Archive
Student Journalists Restricted (And Then Not) From Parliament
Posted 1:50pm Sunday 10th March 2024 by Hugh Askerud
Student journalists cried for blood across the motu last week after Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee revoked the Aotearoa Student Press Association’s (ASPA’s) access to Parliament’s Press Gallery. Critic Te Ārohi joined in with the masses (despite not having been aware of Read more...
OUSA’s TikToker Accused of Rigging Giveaway
Posted 1:44pm Sunday 10th March 2024 by Angus Rees
The OUSA marketing team’s TikTok content creator Amber Harrison has been slammed by commenters after giving away a Hybrid Minds double pass to her ex-flatmate. A series of extremely avid Hybrid Minds fans have protested the giveaway, alleging a conspiracy designed by the TikTok-famous Amber. Read more...
Hayward Accuses Critic Food Reviewers of Subterfuge
Posted 1:34pm Sunday 10th March 2024 by Nina Brown
Critic Te Ārohi spent the past couple of weeks reviewing every hall of residence’s food — some with permission, but largely as undercover freshers. It went well for the most part, until News Editor Hugh and Features Editor Iris had their covers blown at Hayward, and Critic was put Read more...
Initiations Meet Their Maker in the Proctor’s Office
Posted 2:35pm Friday 8th March 2024 by Harriette Boucher
What do you get when you cross a duck, a goldfish, and an eel with copious amounts of alcohol and ‘sufficient evidence’? Suspension and community service. 58 students from the University of Otago and three from Te Pūkenga have lived to tell — or rather not tell — the Read more...
Alcohol Brands Battle Over The Student Taste Bud
Posted 5:09pm Saturday 2nd March 2024 by Hugh Askerud
Sensing blood in the water, several alcohol companies have engaged in a cut-throat competition to secure student tastebuds over the Flo and O-Week period. The increased competition comes after a number of new RTD brands entered the student market, letting the old guard of Cruisers pass gently into Read more...
Baby Hall Shits Its Diaper
Posted 5:05pm Saturday 2nd March 2024 by Hugh Askerud
Shit went down (literally) at Te Rangihīroa College in O-Week after a blocked drain forced the college to close part of its first-floor due to flooding. The blockage happened on the morning of Sunday, Feb 18 – about 24 hours after new residents moved into the $100 million behemoth (no one Read more...
Students Encouraged to Vaccinate Against Meningococcal Disease
Posted 4:59pm Saturday 2nd March 2024 by Adam Stitely
The Meningitis Foundation has started a national campaign urging students to get vaccinated and highlighting the extreme risks of the disease. This push for vaccination comes after a smattering of individual cases have been reported at the University over recent years. Margaret Perley, the Head Read more...
New Low Cost Clinic Set to Ease Student Health Wait Times
Posted 4:56pm Saturday 2nd March 2024 by Gryffin Powell
Dunedin City GP have set up a new low-cost clinic aimed at easing disparity in health outcomes for students and other (likely more deserving) groups. The change comes after Student Health wait times have lengthened to a criminal degree in recent years. The new centre will be a Very Low Cost Read more...
Know Your Stuff Finds a Bad Batch of MDMA
Posted 4:50pm Saturday 2nd March 2024 by Monty O’Rielly
A bad batch of gear was making the rounds during O-Week, leaving students both impoverished and with severe stomach pains after consumption. On Thursday, Feb 22, Know Your Stuff (with the unfortunate acronym KYS), the national drug-testing agency, issued the warning, “Several samples presented Read more...
‘The Dairy’ on Castle Turned Hyoketsu Billboard
Posted 4:47pm Saturday 2nd March 2024 by Sam Smith-Soppet
The Dairy, one of Castle Street's most recognisable derelict buildings, has been given a fresh coat of paint after Japanese RTD behemoth Kirin Hyoketsu paid for its temporary use as an advertising billboard. This comes after The Dairy, corner-shop-turned-flat (turned asbestos-filled shit hole), Read more...
New Club Dances on the Grave of Infamous Eleven Bar
Posted 4:24pm Saturday 2nd March 2024 by Hugh Askerud
Die-hard town-mishers are counting their blessings after a new club, Residency, has opened in the building that once housed the infamous Eleven Bar. Having opened its doors on Friday, Feb 16, the bar has fallen into the natural swing of town life, fuelled by sweat, stickiness, and the throng of Read more...
Disc Den Drives Into the Sunset
Posted 5:42pm Sunday 25th February 2024 by Hugh Askerud
Dunedin music industry titan Disc Den is set to close up shop after a legendary 47-year run. If you haven’t been to Disc Den (*cough* fresher) it’s a music joint near the Octagon that offers posters, T-shirts, CDs, and pretty much everything else music-related in the big Read more...
