Archive

Uni Council To Raise Fees By 6%

Posted 3:37pm Monday 18th November 2024 by Nina Brown

In a bid to stay financially afloat and prevent further job cuts, the Otago University Council (the bigwigs) have agreed to raise tertiary fees by the maximum amount of 6% for 2025. The motion passed almost unanimously, with one abstention from Madame Prez Keegan Wells, the student rep at the Read more...

Council Proposes Stricter North D Booze Rules

Posted 9:32pm Wednesday 13th November 2024 by Nina Brown

The rules and regulations of drinking in North Dunedin could be set to change under a Local Alcohol Policy (LAP) mandatory review. Proposed changes to the policy could mean earlier closing times for liquor stores, a freeze on more off-licences in North D, and a “yeah, nah” to the iconic Read more...

Inaugural Combined Science Ball a Hit

Posted 7:24pm Sunday 13th October 2024 by Phoebe Lea

The Sciences Ball, expected to be a quiet affair, has left pundits gawking after exploding into something so wild that even Law students were taking notes (but when aren’t they?) Around 300 students rocked up to the Otago University Combined Sciences Ball, with students from OMISA, APSA, Read more...

Protestor Arrested in Campus Palestine Protest

Posted 7:16pm Sunday 13th October 2024 by Nina Brown

The University of Otago’s stance of “institutional neutrality” on Israel’s actions in Palestine has continued to be fiercely criticised by its staff and students. Last Wednesday, October 9th, the Otago Students for Justice in Palestine (OSJP) held a peaceful campus protest Read more...

Outdoor Clubs Unite Against Orgy Accusations

Posted 7:12pm Sunday 13th October 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Following allegations that they’re fronts for orgies, three outdoor Otago clubs have come together to set the record straight. Critic Te Ārohi met with the accused and their chosen champions: OUSSC Prez Peter Barclay, OUTC former treasurer Joel Tebbs, and OUCC Prez Hunter Davidson – Read more...

Dundas Fence Collapse Sparks Feud

Posted 7:09pm Sunday 13th October 2024 by Hanna Varrs

In an incident leaving four flats and their landlords at each other’s throats (or at least slightly more passive aggressive than usual), a large fence in a Dundas Street flatting complex of four has collapsed over their driveway. Or perhaps been pulled down? Given some of the flats are owned Read more...

Kayakers Soar Through Campus Amidst Red-Level Rain Warnings

Posted 7:07pm Sunday 13th October 2024 by Jonathan McCabe

Photo Credit: Bryn Dingemans Two weekends ago, East Otago received more than double October's typical rainfall in just 40 hours, making the Water of Leith a kayaker's playground.  A state of emergency was called on Friday, October 4th. Low lying areas were flooded and all main Read more...

Hatchet-Wielding “Council Worker” Trespassed from Flat

Posted 7:01pm Sunday 13th October 2024 by Sam Smith-Soppet

A man has been trespassed by police from a student flat after masquerading as a DCC employee conducting “welfare checks” on Maitland and Stafford Street on Friday, October 4th. The hatchet (axe) he carried made tenants a bit suspect.  Adorned in his Hi-Vis and a lanyard, the man Read more...

Forth St Flat Flames

Posted 6:52pm Sunday 13th October 2024 by Hugh Askerud

A Forth Street flat complex of six went up in flames on Sunday, October 6th. The fire began in a downstairs flat before smoke made its way through the complex. A total of 18 students were affected by the blaze. Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the fire has meant six students have been relocated to Read more...

OUSA Peddles Ethel Property to Fund Clubs & Socs’ EQ Strengthening

Posted 6:49pm Sunday 13th October 2024 by Nina Brown

OUSA Clubs and Socs, home of the humble $4 lunch and sauna, is booked for earthquake strengthening this summer. Clubs and Socs will be closed during summer, with construction starting after exams finish, hoping to wrap up by O-Week next year. Currently, the building isn’t seismically up to Read more...

Student Arrested in Campus Palestine Protest

Posted 11:46am Thursday 10th October 2024 by Nina Brown

The University of Otago’s stance of “institutional neutrality” on Israel’s actions in Palestine has continued to be fiercely criticised by its staff and students. On Wednesday, October 9th, the Otago Students for Justice in Palestine (OSJP) held a peaceful campus protest that Read more...

Yes, Someone Did Take Their Cat to Central

Posted 7:09pm Sunday 6th October 2024 by Gryffin Powell

Three million views and 700,000 likes later, Serafina the cat has achieved stardom after rocking up to Central Library (if only it were that easy). A TikTok of the cat hiding in a handbag in Central Library was posted online, and has blown up with numbers Dunedin’s microinfluencer community Read more...

