Archive

Business School Exam Errors Called Out

Posted 5:38pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Gryffin Powell

Successive errors in finance paper mid-term exams in 2023 and 2024 have prompted the Business School to take “further action” to ensure they’re mistake-free in the future. While most students may experience one or two exam errors in their degree (hey, mistakes happen), for Commerce Read more...

Play for Palestine Charity Event Held By Te Rōpū Māori

Posted 5:34pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Sophie Hursthouse

On Sunday the 5th of May, Te Rōpu Māori held the charity event ‘Play for Palestine’ in support of indigenous people in Pirihitia (Palestine) and the Middle East. Tauira (students) signed up in teams of ten to play touch rugby, volleyball, and kī-o-Rahi for the Read more...

Breaking: K-Hole Affects the P-Hole

Posted 5:28pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Phoebe Lea

A clinical correspondence in the New Zealand Medical Journal has revealed that recreational ketamine use can lead to irreversible bladder damage. In other words, too many keys of ket can lead to pee problems in the future.  Ketamine Bladder Syndrome (KBS) includes a range of conditions such Read more...

‘Cosy Dell Creepers’ Still at Large

Posted 5:23pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Harriette Boucher

A spate of incidents in Cosy Dell is making students feel unsafe in their own flats, as speculation suggests there could be more than one ‘Cosy Dell Creeper’ on the street. Despite the installation of security cameras and police activity, students have still reported feeling unsafe, with Read more...

Midnight Marathoners for Charity

Posted 5:05pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Hugh Askerud

In a joint venture between the ski club (OUSSC) and canoe club (OUCC), and one lonely member of the bike club (OUBC), on Sunday May 5th a group of 30 students competed in the Red Bull event Wings for Life, a global charity run.  The group’s run was part of the global 2024 Wings for Read more...

Open Letter Penned in Solidarity with Palestine

Posted 5:02pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Lecturers are calling on their students to stand up in protest against the brutal suppression of anti-Israeli protests in the USA. The call comes in the form of an open letter addressed to the University of Otago, which aims to secure a pledge of solidarity with students and faculty from multiple Read more...

‘Wellness Hub’ Set to Drop in Place of Campus Shop

Posted 4:58pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Hugh Askerud

The University of Otago is stepping up its mental health game, announcing that the area which was once Campus Shop South will be turned into a ‘Wellness hub’ for student use. Currently under development by contractors, once open the hub will both supplement and unify the range of Read more...

Spenny Flights Affect Homesick Students

Posted 4:54pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Molly Smith-Soppet

Unaffordable domestic flights are keeping some homesick Otago students firmly in Dunedin in the upcoming break. A combination of increased domestic fares across the board and already steep peak ticket prices may mean the North Dunedin boomers are stuck with us over the winter break. On April Read more...

OUSA Exec Times Gives Critic Te Ārohi the Boot

Posted 4:48pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Feuds are unwinding in the student community after the OUSA executive released ‘The Exec Times’, an Instagram news bulletin literally doing the job Critic Te Ārohi is designed to. The first edition dropped on May 2nd – on a Thursday, no less! – introduced to students Read more...

The Haast Eagle’s Back, And Her Name is Gloria

Posted 4:45pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Hanna Varrs

If you think you’re good at paper mache: no you’re not. That’s unless your name is Maleah and you’re a third-year Gender Studies student. Critic Te Ārohi interviewed this paper mache whizz following a news tip in the form of a photograph depicting Maleah and her Read more...

Man Breaks into Flat to Rap

Posted 4:43pm Saturday 11th May 2024 by Adam Stitely

A Great King Street complex flat’s Thursday evening was abruptly interrupted on April 25th when an unwanted (rather intoxicated) visitor by the name ‘Strike’ knocked on their door. Under the assumption he was known to one of his flatmates, one of the residents let him in. What Read more...

Reduced Grad Programmes a Cause for Concern

Posted 8:27pm Sunday 5th May 2024 by Gryffin Powell

Recent cuts by the National-led coalition government to public service graduate programmes have left some students fearful over job prospects after uni.  The National-led coalition has been trying to reduce government debt since coming to power last year, and while this reduction is being Read more...

Salmond Fresher Catches Leith Fish With Bare Hands

Posted 8:25pm Sunday 5th May 2024 by Angus Rees

A Salmond College fresher successfully caught (and released) a massie trout in the Leith River a couple weeks ago. Johan Lokman, the resident who made the catch, reported the joys of his new-found hall clout in an interview with Critic Te Ārohi. Johan had been walking back to Salmond from Read more...

