Debatable: Do rats make good pets?

Posted 9:31pm Sunday 27th April 2025 by Hunter Jolly

No: When rats are in a flat it’s called an “infestation” not an “invitation”. Are students really so desperate for animal interaction that you’d be willing to befriend the nasty little critters that your landlord has set traps for?  I’m sorry, I Read more...

Debatable: Have Aliens Visited Earth?

Posted 10:44pm Sunday 13th April 2025 by Hunter Jolly

No: Let’s not be silly here, team. I love Star Wars and Aliens in the Attic as much as the next guy, but you know what else I love? Rational thinking.  Let’s consider, for one, the sheer vastness of the universe. It’s probably infinite in scale, and even if it’s Read more...

Debatable: Is Singing Happy Birthday a Form of Public Humiliation

Posted 10:47pm Sunday 6th April 2025 by Gryffin Blockley

Yes In case being death-stared by sober adults at a BYO isn’t humbling enough, we’ve all had to experience your drunk mates breaking into a screeching chorus of Happy Birthday in public. Crack up if it’s not your birthday, but when it’s finally your turn, you remember the Read more...

Debatable: Cans vs Bottles

Posted 9:43pm Sunday 23rd March 2025 by Gryffin Blockley

Cans  Otago student culture is founded upon the footsteps of dusty students trampling bits of broken glass. But it doesn’t have to be like this anymore.  Sure, maybe as a fresher at Whiteout it's funny standing in a sea of broken glass. But your car tires don’t say Read more...

Debatable: Flash mobs, yay or nay?

Posted 11:58pm Sunday 9th March 2025 by Hunter Jolly

Nay: Grow up, you’re not in a musical. Nobody wants to have their peace abruptly ripped from them like a vulture peeling the skin off a rodent’s carcass. If I’m ever strolling through the mall, minding my own business, and a flash mob suddenly breaks out, I fully intend to sue. Read more...

Debatable: Chasers: Yay or Nay?

Posted 4:31pm Sunday 2nd March 2025 by Gryffin Blockley

Chasers: Yay First of all, just because you want to have a chaser doesn’t mean that you can’t handle a shot at all. Let’s dispel that common myth. Pres are meant to be a wholesome experience; if there’s a way to decrease the grossness, why not go for it?  Nights Read more...

Debatable: Should we throw eggs at freshers?

Posted 6:46pm Sunday 23rd February 2025 by Hanna Varrs

Against Yeah, you’re a first-year student. A fresher. But isn’t the whole ‘egg the fresher’ trope overdone? Come up with something funnier, @therestofthestudentbody. Pick on someone your own size instead of a bunch of vulnerable 17 and 18-year-olds (weird when you put it Read more...

Debatable: Should Aotearoa have bilingual road signs?

Posted 3:56am Monday 16th September 2024 by Otago University Debating Society

Debatable is a column written by the Otago University Debating Society. The Debating Society welcomes new members and meets at the Business School every Tuesday at 6pm. Against  It’s clear that the New Zealand government isn’t living up to its obligation to promote te reo Read more...

Debatable: Battle of the $4 lunch sides: Onion Bhaji vs Samosa

Posted 2:52pm Saturday 7th September 2024 by Connor Moffat

Onion Bhaji: Connor Moffat Though Nina claims to have to bite her lip from moaning over the samosa, when it comes to choosing a hot side piece for your $4 lunch munch, the onion bhaji stands out as the superior choice. If sexual relationships with a samosa are your thing then go for it (take what Read more...

Should TVNZ Have a Queer Bachelor/Bachelorette?

Posted 7:01pm Sunday 25th August 2024 by Hannah Mitchell

Debatable is a column written by the Otago University Debating Society. The Debating Society welcomes new members and meets at the Business School every Tuesday at 6pm. For: Hannah Mitchell In almost 50 seasons combined, The Bachelor/Bachelorette USA has yet to produce what Critic Te Read more...