Archive

Humans of the Cuts:

Posted 4:04pm Sunday 13th August 2023 by Critic

If you don’t care about the cuts you already aren’t reading this page. That’s not who this is for. This page is for people who care about the cuts who are friends with people who don’t care about the cuts - for whatever reason. Maybe their privilege shields them from concern. Read more...

LIT COMP

Posted 4:02pm Sunday 13th August 2023 by Critic

General Feedback:   Yeah, okay, wow. Lots of trauma out there. It felt like about 90% of the entries were either about love or trauma, and I get it: those come with intense emotions, and intense emotions are a great inspiration for writing. The tricky thing about writing about your Read more...

Wining and Dyning: I tried dyeing shirts with booze

Posted 5:50pm Wednesday 9th August 2023 by Lotto Ramsay

As long as psychedelics are in fashion, tie-dye is too. I’m all for the “DIY aesthetic”, but I’m a staunch advocate for actually doing it yourself. A cheeky tie-dye is a great way to give new life to an old garment, plus, dunking clothes into chemicals and watching the Read more...

Fashion Forecast: Historical Trends To Bring Back

Posted 1:55pm Monday 7th August 2023 by Lotto Ramsay

Fashion has always been cyclical. Typically, the overarching trends of each decade are a direct contrast to that decade or decades prior. Think of the boxy, baggy, top-heavy silhouettes of the ‘80s sandwiched between the more fitted and A-line shapes of the ‘70s and ‘90s. In Read more...

Unusual, unwelcome, under-the-radar:

Posted 1:30pm Monday 31st July 2023 by Critic

There are a lot of invasive species in Aotearoa. Aside from the infamous rats and possums, there’s everything from pine trees and deer to finches and perches, and they all pose threats to our native ecosystems. There are also species that have been brought over and naturalised but aren’t Read more...

Out of Sight, Out of Mind:

Posted 1:26pm Monday 31st July 2023 by Lotto Ramsay

Dunedin is saturated with cheap, easy food joints within walking distance for most students, yet more and more are offering delivery through third-party apps like UberEats. Too many, in fact – some of the restaurants offered on delivery apps don’t actually exist as physical stores. The Read more...

Functional Zero

Posted 4:25pm Monday 24th July 2023 by Hugh Askerud

Homelessness in Dunedin has once again reared its ugly head, finding a footing as many are pressed into uncomfortable situations by the climbing cost of living. It’s not only a local issue - the housing crisis has been steadily increasing nationwide, with the Human Rights Commission estimating Read more...

Matariki, Mātauranga Māori, and Modern Science

Posted 4:23pm Monday 24th July 2023 by Nā Skyla from Ngāti Hine

In the early years of learning maths and chemistry, posters fill the classroom walls. They’re plastered with motivational slogans like “Music: proof the brain enjoys counting”, “Chemistry is everything”, and “Maths: the secret language of the universe”. Read more...

Vape Laws: A Breath of Fresh Air?

Posted 9:56pm Tuesday 18th July 2023 by Anna Robertshawe

The other night, I found myself and my five flatmates talking about how bad vaping was and everything the government should be doing to address it – all while we passed around my friend’s big, blue, bubble-shaped vape filled with grape ice juice. “It’s liquid in your Read more...

Critic Te Ārohi Census 2023

Posted 1:11pm Sunday 9th July 2023 by Critic

Last month we challenged you to fill out our 2023 Census. 242 brave students took the plunge, five more than in 2022. We made you endure more than fifty questions that you may or may not have spent too much time thinking about when you should have been studying for your exam the next day, and you Read more...

Good (enough) Housekeeping: A Woman's Guide to Domestic Bliss in Dunners

Posted 5:14pm Monday 29th May 2023 by Lotto Ramsay

Here at Critic Te Ārohi, we recognise what a relatable struggle it is to be both the perfect student and the perfect housewife. Everyone’s felt the burnout that comes from having to turn in an assignment at 12 and turn out a gorilla-grip coochie at 1, am I right? AM or PM, it’s a Read more...

Which Political Scandal are You?

Posted 5:07pm Monday 29th May 2023 by Annabelle Parata Vaughan

How did you pick your major? You decided to study an incredibly challenging course like law or med in Year 11 and haven’t considered any alternative since. You came to uni to study psych, but quickly realised there were much easier degrees to finish in three years while barely Read more...

Miss Representation: The New Era of the ‘Dunedin Sound’ Maintains The Sexist Undercurrents of the Past

Posted 3:53pm Sunday 21st May 2023 by Annabelle Parata Vaughan

There is something seriously lacking in Dunedin. And no, it’s not just the scarcity of our venues. Something is miss-ing, if you will. Since the 1980s, the Dunedin Sound has been dominated by male voices. Right now the genre is still defined by surf-rock or alternative-indie sounds, which Read more...