Locals HQ Encourages Second-Years to Leave the Nest

Posted 8:23pm Sunday 5th May 2024 by Sam Smith-Soppet

Locals, the hall for the hall-less, has issued a notice stating that “HQ is open to first-years only” after being inundated by a swathe of older students in recent years.  For those who don’t know, Locals is a collegiate community at Otago Uni for first-year students who Read more...

Cap Quietly Removed on Sea Lion Trawling Deaths

Posted 8:00pm Sunday 5th May 2024 by Kaia Kahurangi Jamieson

On the 8th of April, the decision to completely remove the country’s Fishing-Related Mortality Limit (FRML) for rāpoke (sea lions) was quietly released on the Ministry for Primary Industries’ website with a 16-page consultation document. The FRML sets the maximum number of Read more...

Mud Wrestling Warms Queen St Flat

Posted 7:57pm Sunday 5th May 2024 by Nina Brown

A Queen Street flat has elevated the flat warming game after holding a WWE-esque mud wrestling match to a cheering crowd of about 40 on Saturday, April 27. A couple days later, Critic Te Ārohi sat down with the brains and brawn of the event, fourth-years Ben and Robbie, for the inside Read more...

University Targets Students in Push for ‘Net Carbon Zero’ Goal

Posted 7:55pm Sunday 5th May 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Otago University’s Sustainability Office is extending an invite to students for support and feedback as it drives towards ‘Net Carbon Zero’ by 2030. The office is looking to expand its efforts through several engagement sessions with students that aim to reflexively inform and Read more...

Foreign Object Found in $4 Lunch

Posted 7:51pm Sunday 5th May 2024 by Hugh Askerud

OUSA CEO Debbie Downs reported to the Exec at their meeting last Tuesday that a “small sharp foreign object” had been found in a student’s $4 lunch on April 18th. OUSA Prez Keegan was distraught – soup day is her favourite day. The Exec also expressed their concerns for the Read more...

Otago Uni Launches New Brand

Posted 11:27am Wednesday 1st May 2024 by Nina Brown

Otago University officially launched its new brand at a dawn ceremony last Wednesday morning on May 1st, unveiling the new tohu (symbol) and reo Māori name Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka on the St Dave’s plinth to a crowd of around 300. The event had a number of speakers from the Uni and Read more...

Students Not Convinced By Government’s ‘Pet-Bond’ Policy

Posted 10:28pm Friday 26th April 2024 by Gryffin Powell

In a spate of new changes to renting legislation, the National coalition Government announced a new pet bond policy which claims that it will make rentals easier to find for pet owners. The pet bond of two weeks of rent aims to make landlords more accepting of the risk of letting a pet live at their Read more...

Trojan Cafe Locks Their Toilet to Students

Posted 9:56pm Friday 26th April 2024 by Angus Rees

Everyone’s favourite post-town one-stop-kebab-shop Trojan Cafe has broken hearts (and bladders) after students noticed a questionable policy preventing customers from using its bathrooms. It’s almost like they want us to piss in public.  The problem was outlined in a UoO Read more...

Changes to DCC Waste Management Loading

Posted 9:54pm Friday 26th April 2024 by Abbie Williams

A Critic Te Ārohi investigation into waste management has uncovered that unlicensed rubbish bags are being taken by collectors. This comes after we sniffed around allegations that students have been storing piles of rubbish in wait of July 1st when DCC will be rolling out their new rubbish Read more...

Re-O Comes to Queen St

Posted 9:48pm Friday 26th April 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Re-O could see a Queen St spin-off after an announcement on the QUEEN/GEORGE 24 Facebook group was met with fierce support from the University’s third-year community. The admin of the page stated that it would be “an awesome opportunity for us…to send off those leaving this year! Read more...

Massive Organisational Effort Keeps Hyde Out of the Headlines

Posted 9:46pm Friday 26th April 2024 by Hanna Varrs

A combination of food and security supply created a Hyde St Party on Saturday April 20th (4/20 leshgo) that went “relatively smooth” according to residents. Critic Te Ārohi takes their word for it, having opted for the gonzo journalistic approach that landed us in the thick of the Read more...

Theology Students Miffed at "Rigged" Exam Timetable

Posted 9:32pm Friday 26th April 2024 by Hugh Askerud

The recently released first semester exam timetable has sparked controversy after Religious Studies students noticed that none of their papers would escape a 6:30pm start time, constituting 72% of the exams in that time slot overall. To say they’re “miffed” would be an Read more...

Disabled Community Protests Against ‘Minister’s Biases’

Posted 9:27pm Friday 26th April 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Dunedin’s disabled community hosted a 100-strong protest on Friday, March 19, against the government’s changes to the structure of Whaikaha, the Ministry of Disabled People, announcing new limits on support services and what disabled individuals can purchase with Read more...

