new-found hall clout in an interview with Critic Te Ārohi. Johan had been walking back to Salmond from Read more...

Locals HQ Encourages Second-Years to Leave the Nest

Posted 8:23pm Sunday 5th May 2024 by Sam Smith-Soppet

Locals, the hall for the hall-less, has issued a notice stating that “HQ is open to first-years only” after being inundated by a swathe of older students in recent years.  For those who don’t know, Locals is a collegiate community at Otago Uni for first-year students who Read more...

Local Produce: The Clean

Posted 8:21pm Sunday 5th May 2024 by Jordan Irvine

For New Zealand Music Month and for the 40th anniversary of Radio 1, Local Produce will cover four iconic Dunedin bands by way of interviewing a member of each selected band and asking them about their legacy.  In a 1981 interview, David Kilgour, co-founder of The Clean, was asked if there Read more...

Law v Students

Posted 8:19pm Sunday 5th May 2024 by Monty O’Rielly

Students often break the law. Common offences include drug use and distribution, disorderly conduct, theft, wilful damage to property, arson (à la couch burning), and pretty much every initiation that’s ended with a Proctor’s meeting. But when was the last time you thought of your Read more...

Debatable: Should you date someone with opposing political views?

Posted 8:13pm Sunday 5th May 2024 by Otago University Debating Society

Debatable is a column written by the Otago University Debating Society. The Debating Society welcomes new members and meets at the Business School every Tuesday at 6pm. For When you’re in a relationship with someone, you don’t want to be the same person. Being the same person looks Read more...

Campus Vigilante

Posted 8:07pm Sunday 5th May 2024 by Hunter Jolly

Otago’s campus is rife with debauchery, crawling with scallywags wreaking havoc in the prime time of their youth. Campus Watch, the noble defenders of order on our beloved Uni grounds and student-populated streets, have their work cut out for them. No student would deny their appreciation for Read more...