Editorial: Drugs are Everywhere

Posted 3:25pm Saturday 11th April 2026 by Gryffin Blockley

Kia ora and welcome to Critic Te Ārohi’s annual Drug Issue. This happens to be one of Critic’s most popular issues (alongside the sex issue – maybe we are all as mature as we think we are as young adults).  The first article I wrote for Critic in my tenure as Co-Editor Read more...

Editorial: What is a question that you are really scared to know the answer to?

Posted 12:09pm Sunday 29th March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Hey there! Welcome back, and see you soon. It’s about to be the midsemester break, after all. It’s my week to do the editorial. I’ve procrastinated writing this until the night it was due, too stubborn to let Gryffin take over doing it instead. I scrolled through a lot of Read more...

Editorial: I Became Friends with a Thirty-One Year Old – And You Should Too

Posted 11:59am Sunday 22nd March 2026 by Gryffin Blockley

I met David in line for a concert in Auckland a couple months back. I was faced with the feat of attending a gig alone, as someone who is a victim of a relatively insufferable music taste and introvertism. Despite not having mates by my side, it wouldn’t motivate me any further to face my Read more...

Editorial: My Reflections on International Women's Day and Baby Keem

Posted 7:37pm Saturday 14th March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

International Women’s Day was around a week ago now, on March 8th. I think a decent amount about what it means to be a woman, and the majority of the time my sentiment is that I’m very happy to be one.  However, I am a special kind of woman. I’m an intimidating one. I Read more...

Editorial: Optimism isn’t dead yet

Posted 11:46am Sunday 8th March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

If you’ve been on the internet recently, you may have noticed the world feels like it’s turning to shit. While we’re not here to say whether it’s all gonna be okay or not, we are here to preach the concept of optimism.  Being Co-Editors requires thick skin and Read more...

Editorial: Where did all the pages go?

Posted 1:51pm Sunday 1st March 2026 by Hanna Varrs

Last year, Gryffin and I were faced with one of the first tough decisions we’d need to make as Co-Editors. Critic is funded by OUSA, and due to the increasing cost pressures they face, Critic changing to a fortnightly publication was pretty much all but confirmed. We fought hard to make sure Read more...

Editorial: An Obituary to $4 Lunch (2021-2025)

Posted 3:12pm Sunday 22nd February 2026 by Hanna Varrs

It was the first day of Ori last week, and underneath the (short-lived) sun of a packed-tent city, our shit was rocked. After innocently opening an Instagram story from our friends OUSA Clubs & Socs, $4 Lunch had been unceremonially rebirthed as $5 Lunch. What seemed like the last bastion of Read more...

Editorial: Long Live Critic

Posted 2:54pm Monday 13th October 2025 by Nina Brown

There have been many versions of this editorial – my last. First was the list of evidence I’d compiled for the eventual case to be made that I’ve aged out of studenthood. It started at the first Critic drinks in O-Week when, rather than opting for Scrumpy (the best value for Read more...

Editorial: I Love Fat Bear Week

Posted 10:53pm Sunday 28th September 2025 by Nina Brown

It was Fat Bear Week last week. As the newly elected Exec for 2026 cheersed to a successful campaign period and the marvel that is Canva premium, I was reading the profiles of 11 chunky bears from bed with a tear in my eye – of gunk from the conjunctivitis I’d contracted, but you know. Read more...

Editorial: I’d Say We’re Pretty Lucky

Posted 5:40pm Sunday 21st September 2025 by Nina Brown

I don’t know about you, but these past couple of weeks have left me reeling. Both on campus, in wider Ōtepoti, in national and international news (I won’t linger on this one too long), it’s as if whoever runs the simulation has turned up the dial to “hard” and left Read more...