There’s a St Dave’s Insta Hate Account

Posted 9:24pm Friday 26th April 2024 by Hanna Varrs

St David Lecture Theatre has been suffering under the tirade of an Instagram account dedicated purely to chatting shit about the building. Boasting a current total of 19 followers and 9 posts, @stdavidsbuildinghate is true to their handle. The page’s bio states that they “HATE st Read more...

Students “So Fucking Excited” for Dunedin Mecca

Posted 8:30pm Sunday 21st April 2024 by Gryffin Powell

Hold your Frank Green drink bottle tight because cosmetics giant Mecca is opening a store in Dunedin later this year. The chain confirmed the rumours to the Otago Daily Times after job positions were posted online. The store is set to open at an unspecified location on George Street – likely Read more...

Bot Takeover Prompts Private Castle24

Posted 8:14pm Sunday 21st April 2024 by Gryffin Powell

The Castle24 Facebook group has been invaded – not by freshers, but by hundreds of bot accounts claiming to sell tickets to the Hyde St Party. What started as a trickle of scammers has turned into a shit storm of hundreds of bots in the lead-up to Hyde, leaving students confused about who to Read more...

Dusty Laps for Life

Posted 8:05pm Sunday 21st April 2024 by Nina Brown

Suicide prevention trust ‘Life Matters’ hosted Laps for Life at North Grounds on Sunday, April 14. Fuelled by the sausage sizzle, the crowd of 200 yellow-dressed attendees cumulatively ran 1,954 km (over the length of Aotearoa) eclipsing the original goal of 365 km before lunchtime. Read more...

Daddy Grant’s Home!

Posted 5:22pm Sunday 21st April 2024 by Molly Smith-Soppet

Grant Robertson was spotted on campus recently, spending a week acquainting himself with the University and the people within. A select few were lucky enough to meet the soon-to-be-VC for a lunch date, telling Critic Te Ārohi they felt privileged to be fit into a schedule that was allegedly Read more...

71.6% Increase in Region’s MDMA Consumption During Flo-Week

Posted 5:19pm Sunday 21st April 2024 by Hanna Varrs

Wastewater testing has revealed a 71.6% increase in MDMA consumption during Flo-Week, meaning the cops know you got geary. Cocaine consumption also had a marginal rise (in this economy?) but it was 35 times less prevalent than MDMA.  The information has come to light after Critic Te Read more...

Breaking Sound’s Policies Still Under Fire

Posted 5:17pm Sunday 21st April 2024 by Jordan Irvine

Breaking Sound’s policies continue to be questioned by local musos. It’s been revealed to Critic Te Ārohi that multiple Dunedin bands, including IVY and The Beatniks, have had issues of underpayment with the company owing to their odd policies. Discussions centred around their Read more...

Crossword Trauma Leads to Plea for Hyde Tickets

Posted 5:14pm Sunday 21st April 2024 by Hugh Askerud

The Hyde hustle has been strong this year, with some twisting the “trauma” of repeated Critic crossword errors (soz) into a bid for tickets. A flat of four sent an email last Monday after spotting the latest typo to Critic Editor Nina and OUSA President Keegan, claiming it had Read more...

Castle Street Clean-up Turnout Disappoints

Posted 5:09pm Sunday 21st April 2024 by Hugh Askerud

The fifth annual Sophie Crestani Castle Street Clean-up took place last Friday, attracting a disappointingly small turnout. Few members of the Castle St fraternity showed up, with the majority of initial attendees being either Caroline Freeman College residents or Hold On To Your Friends (HOTYF) Read more...

Letter from KnowYourStuffNZ: What is Harm Reduction?

Posted 2:20pm Sunday 14th April 2024 by Max Phillips

My name is Max Phillips, and I am a drug user. “User” is a bit of a loaded word, but it shouldn’t be, since everyone reading this is also a drug user. Over 80% of New Zealanders drink alcohol (one of the most harmful drugs), and we can tend to forget that things like panadol are Read more...

Unicol Fresher Wins Big from Online Gambling (Twice)

Posted 2:17pm Sunday 14th April 2024 by Iris Hehir

A Unicol fresher has won big money from online gambling. Known around campus as Elvis*, he won $27k in total; taking his gambling virginity in a weekend that can only be described as one for the books. Elvis tells Critic that it all began the summer before Uni, when he was drinking with some Read more...

South D Warehouse Starts to Sell Frozen Meals

Posted 2:15pm Sunday 14th April 2024 by Gryffin Powell

There’s a new player in the budget culinary scene in Dunedin: South D Warehouse. The store is the second Warehouse location in Aotearoa to start selling frozen meals after they successfully popped off in Manukau.  The meals are “family-sized” (or a single serve for a drunk Read more...