‘What I Was Wearing’ Exhibit Shatters Stigma & Empowers Survivors

Posted 8:11am Sunday 6th October 2024 by Jodie Evans

Student-led sexual harm prevention society, Thursdays in Black, broke down some damaging stereotypes in their powerful ‘What I Was Wearing’ exhibit on Thursday, September 26th. From 10am to 5pm in Union Hall, visitors were invited to read the stories of survivors of sexual harm, Read more...

Selwyn Gastro “Miraculously” Cured 72 Hours Before Ball

Posted 8:07am Sunday 6th October 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Selwyn College has found itself on the other side of a gastro epidemic after approximately 10-40 students contracted the virus over a two week period.  The gastro outbreak got so bad that, according to residents, “you would hear people in the bathroom just chunnying their guts Read more...

Critic Trawls Through Exec’s Third Quarter Reports

Posted 8:05am Sunday 6th October 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Think the OUSA Exec is boring? By the time you read their quarterly reports you’ll probably be thinking, “Yep, it is.” Thankfully, you don’t have to! Instead, read these summaries for all you need to know about the great political machine that keeps the uni experience ticking Read more...

Landlords Sign Flats Under Current Tenants’ Noses

Posted 7:56am Sunday 6th October 2024 by Monica Holopainen

As flat-hunting season draws to a close, multiple reports have emerged of landlords signing their flats to new groups of students without the consent of current tenants. Continuing a sad trend of illegality, the repeated events have forced students who relied on keeping their flats for the new year Read more...

Golf Breathas Raise $5k for Men’s Mental Health

Posted 7:45am Sunday 6th October 2024 by Jonathan McCabe

Six breathas have done some good in the world, raising $5,200 for charity by playing golf. The boys played 72 holes in one day (four full rounds of golf) for ‘Lads Without Labels’, a not-for-profit charity group aimed at improving the state of men’s mental health in New Zealand. Read more...

OUSA Exec Election Results Are In

Posted 7:43am Sunday 6th October 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Democracy has triumphed after a gruelling OUSA Exec election period which saw many candidates lose and many candidates win. Voting closed at 4pm last Thursday. To the usual crowd of current OUSA Exec, nominees, and a handful of Critic staff, returning officer Abby Bowman read out the results – Read more...

Initiative Encourages Students to Look on the Brightside

Posted 7:37am Sunday 6th October 2024 by Madeline O’Leary

An Otago-based research initiative called Brightside Aotearoa is looking to improve access to mental health resources for uni students across the motu. With the research confirming that, yes, Gen Z is pretty glum, they’re hoping to turn that frown upside down. Headed by Dr Charlene Rapsey, Read more...

Ōtepoti Cannabis Party “Shut Down” by Police

Posted 7:28am Sunday 6th October 2024 by Hanna Varrs

Eye witnesses have claimed that the Ōtepoti Cannabis Party were strong-armed into leaving the Link on Wednesday, September 25th, after conversations with the police. The Ōtepoti Cannabis Party had invited students with a flyer promising to “elevate [their] voting” and Read more...

Town & Gown Unite in Fight for Dunedin Hospital

Posted 11:10am Saturday 5th October 2024 by Hugh Askerud

35,000 Dunedinites marched from the Dental School to the Octagon on Saturday, September 28th in a protest to end all protests. The DCC campaign ‘They Save, We Pay’ promised to be a “rally cry” against critical cuts to the new Dunedin Hospital.  The protest came just a Read more...

Te Rito Nominations Are Open

Posted 5:10pm Saturday 28th September 2024 by Nina Brown

The annual Te Rōpū Māori elections have just opened up for tauira to fill the positions of Te Rito for 2025. Te Rōpū Māori is the Māori Students' Association at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka. Similarly to OUSA, the association is governed by the student Read more...

Student Volunteer Army Rounds Off Stellar Year

Posted 5:07pm Saturday 28th September 2024 by Gryffin Powell

A couple weeks ago marked the last event for the Student Volunteer Army’s (SVA) Otago University branch. Now in its fourth year, the Canterbury Uni-born initiative has taken off quicker than your Christchurch mates can ask each other what school they went to. A 50-strong cohort of students Read more...

‘The Rock’ Rocks Campus

Posted 5:03pm Saturday 28th September 2024 by Adam Stitely

Why the hell is there a life-sized cardboard cutout of ‘The Rock’ in Central Library? Donning our Sherlock Holmes hats (apparently they’re called deerstalkers), Critic Te Ārohi  investigated. The cardboard cutout of everyone’s favourite ‘cousin’ and Read more...