Catacombs Slammed for O-Week Lineup Diversity Shortfall
Posted 5:36pm Sunday 25th February 2024 by Angus Rees
Dunedin DJs and local music punters are criticising Catacombs for its severe lack of diversity in their O-Week lineup. Despite Catacombs opening their doors to DnB artists for six nights of O-Week, the selection is distinctly fuelled by testerone, and a number of allegations suggest that Read more...
Inflaty 180 Relaunches OUSA/Highlanders Partnership
Posted 5:32pm Sunday 25th February 2024 by Nina Brown
To relaunch their official partnership with the mighty ‘Landers, OUSA introduced the Inflaty 180 at the Highlanders vs Moana Pasifika game last Saturday, February 24. The half-time fun run saw first-year students from each hall (because who else can you count on for free labour in times of Read more...
Fringe Fest Gettin’ Fruity
Posted 5:29pm Sunday 25th February 2024 by Gryffin Powell
Call your mum for a cheeky bank transfer because the Fringe Festival is back, running March 14th until the 24th in our very own Ōtepoti Dunedin. The annual arts festival (because this fringe isn’t just a phase!) will feature 86 events, dipping its toes into the student market by inviting Read more...
Otago Staff and Alumni Urge University to Back Palestine In Open Letter
Posted 5:22pm Sunday 25th February 2024 by Iris Hehir
Last November, 221 Otago University staff and alumni signed an open letter calling for Vice Chancellors at universities across New Zealand to issue a joint statement in solidarity with Palestinians. The letter came a month after Hamas’ October 7th attack on Southern Israel, re-igniting a Read more...
Daddy Grant Announced as Otago's New VC
Posted 12:03pm Tuesday 20th February 2024 by Hugh Askerud
Ex-Minister of Finance Grant Robertson has been announced as Otago Uni’s fresh Vice Chancellor, effective from July 1st this year. According to the Chancellor, Stephen Higgs, Grant’s “appreciation for and understanding of the needs of students was evident” during the Read more...
Duck-Biting Story Threatens Otago’s Reputation, Says Newspaper that Wrote the Story
Posted 9:54am Saturday 2nd December 2023 by Fox Meyer
The ODT has highlighted how Otago University’s reputation was damaged by a story broken in early October about students biting the legs off live ducks. This story was broken, of course, by the ODT themselves, who remain the only organisation privy to any sort of evidence that this ever Read more...
We Can't Find the Duck-Biters
Posted 1:34pm Wednesday 25th October 2023 by Fox Meyer
Critic has been unable to find any evidence of an alleged duck-biting initiation. Following the ODT’s story on October 6, we got in touch with a bunch of recently-initiated first-years, and a few hosting second-years. None had witnessed anything involving a live duck, but all were Read more...
Castle Street (mostly) Denounces Animal Abuse
Posted 6:31pm Saturday 14th October 2023 by Fox Meyer
As Dunedin flat initiations have come under fire, students on the rowdiest street in town have rushed to their defence. They say the leading story, about allegedly being forced to bite the feet off a live duck, is “not what we’re about at all”. Critic Te Ārohi spoke to one Read more...
OUSA Condemns “Vigilante” Action after Duck Initiation
Posted 12:53pm Monday 9th October 2023 by Fox Meyer
A post on the Dunedin News Facebook page calling for the names and addresses of students involved in an alleged initiation has stirred up online vigilante action. OUSA has denounced the initiation activities - if true - and has also denounced any wannabe justice seekers. Public backlash to the Read more...
Onslaught of Cyber Security Emails Annoy Students
Posted 12:31pm Sunday 8th October 2023 by Reuben Kiss
If you've looked at your inbox at all this year, you will have noticed a torrent of emails from the Uni giving you a “friendly reminder that you have not yet completed the University of Otago cyber security training module(s)” and that these are “mandatory to complete”. Read more...
A message for the 2024 Otago Student Cohort
Posted 12:27pm Sunday 8th October 2023 by Quintin Jane
Since this is the last issue of Critic for the year, I thought I’d take the opportunity to use the my executive privilege to hijack a page here and say thank you to everyone at the University of Otago and across the country who has taken time this year to bring attention to the tertiary Read more...
The Vice Chancellor Position is open, Se We Applied
Posted 12:22pm Sunday 8th October 2023 by Critic
The University is advertising for a new Vice Chancellor. Again. Someone has to take up the mantle and lead this struggling institution through tough times, so we at Critic Te Ārohi figured we’d throw our name in the hat. After all, nobody knows Dunedin like we do. Here’s what we Read more...