GET THE HECKLE OFF STAGE: Heckling in Ōtepoti’s Live Music Scene

Posted 3:37pm Sunday 21st May 2023 by Jamiema Lorimer

Sorry, not sorry, but this article starts with a public flaying. If you were the breatha at the Soaked Oats gig at Mayfair earlier this year who called out if the band could “play that one again so I can boo it some more?” after they performed their final song, I hope you’re Read more...

The 22nd Annual Critic Fish n Chip Review

Posted 2:48pm Sunday 14th May 2023 by Hugh Askerud

It’s time for the annual Critic Te Ārohi fish and chip shop review. Need we say more? Actually, we do, because this year we have decided to revolutionise the review system. One look at the infamous ‘Dunedin Fish and Chip Shop Review’ Facebook page suggests that North D is Read more...

The History of Hyde

Posted 1:51pm Sunday 7th May 2023 by Anna Robertshawe

25 years ago, it was a couple of mates doing a keg race. Today, the Hyde Street Party is one of the most iconic days of the year. Like fish to water, thousands of costumed students flock to the little street each year to sink piss under the open sky, accompanied by sausage sizzles and the Read more...

Would Your Degree Survive a Horror Film?

Posted 1:49pm Sunday 7th May 2023 by James Downing

University is meant to be fun and exciting but, let's be real, sometimes it can feel like a horror show. And just like any good slasher flick, recently it’s been giving us more than our fair share of cuts. So, for the fearless among us: are you curious about what lurks behind the Read more...

Voluntourism: Does the “Third World” Really Need Our “Help”?

Posted 3:57pm Sunday 30th April 2023 by Zak Rudin

Voluntourism. You’ve probably heard of it as that thing your mate did over summer where they travelled the world while helping indigenous communities in poor countries. Sounds great, right? Not always. Voluntourism can be extremely exploitative, while advertising is designed to hook Read more...

PAID IN FULL WITH BLOOD

Posted 3:53pm Sunday 30th April 2023 by Nā Skyla from Ngāti Hine

Kawiti was tired of digging graves, so he started digging trenches. Amidst a showdown between northern Māori and British forces, the Musket War veteran began construction of an underground fortress. Kawiti’s formidable pā was a never-before-seen bastion, made up of underground Read more...

Crushing the Critic and Conscience:

Posted 3:03pm Sunday 23rd April 2023 by Annabelle Parata Vaughan

On Thursday last week, the University announced that several hundred staff would be made redundant to help shore up their financial situation. They’ve increased student fees by the maximum allowable amount every year for several years now, and borrowed $30 million in December 2022 from bank Read more...

Faux Poverty

Posted 2:53pm Sunday 23rd April 2023 by Iris Hehir

Life in the ‘student city’ is a point of debate, disgust, and drama across the country. From falling off roofs on St Patrick's Day (which traditionally starts at 6am) to law camp scandals, endless Student Health AA referrals, flat initiations, the dying art of couch burning, and, of Read more...

You Cannot Be What You Cannot See

Posted 11:58am Sunday 16th April 2023 by Nā Skyla from Ngāti Hine

Since the establishment of colonial society in Aotearoa, Māori have remained massively underrepresented within the medical workforce. Despite increases since the 1990s, many Māori are often only able to find employment in entry-level, minimum-wage jobs such as cleaning, caregiving, and Read more...

Dunedin culture: An international perspective

Posted 2:55pm Sunday 2nd April 2023 by Anna Robertshawe

Now that the Covid monster has been slain (in the eyes of policymakers at least), the borders have opened and Dunedin has welcomed a swarm of international students finally able to fulfil their questionable dreams of studying at Otago. This year, the University has more than 750 international Read more...

Dunedin: The RTD capital

Posted 2:52pm Sunday 2nd April 2023 by Anna Robertshawe

When you’re drinking four nights a week, the contents of your can becomes a hot topic. Stories are told about that mean Byron Bay drink you had last Thursday, and how you can never go back to Part Time Rangers since you fucked out in the curb outside Rob Roy in first year. RTDs do more than Read more...

Like Water: Māori and Gender Fluidity

Posted 4:04pm Sunday 26th March 2023 by Skyla o Ngāti Hine

Māori ideas of gender, like water, were fluid. Also like water, they were polluted when colonists arrived and we’re still trying to take stock of the damage. But times are changing. At this year’s Te Matatini, the largest spectacle of kapa haka in the world, something Read more...