Te Rōpū Māori Names Te Kaihāpai and Tumuaki Takirua at Bi-Election

Posted 2:12pm Sunday 14th April 2024 by Harriette Boucher

Te Rōpū Māori held their SGM/bi-election last Wednesday, April 10 – the third and final time you’ll be seeing that date in the news section this week, promise. The election was called to fill the positions of Tumuaki Takirua (Co-President) and Te Kaihāpai Read more...

White Claw’s Coming to Town

Posted 1:46pm Sunday 14th April 2024 by Nina Brown

Don your frat boy caps, White Claw is coming to Aotearoa. In a statement to Newshub, DB Breweries, official partner of the American RTD, confirmed that “the rumours are true” – they’ll be hitting shelves nationwide from April 19. For those not in the know, White Claw is Read more...

TiB Seeks Feedback on Uni Sexual Misconduct Policy

Posted 1:44pm Sunday 14th April 2024 by Hanna Varrs

TW: Mention of sexual harm. Thursdays in Black kicked off their year with a sexual harm prevention hui last Wednesday in the Union common room. The hui was organised in collaboration with OUSA Student Support, Te Whare Tāwharau, and the Uni’s Sexual Misconduct Action Response Team Read more...

Landlord Leases Queen St Parking for $35 a Week

Posted 1:41pm Sunday 14th April 2024 by Hugh Askerud

A landlord has been leasing out car parks to a Queen St population battling to find a park. Eight to ten car parks have been made available for lease by the landlord after he realised his tenants only “had about three cars.” What’s shocked students is the price, with one student, Read more...

OUSA Exec Hyde Giveaway Increases Insta Following By 500%

Posted 1:39pm Sunday 14th April 2024 by Hugh Askerud

The OUSA Exec’s Instagram page has popped the fuck off after announcing a Hyde St Party ticket giveaway. All students had to do to enter was follow their Instagram page. OUSA’s President/Overlord Keegan reported to Critic Te Ārohi that, at the time of publishing, the giveaway had Read more...

Feedback Section Skipped at Clubs Meeting to Gather Feedback

Posted 1:34pm Sunday 14th April 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Last Wednesday was the first OUSA-affiliated Clubs meeting of the year, held at the Clubs and Socs building. Critic was told, by Clubs and Socs Rep Emma Jackson, it would be “very informal,” as she also told people to get their fill of chips which she had “bought too many” Read more...

Aquinas Room Security Still An Issue

Posted 1:28pm Sunday 14th April 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Allegations of break-ins at Aquinas have proven to be true, despite the college stating that “locks are up to date.” Critic Te Ārohi has received evidence of residents accessing specific locked rooms with the use of only a student ID. A series of differing lock mechanisms has meant Read more...

The Baaa Karaoke Threatens Thirsty Thursday Supremacy

Posted 11:04am Monday 8th April 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Word on the street is that The Baaa karaoke has ostensibly filled the Thursday night social calendar gap after reporting “lines out the door” since the start of 2024. Supporting the piss-fuelled antics of over 200 breathas a night, The Baaa’s karaoke has allegedly trumped all other Read more...

Bar Behemoths Combine to Support LGBTQIA+ Community

Posted 9:47pm Friday 5th April 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Woof! have teamed up with Emerson’s Brewery to create a t-shirt encouraging people to “be proud of the rainbow thirst trap that you are!” Not only will the t-shirts be drippy as fuck, but they’re also helping fund an initiative to provides stores with printed materials in Read more...

Non-Student Kicked Out of OUSA Sauna

Posted 9:45pm Friday 5th April 2024 by Hanna Varrs

A non-student has been permanently banned from the OUSA Clubs and Socs building following a sauna incident where the patron caused “discomfort for other users within that session,” according to OUSA’s Clubs and Societies Operations Manager Jamie Leckie.  Leckie told Critic Read more...

Salmond Lashes Out Following Food Review

Posted 9:42pm Friday 5th April 2024 by Sam Smith-Soppet

Critic Te Ārohi has once again come to blows with a hall after a full kitchen staff meeting was organised to address the magazine’s now infamous food review. The meeting allegedly saw Critic staff being called out by name and staff shed tears after reading the review in the company of Read more...

New Queen St. Facebook Group Claims to Have No Freshers

Posted 9:40pm Friday 5th April 2024 by Molly Smith-Soppet

The smell of a fresh Dunedin street Facebook group is in the air again with the creation of ‘QUEEN/GEORGE 24’. And wow, it's not got the one thing all of Dunedin claims to despise: fucking freshers (or so they reckon). If you're wondering why you need another platform to buy fake Read more...