Initiations “Back With a Vengeance” after Covid Hiatus
Posted 11:52am Sunday 8th October 2023 by Fox Meyer
Last week, we reported on a flat initiation involving a live eel. Since then, the ODT and NZ Herald have picked up the story, police have been informed, and an investigation by the Uni (who knew about the incident prior to publication) is underway. A minority of students defend the initiation in the Read more...
Otago Uni Proctor Investigates Eel Initiation
Posted 2:37pm Thursday 5th October 2023 by Fox Meyer
Last week, we reported on a flat initiation involving a live eel. Since then, the ODT and NZ Herald have picked up the story, police have been informed, and an investigation by the Uni (who knew about the incident prior to publication) is underway. A minority of students defend the initiation in the Read more...
The Hottest (and Nottest) Takes from the OUSA Referendum
Posted 11:21am Sunday 1st October 2023 by Critic
The OUSA Election happened and some people voted. We went through all the feedback and took out the hottest takes, filled mostly with people who were complaining about things that OUSA is literally already doing or literally has no ability to do. Lots of complaints for people who didn’t run Read more...
DCC Passes Ambitious Zero Carbon Plan
Posted 11:11am Sunday 1st October 2023 by Zak Rudin
The DCC voted last Monday to pass the Zero Carbon Plan 2030, with a 10 to 5 split between councillors. Not only did they pass the plan, they also opted to take the highest investment option of a cool $137 million for climate action. 350 Aotearoa, a climate crisis action group who pushed strongly for Read more...
Animal Abuse at Leith Street Initiation
Posted 11:07am Sunday 1st October 2023 by Iris Hehir
Last Wednesday a flat on Leith Street held an initiation for several freshers who allegedly endured various hazing rituals, including the gross norm of physical abuse, chugging milk, and funnelling vomit. And, as seen by several witnesses, abusing a live eel. A video Read more...
DCC: Definitely Causing Chaos
Posted 10:12pm Sunday 24th September 2023 by Harriette Boucher
The pseudo-soap opera that is the Dunedin City Council has been making news. If you’ve been reading headlines, you’ll have seen the antics that have been going on amongst our electorate. From racist remarks to climate hesitation, you might be left wondering: who the hell is Read more...
One Day, Five Sports and Food Poisoning
Posted 10:11pm Sunday 24th September 2023 by Zak Rudin
The classic trifecta is skiing, surfing and rock climbing or mountain biking. But just three technical sports were not enough for students Anya and Eugene - the pair were set on achieving the elusive “fivefecta” about a week ago. That’s five events, if your two leftover brain cells Read more...
Accidental Studentville Ram Raid
Posted 10:00pm Sunday 24th September 2023 by Hugh Askerud
How does a flat 30 metres shy of the road find a car in its living room? In perhaps the most bat-shit crazy twist of the year, at around 7pm on Friday the 15th (may as well have been the 13th) the girls at Salt Shaker found themselves staring down the eye of an old beat-up grey wagon that had Read more...
OUSA Exec Candidates Run Uncontested
Posted 12:49pm Monday 18th September 2023 by Nina Brown
Last week saw the candidate forum for the 2024 OUSA Exec nominees. It was an opportunity for the candidates to campaign for their chosen positions and appeal to the masses - the masses being the current exec, their flatmates, and Radio One and Critic. That was about it. In what some Read more...
Aerospace Summit Disrupted by Protests
Posted 12:48pm Monday 18th September 2023 by Zak Rudin
A group of local Otago students sent it up to Ōtautahi Christchurch last Monday to join forces with environmental justice and peace activists there and protest the Aerospace Summit. As the name suggests, the conference was about space. The conference was sponsored in part by Lockheed Martin, Read more...
Heavy Breathers Cross the Finish Line
Posted 12:47pm Monday 18th September 2023 by Harriette Boucher
In the race for men’s mental health, the Heavy Breathers smashed not only their personal bests but the silence that surrounds the issue that resonates deeply with the group. The Heavy Breathers, a group of 33 third-year boys, set out on a mission to raise money for men's Read more...
Frisbee Fanatics Fantastically Finish First
Posted 12:06pm Monday 18th September 2023 by Keegan Wells
Toroa, one of the two Otago Ultimate Frisbee teams, took home first place at the national tertiary championships a couple weeks ago on the 2-3 of September. Hoiho, the secondary Otago team, moved up in the ranks from previous years, landing 7th place overall. Critic Te Ārohi Read more...
El Duniño is Here
Posted 12:02pm Monday 18th September 2023 by Ollie McKenna
Between bouts of cone theft, bottle smashing and mould wiping, a lot of us are still riding the wave of winter blues that continued through last year’s flop of a summer. But what if Critic Te Ārohi were to tell you that in collaboration with El Niño and climate change, Big Climate Read more...