Georgina

Posted 3:26pm Sunday 26th March 2023 by Elliot Weir

[Content warning: Brief discussion of sexual assault and suicidal thoughts.] Georgina Beyer was the world’s first openly trans mayor, among many, many other things. She died earlier this month, but will hold forever an important place in New Zealand (and world) history. Georgina grew up Read more...

The Seven Wonders of Castle Street

Posted 2:52pm Sunday 19th March 2023 by Iris Hehir

The Seven Wonders of the Natural World are incredible and inspiring demonstrations of nature’s power, eclipsed only in recent years by better things like the internet and the Crunchwrap Supreme™.   But you don’t have to travel to the Amazon to be awestruck by natural Read more...

Live Laugh Lettuce

Posted 2:11pm Sunday 19th March 2023 by

Dunedin students have long copped a bad rep when it comes to sustainability. Google “Otago Uni student culture” and you’ll see images of crappy $2 store costume-clad Hyde Street Party goers, couch burnings, and streets littered with broken glass. These depictions don’t Read more...

Crunch/Time: A methodological analysis of snack texture over time

Posted 1:32pm Sunday 12th March 2023 by Elliot Weir

Abstract   This study was designed to address the common problem of post-party stale-chippery. Our results suggest that corn- versus potato-based chips de-crunchify at variable rates, and indicate that the safest snacks to leave open overnight are Harvest Snaps, Cornados, Snakachangi Read more...

Nacho Average Food Critics: The Critic Te Ārohi Nacho Review

Posted 12:44pm Sunday 12th March 2023 by Lotto Ramsay

Nachos are an easy, reliable, hearty meal. They should, therefore, be nearly impossible to fuck up. And yet, being the exceptional city that it is, Dunedin has somehow managed to fuck them up.   We crawled from chip to chip across town seeking out all the best places to get your nacho Read more...

The Return of the Olympics of Māoridom

Posted 2:23pm Sunday 5th March 2023 by Nā Skyla from Ngāti Hine

Te Matatini has returned after a four-year hiatus, with a fiery comeback in Tāmaki Makaurau. Known as the ‘Olympics of Māoridom’, or even the ‘Broadway of the Pacific’, 45 groups across 13 regions gathered to celebrate the competition’s great return after the Read more...

ONE MAN’S TRASH

Posted 1:39pm Sunday 5th March 2023 by Zak Rudin

Disclaimer: OUSA does not endorse dumpster diving as it can have serious legal ramifications. Are you a cash-strapped student tired of eating instant noodles and spending your entire StudyLink payment in a single shop? Well then, you might have a fair bit in common with dumpster divers. Critic Te Read more...

Best and Worst Flats 2022

Posted 7:22pm Sunday 26th February 2023 by Critic

Last year, Critic invited students to submit their pads or paddocks to win a free feed from Delivereasy. We went ‘round and toured the best and the worst of the lot, risking both our lungs and our livers to set things straight. Based exclusively on the flats that chose to enter, here are Read more...

The (Sea) Lion’s Share

Posted 7:04pm Sunday 26th February 2023 by Elliot Weir

New Zealand sea lions are the rarest sea lions on the planet today. But after being wiped out on the mainland, rāpoka are making a dramatic comeback to Aotearoa - and Ōtepoti Dunedin is one of the best places to enjoy their company.   Often known as rāpoka in te reo Read more...

A Time-controlled Study on the RTD-Teeth-Grossness Connection

Posted 6:39pm Sunday 9th October 2022 by Beth Wishart

Abstract This little piggy went to market, this little piggy stayed home. Eight little piggy’s teeth were submerged in RTDs to see how fast they’d dissolve over time. The teeth were sourced as humanely as possible and handed over to Critic’s Science Editor to run the Read more...

Goth Vs. Wild

Posted 6:34pm Sunday 9th October 2022 by Lotto Ramsay

For a natural science major, I kinda hate going outside. Nature is great and all and I want to help conserve it, but just so other people can enjoy it. Me? No, I’m good thanks. Trying to quit, actually.  Another issue is that my degree is full of what I refer to as the Outdoor Folk. I Read more...

BOTY: The Bird of the Year Competition is back to ruffle some feathers

Posted 2:44pm Sunday 2nd October 2022 by Ruby Werry

As Kiwis, we’ll vote in many elections over our lifetimes. Local, general, special, OUSA – the list goes on. But there is no democratic decision more important in Aotearoa than Te Manu Rongonui o Te Tau - The Bird of The Year. Voting for the 2022 election starts soon, so let’s have Read more...

The Land of Milk and Money

Posted 2:41pm Sunday 2nd October 2022 by Zak Rudin

There’s no use crying over spilled milk, but intensively-produced and almost-entirely exported milk powder may warrant a tear or two. Aotearoa markets itself to the world as a “clean, green” paradise, all while it supports intensive agriculture amidst increasing dairy exports. Read more...