Opinion: Nitro Goes Woke?

Posted 9:20pm Friday 5th April 2024 by Nicholas McDermott

In the ever-evolving landscape of alcoholic beverages, one name has stood out for its unapologetic embrace of the wild side: Nitro. Known for having partygoers buzzing with energy, Nitro has carved a niche for itself as the go-to drink for those looking to elevate their night from the mundane to the Read more...

University “Highly Likely” to Cut Some Journal Subscriptions

Posted 9:12pm Friday 5th April 2024 by Monty O’Rielly

Academic journals have been added to the University’s list of casualties after Critic Te Ārohi was told that it was “highly likely” that resources, including some academic journals, would be cut.  A University spokesperson told Critic Te Ārohi that they could be Read more...

Capping Show Reveals ‘Beezie’ Theme

Posted 9:08pm Friday 5th April 2024 by Molly Smith-Soppet

The Capping Show is back for the 130th time (never gets old), brandishing a new theme and a bucket load of sure-to-be-explicit skits – we counted “49 assorted sex, dick and tit jokes” last year. Critic Te Ārohi met up with co-Stage Director Jack Archibald to flesh out the Read more...

Aquinas Has a Bra Thief

Posted 8:58pm Friday 5th April 2024 by Sam Smith-Soppet

News of a bra thief on the loose in Aquinas has students in a panic. Sources say that the thief has been on the loose since the beginning of March.  In the space of a few weeks, several pairs of women’s brassiere and underwear have been reportedly stolen, leading residents to suspect Read more...

Pint Night Glasses Going Extinct

Posted 8:20pm Friday 5th April 2024 by Hugh Askerud

U-Bar’s pint glasses are in short supply, dropping to a stock of only 500 out of the 3000-4000 that were bought for the bar just a few years ago. Weird, I wonder why? Hospitality Services Manager Adrian Lowrey told Critic Te Ārohi that he is “trying to buy some new ones at the Read more...

Uni Football Rising Out of the Pits

Posted 4:28pm Saturday 23rd March 2024 by Hugh Askerud

University football has pulled itself out of a hole after slashing through both men’s and women’s University of Canterbury teams in a pre-season derby. Now the club is talking a big game, with men’s captain Ben Campbell telling Critic Te Ārohi, “Anything short of the top Read more...

Citizens Advice Bureau Launch Youth-Focused Website

Posted 4:25pm Saturday 23rd March 2024 by Gryffin Powell

Nobody ever seems to be truly prepared for the shit show that is moving out of home, which is why the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) have created a tool to help. Launched with the knowledge that there’s no 100-level paper on bullshitting through life, the Bureau announced the ‘Youth Tool Read more...

“Nut Free” Carrington College Serves Nuts

Posted 4:19pm Saturday 23rd March 2024 by Angus Rees

Carrington College found themselves in a tricky situation last week, after a resident allergic to peanuts unknowingly consumed a biscuit containing nuts. The student ate said sweet treat with faith in the fact that Carrington kitchen had become nut free. Yikes.  A student associated with Read more...

Pint Night Pox Strikes!

Posted 3:58pm Saturday 23rd March 2024 by Jodie Evans

Chickenpox’s ‘patient zero’ has come forth after students received an email on Thursday March 14 alerting them to an outbreak of chickenpox (or varicella-zoster) within the student community. The email warned that the virus is “highly infectious” and the “risk of Read more...

OUSA First Quarter Reports

Posted 3:30pm Saturday 23rd March 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Every quarter, each OUSA exec member submits a report to prove they’ve actually been doing the job they were elected to do. The exec then meets to vote on whether each member should be paid their honorarium (like a salary for elected positions, paid only on the basis that members are actually Read more...

A Fond Farewell to L.Hotel

Posted 3:25pm Saturday 23rd March 2024 by Jordan Irvine

On Thursday, March 14th, we all received a gutting post notification (we have ours on at least) from L. Hotel announcing a ‘CYA L8TER NZ Tour’. The tour marks the last chance for fans and haters (kidding, everyone loves them) to say goodbye to the “tax-evading, gluten-free Read more...

‘Let’s talk about Drugs’ Turns To ‘Let’s Talk Shit’

Posted 3:23pm Saturday 23rd March 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Sparks flew at an otherwise underwhelming ‘Let’s talk about Drugs’ event where panellists and the handful of attendees squabbled over who can prevent drug harm the best. At its peak, 15 people were at the event, including its four panellists: Max Phillips (president of Students for Read more...