Tramping Club Gets Sick
Posted 12:38pm Monday 11th September 2023 by peter barclay
As many students ventured home over the mid-sem break, 45 members of the Otago University Tramping Club (OUTC) took a bus to the West Coast for their annual Copland Trip. Now they all (well, most of them) have Covid. “You, about 20 others, and counting got Covid from the Read more...
Science Communication Changes Confirmed
Posted 12:37pm Monday 11th September 2023 by Nina Brown
Students at the Department of Science Communication received confirmation last week from Pro-Vice Chancellor (Sciences) Richard Barker of changes that will be made to the Department. The Department is still set to be disestablished, with just a distance-only Postgraduate Certificate and Diploma Read more...
An Inconvenient Tooth
Posted 12:06pm Monday 11th September 2023 by Fox Meyer
Labour has announced a plan to provide free dental care by - in part - training more dentists, but students in the country’s only dental school are asking: who’s going to teach them? Free dental care could return $1.60 to the economy for every dollar spent, according to last Read more...
Where Does Your $1,015 Fee Go?
Posted 12:04pm Monday 11th September 2023 by jack campbell
You probably paid about $1,015 to Otago as a Student Services Fee. Why do we do this? Where does it go? Imagine a group of students wondering where all their money is going as they are sitting around eating instant noodles. And then, lo and behold: a $20 million student levy fund! Read more...
Privacy Commissioner Slams Landlord Website
Posted 12:00pm Monday 11th September 2023 by Zak Rudin
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) has released a media release explaining why the website What Does My Landlord Own? (WDMLO) was found in breach of the Privacy Act. The Privacy Commissioner decided to publicly comment on the website as it apparently “provides a cautionary example in Read more...
Is the New Statue Backwards?
Posted 11:57am Monday 11th September 2023 by Hugh Askerud
Flogging a dead horse to some degree, Critic Te Ārohi asked the University for any word on why the infamous white box still hasn’t been lifted outside St Dave’s. A bit like a kid in the backseat of a car repeatedly asking their parents “Are we there yet?” Once again, we Read more...
Won’t Someone Think of the Children?
Posted 9:07pm Sunday 3rd September 2023 by Elliot Weir
Throughout the election cycle, politicians get asked a lot of questions - in the debating chamber, on the tiles outside Parliament, on the TVNZ debate stage, in the RNZ studio, on the side of the road. The sum of these questions can paint a picture of the values and concerns of at least some portion Read more...
New Religion Club Goes Rogue
Posted 9:05pm Sunday 3rd September 2023 by Hugh Askerud
Wednesday, August 23 seemed an ordinary day in OUSA Clubs and Socs. Until the lights went out, mysterious figures emerged from the shadows, and a variety of sacrificial snacks were put on display. Yes, you’ve guessed correctly: the Society of Religious Studies Enthusiasts (SORSE) sat down for Read more...
“Tenant Blacklist” Database Allegedly Breaches Privacy Act
Posted 8:56pm Sunday 3rd September 2023 by Zak Rudin
The renter’s advocacy union Renters United has alleged that Illion Tenancy’s new feature may be in breach of the Privacy Act. The new feature notifies landlords when a tenant has had a background check. Illion Tenancy, formerly known as TINZ and cheekily referred to by Read more...
Uni Whales Win Hockey Championship
Posted 8:38pm Sunday 3rd September 2023 by Hugh Askerud
The University Whales performed the impossible on Saturday, August 19, winning the premier men's hockey competition in a stunning shootout victory. Blub-blub. After an initially slow start to the season, the team has been called the “most unlikely of champions”. Before Read more...
Arana Renovations Undermine Enrolment Targets
Posted 11:01pm Sunday 20th August 2023 by Ollie McKenna
The closure of Arana College has been confirmed for 2024, putting the University’s plan to increase its number of full-time students in a bit of a sticky situation. One of the priorities of the University’s Strategic Plan, Pae Tata, was to increase its number of full time Read more...
Ex-Student Stripper Brings ‘Tragic Mike’ to Dunedin
Posted 10:58pm Sunday 20th August 2023 by Nina Brown
“I’ll just drop out and become a stripper.” Yeah, right, we’ve all said that. Gianni took it seriously. The pay is great, you keep fit, rake in that yummy attention, and never have to read another academic article again. “What’s not to love?” Read more...
OUSA Puts Down Pet Project
Posted 10:55pm Sunday 20th August 2023 by Nina Brown
It was with heavy hearts that the OUSA exec passed a motion (with one vote against) on Friday, August 11, to cancel the Starters Bar lease. You’ll probably be thinking, “But I thought that closed ages ago?” And you’d be right - the bar has sat stagnant on Read more...
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