Veteran Liaison Officer Bids Otago Farewell

Posted 5:01pm Saturday 28th September 2024 by Molly Smith-Soppet

After thirteen years of welcoming students through the gates of Otago University, student liaison officer Prajesh Chhanabhai is leaving campus (sobs). Critic Te Ārohi linked up with Prajesh via Zoom to reminisce about his time at Otago and find out what the future holds for the man who has Read more...

OSJP Interrupt Grant’s Peace Speech

Posted 4:57pm Saturday 28th September 2024 by Monica Holopainen

New Vice Chancellor Grant Robertson had his patience tested during his ‘Making Peace with Our Past and Our Future’ lecture on September 19th. The speech, given to a half-full Castle 1 Lecture Theatre, was continuously interrupted by the Otago Students for Justice in Palestine (OSJP), Read more...

Finance & Strategy Officer Falls for $1k Scam

Posted 4:54pm Saturday 28th September 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Daniel Leamy, the OUSA Finance and Strategy Officer, has given away $1,000 worth of iTunes vouchers after falling for a scam designed by president77091@gmail.com.  In a series of emails constructed on a dusty Friday morning, Daniel sent hundreds of dollars of his own money to someone Read more...

Hockey Dominates OUSA Blues and Golds Awards

Posted 4:50pm Saturday 28th September 2024 by Hugh Askerud

The annual Blues and Golds Awards were held at the Business School last Wednesday, September 25th. The event, jointly hosted by Otago Uni and OUSA, has been going since 1908 and celebrates sporting and cultural successes at the Uni. Grant Robertson spoke and presented nine awards, five Silver Read more...

Bin Wars Strike Studentville

Posted 4:46pm Saturday 28th September 2024 by Jonathan McCabe

Bins are going walkabouts in North D. Turf wars have broken out over bins following the new Dunedin City Council (DCC) bins being thrown into the rotation. What goes around comes around, and it seems that as bins disappear from back porches, it’s triggered a domino-effect of Read more...

“Rallying Cry” March for New Hospital

Posted 10:19am Wednesday 25th September 2024 by Hanna Varrs

A protest march against clinical cuts to the new Dunedin Hospital will be held this Saturday, October 28th, from the Dental School at 12pm. The march is spearheaded by the Dunedin City Council (DCC) who are calling it “one of the largest public protest movements in recent Read more...

‘Undervalued’ Uni Staff Await Living Wage

Posted 9:16pm Sunday 22nd September 2024 by Gryffin Powell

It’s near impossible to escape mention of the cost of living crisis these days. For many Otago University staff not paid a living wage, it rings even more true. Critic Te Ārohi was approached by hall staff to voice their frustration at not being paid a living wage. The current living Read more...

DCC Hearing for Harbour Terrace Parking Proves Fruitful

Posted 9:02pm Sunday 22nd September 2024 by Hunter Jolly

On Friday, September 13th, the Dunedin City Council held a hearing to discuss the recently-revised proposal for parking on Harbour Terrace. While the situation remains unresolved, a new idea, pitched by Sport Otago, gained widespread support at the hearing. This new pitch reportedly involves keeping Read more...

Unopposed Exec Positions a Cause for Concern?

Posted 8:43pm Sunday 22nd September 2024 by Hugh Askerud

For the second year running, the role of OUSA President is uncontested. Not only that, but three of the other roles – Finance and Strategy Officer, Welfare and Equity Rep, and International Rep – also have only one candidate. It’s a bit difficult to call it a democratic election Read more...

Strippers Protest Stilettos “Heartbreak”

Posted 8:41pm Sunday 22nd September 2024 by Jordan Irvine

Protesters gathered in the Octagon on Friday 13th to rally behind strippers and sex workers who claimed unfair treatment by Dunedin strip club Stilettos. All claims made against Stilettos and its manager Tabitha have been unconfirmed by the club, who have refused to comment on the matter. The Read more...

The Link’s Mysterious Portrait Man

Posted 8:39pm Sunday 22nd September 2024 by Monica Holopainen

The Link’s been home to some creative entrepreneurship in recent weeks with the appearance of a live portrait artist – Critic Te Ārohi dubs him the Portrait Man. Sat at a stall outside the never-open ‘Frankly Sandwiches’ (please come back), you can’t miss Read more...

Unexpected UniFlats Maintenance Visits “An Accident Waiting to Happen”

Posted 4:40am Monday 16th September 2024 by Jodie Evans

UniFlats residents caught off-guard by unanticipated visits from staff and maintenance crew have been left feeling “a bit weird”, to say the least. One Clyde Street resident told Critic Te Ārohi that she was suffering from a severe bout of food poisoning when maintenance staff Read more...

