The Castle Street Baby

Posted 11:33pm Sunday 13th April 2025 by Tilly Rumball-Smith

CW: Violence  Critic Te Ārohi gave a (fake) baby to a five man Castle Street flat to take care of from Thursday to Sunday. There were only three rules:  Don’t lose the baby. You must bring the baby with you everywhere.  You must keep a diary of your adventures Read more...

Breatha’s Got Talent

Posted 7:46pm Sunday 2nd March 2025 by Bianca Prujean

There’s hardly anything more alluring than a free box on a night out. But nothing worthwhile comes easy. To earn such a coveted prize, members of the crowd gathered on Castle and Howe for Frat Night at Feisty Goat would have to prove that their talents lay beyond sinking piss. And they’d Read more...

Breaking: Someone’s Dad Spotted at ‘Haunted’ Host

Posted 6:10pm Sunday 23rd February 2025 by Stella Weston

A dad was on Castle Street, and his name is Greg. The self-described “advocate for student life” tagged along with his son Logan to the Gothic-themed ‘Haunted’ night on the Thursday of Flo Week. Critic Te Ārohi got the scoop from the nostalgic construction supervisor in Read more...

Flo-Week Review: Is There A New King of Castle?

Posted 8:53pm Sunday 23rd February 2025 by Jordan Irvine

Flo-Week is the time second- and third-years get pissed before the freshers start pissing them off. (I get it but, like, come on, give them a break). Each night a flat on Castle or Leith Street hosts with a totally original theme, in the hopes people are ready and willing to dress up to get down. Read more...

Debatable: Castle Street Hosts: Live Bands vs DJs?

Posted 3:20pm Sunday 4th August 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. DJs Live bands are great, but let's be honest here: for flat hosts on Castle they're just too much effort for too Read more...

‘The Dairy’ Back on the Market

Posted 8:42pm Sunday 28th July 2024 by Gryffin Blockley

Grab your dehumidifiers and dustiest mates, notorious Castle Street flat The Dairy is available to rent in 2025. After a year or two of sitting unoccupied, the infamous six-bedroom flat is up for grabs for $150 a week, a price that’s been labelled “expensive” by a previous tenant Read more...

Debatable: Should Students Demand a Box on Return?

Posted 8:16pm Saturday 13th July 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. For So you got on the piss and lost your wallet. The only person at fault here is you. You should learn to take better care Read more...

Opinion: Why We Need the “Sheatha”

Posted 3:42pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Sam Garry

With the approach of the 130th Capping Show ‘Beezie’, it got the team at Critic Te Ārohi thinking. Every time we reference the stereotypical Otago student, we reach for the term “breatha”. And for good reason: they’re an easy mark with a well-established culture, Read more...

Castle Capitalism

Posted 10:24pm Friday 26th April 2024 by Angus Rees

It’s no secret that university students are short on money. Between tuition fees, the rising cost of living, and an academic workload that makes part-time work sparse, students are under a lot of financial pressure. But thanks to social media and consumer culture, a new 21st century job has Read more...

‘The Dairy’ on Castle Turned Hyoketsu Billboard

Posted 4:47pm Saturday 2nd March 2024 by Sam Smith-Soppet

The Dairy, one of Castle Street's most recognisable derelict buildings, has been given a fresh coat of paint after Japanese RTD behemoth Kirin Hyoketsu paid for its temporary use as an advertising billboard. This comes after The Dairy, corner-shop-turned-flat (turned asbestos-filled shit hole), Read more...