OUSA 2022 Executive Election Nominees

Posted 7:27pm Saturday 24th September 2022 by Critic

President Josh Stewart: Kia ora mai tātau katoa My name is Joshua Stewart and it is my pleasure to be running for President. OUSA has and continue to provide so many services and duties to students, and it would be my privilege to continue this work and bring my own fair to the Read more...

What’s Up With Student Health?

Posted 1:45pm Saturday 24th September 2022 by Elliot Weir

Underfunded and understaffed, Student Health Services is buckling under the pressure. Students say they’re “rushed in and rushed out” and “feel like [they’re] going to get screwed over every time”. Many have given up on Student Health Services altogether. There Read more...

Why the cops aren’t chasing the biggest theft in the country

Posted 7:49pm Sunday 18th September 2022 by Elliot Weir

What do you think of when you think of theft? Maybe you think of car theft. Maybe you think of an elderly woman having her purse snatched on the street. Maybe you think of someone shoplifting at a grocery store. Maybe your mind turns to the ram raids dominating headlines in recent months. Maybe Read more...

Dunedin’s True Crime History

Posted 7:48pm Sunday 18th September 2022 by Ruby Werry

CW: murder, suicide, executions, poison The skyrocketing price of alcohol and the fact that McDonald’s doesn’t do hash browns past 11am both feel like terrible crimes, but these are only a smidgen of Dunedin’s illustrious true crime history. True crime fascination is not a new Read more...

Te Petihana Te Reo Māori

Posted 6:18pm Sunday 11th September 2022 by Rutene Rickard, Ngāti Porou, Ngā Puhi

Why do we, Critic Te Ārohi, release this annual te reo Māori issue, the one that you now hold in your hands? The surface-level answer is simple: because it is Māori Language Week, September 12-19th. Well, yes. But why is Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori marked out to be these specific Read more...

Tā Moko Now, Tā Moko Forever

Posted 6:10pm Sunday 11th September 2022 by A kōrero with Kiritea Smith (Ngāi te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui, Tainui), Te Ariki Mana-Wagner and Sky (Ngāti Hin

Every tā moko tells a story. Every line has a meaning, connecting the body to the tūpuna that came before it. But after the arrival of Pākehā settlers, and after the repression of Māori culture, tā moko saw a decline alongside te reo Māori. Some of the artistic Read more...

DCC Mayoral Candidates Debate: Critic’s vibe check

Posted 6:07pm Sunday 11th September 2022 by Annabelle Parata Vaughan

On the evening of August 23rd, 10 Ōtepoti mayoral hopefuls, all locals, congregated in Union Hall for a night of debate and discussion with students. Lured in with the appeal of free food and subsidised drinks, there was a decent sized crowd that came out for the evening, a mix of both students Read more...

F.U.: Facebook University

Posted 7:25pm Friday 2nd September 2022 by Nina Brown

It’s no secret that University is expensive as fuck. A dick-measuring competition of who can get deeper in debt, if you will. Fees-free only gets you so far, for those lucky enough to have qualified for it. After that, it’s around $35.75 per lecture for the average student – Read more...

Raw Power: Interests Clash over Aotearoa’s Whitewater Jewel

Posted 7:17pm Friday 2nd September 2022 by Kaia Kahurangi Jamieson and Fox Meyer

Science by Beth Wishart Photos by Whitewater NZ The Waitaha crushes through West Coast boulders like a churning blade. The awa (river) is an iconic, temperamental, visually stunning and ecologically significant part of the taiao (environment), admired by all who have seen it. It is home to Read more...

From Gold Miners to Gold Diggers:

Posted 7:07pm Friday 2nd September 2022 by Denzel Chung and Lotto Ramsay

Ōtepoti was home to some of Aotearoa’s earliest non-pākehā tauiwi, with thousands of Chinese lured to seek their fortunes in Dunedin, a place they called San Gam Saan – the “New Gold Mountain”. While few intended to stay on, many were forced to, forming a Read more...

AI Can See You Naked

Posted 4:32pm Friday 19th August 2022 by Fox Meyer

CW: Explicit discussion of sexual exploitation, rape Christchurch has produced many good things over the years. It has also produced Michael James Pratt, a fugitive sex trafficker on the FBI’s most wanted list with a $70,000 bounty on his head. A database of coerced nude photos and videos Read more...

The Computer Ate My Homework

Posted 4:20pm Friday 19th August 2022 by Arlo Hill and Fox Meyer

AI is getting better and better. It’s becoming more and more popular at the same time as online learning is booming in popularity. What's stopping students from using AI to do their assignments? Who would even be able to tell if they did? As AI continues to take over jobs, and as more and Read more...