NZUSA Demands OUSA Pays $22,500...Again

Posted 11:00am Sunday 12th July 2015

The New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) has sent a letter to OUSA in response to its decision to “reallocate” the $22,500 it owes to NZUSA. The letter requests that OUSA pay the fee, which is the second half of its $45,000 membership for 2015. At the end of last Read more...

Provisional LAP Allows Shots After Midnight

Posted 10:51am Sunday 12th July 2015

The Dunedin City Council is a step closer to implementing a Local Alcohol Policy (LAP) to tighten the rules and regulations for Dunedin establishments.  The original LAP, which was proposed last year, included a one-way door policy from 1am, no shots to be sold after midnight and no alcohol Read more...

Students Fight for Uni Council Seats

Posted 10:53am Sunday 5th July 2015

The University of Otago’s governing council is set to hold a vote on 14 July, which will determine the number of council seats allocated to students. The council currently has two seats for students; these are held by OUSA President Paul Hunt and Recreation Officer Jonny Martin. A Read more...

Polytech Faces Hardest Test Yet

Posted 10:52am Sunday 24th May 2015

The Otago Polytechnic is consulting on a proposal to implement “just cause” drug testing for students in high-risk courses. Consultation occurred between staff at the Otago Polytechnic and the Otago Polytechnic Students’ Association (OPSA) on Monday 18 May. Leslie Scoullar, Read more...

Execrable | Issue 13

Posted 10:47am Sunday 24th May 2015

The executive began by bashing the comments the New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) President Rory McCourt made regarding the recently aired Sunday episode. McCourt reportedly told the Otago Daily Times on 16 May: “Sometimes students come to Dunedin for that Read more...

Party for Nepal Shakes off the Fines

Posted 10:44am Sunday 24th May 2015

A house party held to raise funds for the crisis in Nepal had its fine for “unreasonable noise” revoked by the Dunedin City Council (DCC). The party, held at the “Melocasa” flat on the corner of Union and Queen streets on 14 May, was organised to raise funds for Nepal Read more...

Prayer Rooms Open - Hallelujah!

Posted 10:48am Sunday 17th May 2015

The University of Otago opened and blessed two new prayer rooms last week, upstairs in the University Union Building at a ceremony attended by people of many different  faiths.  The rooms replaced the previous rooms underneath the Archway building, which were in use for seven years. The Read more...

10 Years of Student Shenanigans

Posted 11:20am Sunday 10th May 2015

Each year the University of Otago conducts an Annual Discipline Report, which outlines student behaviour and its consequences over the past academic year. In 2014 numbers were significantly lower than they have been in past years. Critic compares the reports dating back to 2006, the year when the Read more...

DCC Cutting Shares in “Unethical Companies”

Posted 11:29am Sunday 3rd May 2015

On Tuesday 28 April the Dunedin City Council voted in favour of an Ethical Investments Policy, meaning shares it owns in “unethical companies” will be phased out. Eight councillors voted for the policy and seven voted against. The vote represented a final decision on the matter, and Read more...

Greens Want Rid of Plastic Bags

Posted 11:21am Sunday 3rd May 2015

On 21 April the Otago Greens on Campus held the first of 28 nationwide meetings introducing the Green Party’s plastic bag scheme. With 40 attendees, the group introduced the campaign, which aims to reduce the consumption of single-use plastic bags in New Zealand. Green Party MP Denise Read more...