Otago Regional Councillor Calls Student “Entitled” Over Bus Fares

Posted 3:17pm Saturday 23rd March 2024 by Nina Brown

Last week, the Otago Regional Council (ORC) voted 5-7 not to extend the half price bus fares. In what would normally be a one-liner headline in the TL;DR, Critic sniffed a story when we were forwarded an email chain between law student Grace and Councillor Michael Laws, who attacked her character Read more...

Transfer Station Dumped from North D

Posted 6:04pm Sunday 17th March 2024 by Harriette Boucher

Brace yourself for some trashy news, the local dump is gone. The Dunedin Wickliffe Street Transfer Station (the tip near the Uni) has permanently closed. A shame, since it was both conveniently close to the student area and free for all students to use. Green Island is now the closest dump, setting Read more...

Staunch University Presence for St Patty’s

Posted 5:59pm Sunday 17th March 2024 by Hugh Askerud

The University is set to take a stand on St Patrick’s Day, utilising subbies and a host of others to take an organised security approach during the event.  Subwarden Rachel* told Critic Te Ārohi about the Uni’s planned presence on the day: “They were trying to get the Read more...

New Post-Grad Club Emerges Under Mysterious Circumstances

Posted 5:56pm Sunday 17th March 2024 by Hugh Askerud

The Society for Postgraduate Students (SPS) has mysteriously emerged after the old post-grad club (the Otago Postgraduate Association) was left abandoned late last year. The club was sworn into being by the OUSA exec at a meeting on the 5th of March, passing with all Read more...

Harm Reduction Hui ‘Bout to Drop

Posted 5:52pm Sunday 17th March 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Harm reduction is about to take centre stage with the Deep South Alcohol and Drug Harm Reduction Hui happening Monday and Tuesday this week at the Dunedin Art Gallery. According to the invite, the key aim is to “provide an opportunity to network to build relationships with others who are Read more...

Dunedin Debuts New Fringe

Posted 5:48pm Sunday 17th March 2024 by Jordan Irvine

On Wednesday, March 13th, the Dunedin Fringe Festival officially kicked off at Te Whare o Rukutia, ushering in 11 days of comedy, theatre, art, and the kind of general sophistication which you just need every once in a while.  The night began with MC/comedian/Fringe act Nicola Brown, who Read more...

Free Breakfast is Back to Five Days a Week

Posted 5:46pm Sunday 17th March 2024 by Gryffin Powell

For those of you bold enough to wake up before 9:30 (we get it, you’re better than us), OUSA Clubs and Socs have recently announced the extension of their renowned free breakfast programme to five days a week. The breakfast is open from 8:30-9:30am. Located in the Evision lounge, all Read more...

Music Company’s Policies Questioned

Posted 5:44pm Sunday 17th March 2024 by Jordan Irvine

Musos and performers alike have rallied together in defiance of ‘Breaking Sound’ after only one of five acts made revenue on a Wednesday night gig at Errick’s due to a questionable policy.  Breaking Sound is an LA-based company that gets promoters to find 4-5 bands to Read more...

“Weird” St Patty’s Escorted Walk Raises Eyebrows

Posted 5:22pm Sunday 17th March 2024 by Nina Brown

Last week, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) had planned to host an escorted walking tour of North Dunedin on St Paddy’s Day for attendees of an alcohol and drug harm hui they’re co-hosting. On Thursday, SSDP’s executive announced its cancellation, stating they’d Read more...

Rainbow Story Time Attracts Boomer Hate

Posted 5:19pm Sunday 17th March 2024 by Nina Brown

A Dunedin Pride event went ahead smoothly, despite the presence of several protesters both online and in person. ‘Rainbow Stories with Miss Annie’ was held at the Dunedin Public Library on Saturday, March 9, attracting a significant amount of publicity due to online protests prior to the Read more...

Knife-wielding Vampire Robs Flat

Posted 3:07pm Sunday 10th March 2024 by Sam Smith-Soppet

On March 1st, someone posted photos to the Castle24 Facebook page of a guy sitting on the ground with a bleeding nose, surrounded by police. The post warned others that he’d been on a thieving spree in the neighbourhood before “the cops took him”.  The burglar — who Read more...

Rob Roy Dairy For Sale

Posted 2:35pm Sunday 10th March 2024 by Gryffin Powell

Rob Roy is for sale. Harcourts listed the historic building on their website on Feb 21, calling it “an icon of the local dairy and ice cream scene.”  Critic Te Ārohi swung by Rob Roy and had a yarn to owner Liz Watson, who was forced awake before 6:30am (after a big night at Read more...

