A Brief History of Ngāi Tahu: Things you should probably know about the land you’re on

Posted 3:21pm Sunday 12th September 2021

If you’ve come to study at Otago University from up North, picked fruit in the sweltering heat of Central Otago, gone skiing on the slopes in Wānaka, or gone stargazing at Lake Tekapo, it’s important for you to know about Ngāi Tahu. Ngāi Tahu, also known as Kāi Tahu, Read more...

Local Produce: Black-Sale House

Posted 3:37pm Sunday 5th September 2021

Best known for their funky, genre-spanning sound and playing plenty of pint nights, Dunedin band Black Sale House are leaving a major mark on the Dunedin music scene.  The group of five, made up of Masin on vocals, Samuel on keyboards, Finn on guitar, Joshua on drums, and Sol on bass, sat Read more...

The Guy with the Suit and the Synagogue: Peter Grace

Posted 3:23pm Sunday 5th September 2021

Peter Grace is known to most as a lecturer of New Zealand foreign policy at the Department of Politics, or the mysterious 100-level International politics tutor. Grace is best known for his kind and soft spoken demeanor, his dedication to his students, and a penchant for Savile Rowe Read more...

Local Produce: Teddy Penrose, aka Logan Burrell

Posted 4:06pm Sunday 22nd August 2021

Image credit: Rosa Nevison Otago student Logan Burrell is well accustomed with the Dunedin music scene. After playing in several local bands, he has since branched out on his own solo project, releasing music under the pseudonym Teddy Penrose. Critic sat down with Logan to chat about his creative Read more...

Mako Road: On their upcoming tour, the makings of ‘Stranger Days,’ and post-show rituals

Posted 2:06am Monday 9th August 2021

Four-piece indie rock band Mako Road have been making festival headlines and blasting through radio airwaves across New Zealand for a couple of years now. Their debut album, ‘Stranger Days’, has just been released and the group is set to tour around New Zealand this month. Critic Te Read more...

I Tried Retro Cosmopolitan Sex Tips So You Don’t Have To

Posted 5:31pm Sunday 25th July 2021

If there is one thing that all students can universally agree on, it’s that sex is one of life’s greatest pleasures and priorities. Sex can be fun and exciting, or icky and underwhelming. One source of information which has always offered a wide range of sex advice is the sex tips column Read more...

Local Produce: Alex Dykes

Posted 4:28pm Sunday 18th July 2021

Singer-songwriter Alex Dykes is loud, full of life, and new to the Dunedin music scene. His upcoming album, The Dunedin Study, is set to be released this summer. Critic sat down to chat with Alex on his upcoming projects, his time at Otago, and his creative process.  Alex started playing Read more...

Recycle A Device: Otago students are running one of New Zealand’s raddest social enterprises

Posted 4:23pm Sunday 18th July 2021

If there is one thing every student has, it’s an old laptop or phone collecting dust in a drawer. Maybe you just don’t know what to do with it, or the thought of recycling it seems like too much admin, or maybe you’re hoping one day your old device will suddenly come back to life. Read more...

The Great Annual Critic Bar Review: Part 2

Posted 4:15pm Sunday 18th July 2021

We’ve established that it is impossible to agree on the best bar. But here a washed-up fourth year with an alcohol problem continues to assess the general vibes of our most iconic drinking spots. This is Part Two of the controversial Great Annual Critic Bar Review. (If you think everything Read more...

Local Produce: Glacé Accessories

Posted 1:33pm Tuesday 13th July 2021

During last year's Covid-19 lockdown, housebound people up and down the country got creative with their time. One of these people was Zhaqueal, a fourth-year dental technology student and owner of up and coming hair accessory business, Glacé.  Zhaqueal’s hair accessories Read more...