Students may have noticed that the Leith is running more green than usual this week.
The Otago University’s Student Association has poured gallons of green commercial dye into our very own Leith River in celebration of their 135th birthday, a move that some ecology experts are calling “out of touch and inconsiderate”.
“There’s wildlife in there,” an Ecology professor, who wished to remain anonymous, told Critic. “Some of the ducks that we’ve been seeing are almost entirely green now – and it’s not a good look. They just don’t really suit the colour.” Critic was sent a picture of one of the affected ducks, which we have recreated in drawing form to protect their privacy.
When approached about the move, OUSA CEO Debbie Downs told Critic that the only thing she regrets about the dye job is that she “couldn’t quite get the shade right”. “OUSA green is just hard to recreate, and because the river flows relatively fast [...] we had to keep adding different shades to try and get it perfect. It was just really difficult – I had to spend all day out there.”
OUSA reportedly drew inspiration from the Chicago River, which is dyed green every year in celebration of St Patrick's Day. OUSA liaised with the Canoe Club to meticulously disperse the shades of dye, paddling around the green near the Botanical Gardens. “Debbie runs a tight ship,” one of the canoers joked to Critic. “A word from Canoe Club – don’t taste the Leith! It’s not lime flavoured!”
In other news, Dunedin Hospital has reportedly seen a spike in E. coli cases. More to come.