U-Bar Takes the sword to Pint Night line…inequality

Posted 2:22pm Sunday 10th March 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Management at U-Bar is taking a stand against inequality in the Pint Night line. The call for action comes after reports that wait times could be over an hour long late last year. In their battle against lines that haunt students’ nightmares, U-Bar will extend its opening hours on Wednesday Read more...

Opinion: Shit’s Really Going Downhill for Student Journalism

Posted 2:20pm Sunday 10th March 2024 by Monty O’Rielly

The sentiment that journalism is dying is thrown around so often that it seems a tired subject at this point. It’s treated as an inevitable. Last week’s report that Newshub, one of our major media sources in Aotearoa, is being forced to close was surprising but banal. It was merely Read more...

Link Gets a Glow-Up

Posted 1:57pm Sunday 10th March 2024 by Hugh Askerud

The Link is about to look like the Dunedin Farmers Market after getting a glow up which will leave microwave-lovers and OUSA clubs rejoicing. The University is partway through constructing a quasi-kitchen for the area, as well as opening up space for a series of groups to open stalls during Read more...

Student Journalists Restricted (And Then Not) From Parliament

Posted 1:50pm Sunday 10th March 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Student journalists cried for blood across the motu last week after Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee revoked the Aotearoa Student Press Association’s (ASPA’s) access to Parliament’s Press Gallery. Critic Te Ārohi joined in with the masses (despite not having been aware of Read more...

OUSA’s TikToker Accused of Rigging Giveaway

Posted 1:44pm Sunday 10th March 2024 by Angus Rees

The OUSA marketing team’s TikTok content creator Amber Harrison has been slammed by commenters after giving away a Hybrid Minds double pass to her ex-flatmate. A series of extremely avid Hybrid Minds fans have protested the giveaway, alleging a conspiracy designed by the TikTok-famous Amber. Read more...

Hayward Accuses Critic Food Reviewers of Subterfuge

Posted 1:34pm Sunday 10th March 2024 by Nina Brown

Critic Te Ārohi spent the past couple of weeks reviewing every hall of residence’s food — some with permission, but largely as undercover freshers. It went well for the most part, until News Editor Hugh and Features Editor Iris had their covers blown at Hayward, and Critic was put Read more...

Initiations Meet Their Maker in the Proctor’s Office

Posted 2:35pm Friday 8th March 2024 by Harriette Boucher

What do you get when you cross a duck, a goldfish, and an eel with copious amounts of alcohol and ‘sufficient evidence’? Suspension and community service. 58 students from the University of Otago and three from Te Pūkenga have lived to tell — or rather not tell — the Read more...

Alcohol Brands Battle Over The Student Taste Bud

Posted 5:09pm Saturday 2nd March 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Sensing blood in the water, several alcohol companies have engaged in a cut-throat competition to secure student tastebuds over the Flo and O-Week period. The increased competition comes after a number of new RTD brands entered the student market, letting the old guard of Cruisers pass gently into Read more...

Baby Hall Shits Its Diaper

Posted 5:05pm Saturday 2nd March 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Shit went down (literally) at Te Rangihīroa College in O-Week after a blocked drain forced the college to close part of its first-floor due to flooding. The blockage happened on the morning of Sunday, Feb 18 – about 24 hours after new residents moved into the $100 million behemoth (no one Read more...

Students Encouraged to Vaccinate Against Meningococcal Disease

Posted 4:59pm Saturday 2nd March 2024 by Adam Stitely

The Meningitis Foundation has started a national campaign urging students to get vaccinated and highlighting the extreme risks of the disease. This push for vaccination comes after a smattering of individual cases have been reported at the University over recent years. Margaret Perley, the Head Read more...

New Low Cost Clinic Set to Ease Student Health Wait Times

Posted 4:56pm Saturday 2nd March 2024 by Gryffin Powell

Dunedin City GP have set up a new low-cost clinic aimed at easing disparity in health outcomes for students and other (likely more deserving) groups. The change comes after Student Health wait times have lengthened to a criminal degree in recent years.  The new centre will be a Very Low Cost Read more...

Know Your Stuff Finds a Bad Batch of MDMA

Posted 4:50pm Saturday 2nd March 2024 by Monty O’Rielly

A bad batch of gear was making the rounds during O-Week, leaving students both impoverished and with severe stomach pains after consumption. On Thursday, Feb 22, Know Your Stuff (with the unfortunate acronym KYS), the national drug-testing agency, issued the warning, “Several samples presented 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...

New Club Dances on the Grave of Infamous Eleven Bar

Posted 4:24pm Saturday 2nd March 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Die-hard town-mishers are counting their blessings after a new club, Residency, has opened in the building that once housed the infamous Eleven Bar. Having opened its doors on Friday, Feb 16, the bar has fallen into the natural swing of town life, fuelled by sweat, stickiness, and the throng of Read more...

Disc Den Drives Into the Sunset

Posted 5:42pm Sunday 25th February 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Dunedin music industry titan Disc Den is set to close up shop after a legendary 47-year run. If you haven’t been to Disc Den (*cough* fresher) it’s a music joint near the Octagon that offers posters, T-shirts, CDs, and pretty much everything else music-related in the big Read more...

Catacombs Slammed for O-Week Lineup Diversity Shortfall

Posted 5:36pm Sunday 25th February 2024 by Angus Rees

Dunedin DJs and local music punters are criticising Catacombs for its severe lack of diversity in their O-Week lineup. Despite Catacombs opening their doors to DnB artists for six nights of O-Week, the selection is distinctly fuelled by testerone, and a number of allegations suggest that Read more...

Inflaty 180 Relaunches OUSA/Highlanders Partnership

Posted 5:32pm Sunday 25th February 2024 by Nina Brown

To relaunch their official partnership with the mighty ‘Landers, OUSA introduced the Inflaty 180 at the Highlanders vs Moana Pasifika game last Saturday, February 24. The half-time fun run saw first-year students from each hall (because who else can you count on for free labour in times of Read more...

Fringe Fest Gettin’ Fruity

Posted 5:29pm Sunday 25th February 2024 by Gryffin Powell

Call your mum for a cheeky bank transfer because the Fringe Festival is back, running March 14th until the 24th in our very own Ōtepoti Dunedin. The annual arts festival (because this fringe isn’t just a phase!) will feature 86 events, dipping its toes into the student market by inviting Read more...

Otago Staff and Alumni Urge University to Back Palestine In Open Letter

Posted 5:22pm Sunday 25th February 2024 by Iris Hehir

Last November, 221 Otago University staff and alumni signed an open letter calling for Vice Chancellors at universities across New Zealand to issue a joint statement in solidarity with Palestinians. The letter came a month after Hamas’ October 7th attack on Southern Israel, re-igniting a Read more...

Daddy Grant Announced as Otago's New VC

Posted 12:03pm Tuesday 20th February 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Ex-Minister of Finance Grant Robertson has been announced as Otago Uni’s fresh Vice Chancellor, effective from July 1st this year. According to the Chancellor, Stephen Higgs, Grant’s “appreciation for and understanding of the needs of students was evident” during the Read more...

Duck-Biting Story Threatens Otago’s Reputation, Says Newspaper that Wrote the Story

Posted 9:54am Saturday 2nd December 2023 by Fox Meyer

The ODT has highlighted how Otago University’s reputation was damaged by a story broken in early October about students biting the legs off live ducks. This story was broken, of course, by the ODT themselves, who remain the only organisation privy to any sort of evidence that this ever Read more...

We Can't Find the Duck-Biters

Posted 1:34pm Wednesday 25th October 2023 by Fox Meyer

Critic has been unable to find any evidence of an alleged duck-biting initiation.  Following the ODT’s story on October 6, we got in touch with a bunch of recently-initiated first-years, and a few hosting second-years. None had witnessed anything involving a live duck, but all were Read more...

Castle Street (mostly) Denounces Animal Abuse

Posted 6:31pm Saturday 14th October 2023 by Fox Meyer

As Dunedin flat initiations have come under fire, students on the rowdiest street in town have rushed to their defence. They say the leading story, about allegedly being forced to bite the feet off a live duck, is “not what we’re about at all”. Critic Te Ārohi spoke to one Read more...

OUSA Condemns “Vigilante” Action after Duck Initiation

Posted 12:53pm Monday 9th October 2023 by Fox Meyer

A post on the Dunedin News Facebook page calling for the names and addresses of students involved in an alleged initiation has stirred up online vigilante action. OUSA has denounced the initiation activities - if true - and has also denounced any wannabe justice seekers. Public backlash to the Read more...

Onslaught of Cyber Security Emails Annoy Students

Posted 12:31pm Sunday 8th October 2023 by Reuben Kiss

If you've looked at your inbox at all this year, you will have noticed a torrent of emails from the Uni giving you a “friendly reminder that you have not yet completed the University of Otago cyber security training module(s)” and that these are “mandatory to complete”. Read more...

A message for the 2024 Otago Student Cohort

Posted 12:27pm Sunday 8th October 2023 by Quintin Jane

Since this is the last issue of Critic for the year, I thought I’d take the opportunity to use the my executive privilege to hijack a page here and say thank you to everyone at the University of Otago and across the country who has taken time this year to bring attention to the tertiary Read more...