Te Huinga Tauira, Debriefed

Posted 4:38am Monday 16th September 2024 by Gryffin Powell

Te Rōpū Māori sent a delegation of tauira to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland in the last week of August – not only to escape the Dunedin winter, but also for Te Huinga Tauira, the annual national Māori students’ conference. Māori tertiary students’ Read more...

Toast Time Introduced At Subs

Posted 3:46am Monday 16th September 2024 by Molly Smith-Soppet

Dunedin's iconic nightclub, Suburbia (Subs if you’re a real one), has introduced a new initiative aimed at keeping patrons' puku’s full and vomit off the floors. Taking a leaf out of residential colleges’ book, Subs has launched ‘Toast Time’, a weekly event held Read more...

Stumbled Down the Rabbit Hole

Posted 3:44am Monday 16th September 2024 by Jordan Irvine

Tūhura Otago Museum hosted Alice in Wonderland after dark on Friday, September 13th, a fun (18+) event based on the Lewis Carroll book and that one Tim Burton film everyone chooses to ignore. Sporting free tickets and a craving for cotton candy, Critic Te Ārohi stumbled down the rabbit Read more...

40% of Current Exec Plan To Rerun for 2025

Posted 3:42am Monday 16th September 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Nominations were open last week for the 2025 OUSA Student Exec. Critic Te Ārohi can reveal that four out of ten of the current OUSA Student Exec (40% for you maths nerds out there) are planning on sticking around next year – either rerunning for their own positions or branching into other Read more...

Castle St Courtyard Set to Split

Posted 3:37am Monday 16th September 2024 by Hugh Askerud

‘Courtyard’, the infamous intersection of breathadom between three Castle St flats, will allegedly soon be split with a fence. Breathas and sheathas alike are biting their nails at the impact the change may have on their beloved stomping ground for all manner of occasions: parties and Read more...

Crestani Parents Object to DropKicks

Posted 7:24pm Thursday 12th September 2024 by Hugh Askerud

The opening of new venue DropKicks has been a sticky subject after two community groups opposed Loboski Venues Ltd.’s liquor licence application. Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) are one. Critic Te Ārohi can now reveal that the other group are Bede and Elspeth Crestani, the Read more...

Study: Drinking While Pinging Can Spoil Your High

Posted 5:12pm Saturday 7th September 2024 by Monica Holopainen

​​A new study published by researchers at the University of Otago on New Zealand’s MDMA usage has sparked a wider conversation about the problematic outcomes of the drug when used with alcohol. Turns out, slurping a can after snorting a line (MDMA, ‘molly’) may actually Read more...

Immersive Moriori Exhibition Opening at Tūhura

Posted 4:36pm Saturday 7th September 2024 by Jodie Evans

A ‘first-of-its-kind’ exhibition showcasing Moriori culture is coming to Tūhura Otago Museum. Hou Rongo – Moriori, Music, Manawa, the result of a partnership between the Hokotehi Moriori Trust and a team of Otago researchers and students, aims to take a multimedia approach to Read more...

DCC Revises Proposed Harbour Terrace Parking Changes

Posted 3:46pm Saturday 7th September 2024 by Hanna Varrs

In a welcome turn of events, the Dunedin City Council has revised their proposal for parking changes along Harbour Terrace. The original proposal was to convert 60 unrestricted parking spaces on Harbour Terrace into P240, imposing a time limit on parking. Naturally, local residents (mainly students) Read more...

Bruce Aitken’s Knox Portrait Removed

Posted 3:43pm Saturday 7th September 2024 by Nina Brown

A decade after quietly stepping down from his role as Knox College Master, former University of Otago Pro-Chancellor Bruce Aitken is facing sexual offence charges.  The Otago Daily Times broke the news on August 29th after Aitken’s name suppression lapsed nine months after first Read more...

The Link’s New Look

Posted 3:37pm Saturday 7th September 2024 by Hugh Askerud

If you’ve walked through the Link recently and seen the fresh lick of paint and carpeted floors, you may have wondered what's going on. The artist silently plodding away and the stacked chairs in the corner are all tell-tale signs of a tremendous glow-up which is slowly hitting the floors Read more...

Lawrat: Law Revue Reviewed

Posted 3:33pm Saturday 7th September 2024 by Jonathan McCabe

Two shows and 496 tickets later, Law Revue has wrapped for 2024. A high spirited audience kept the humour afloat over the two shows of the annual law student production on August 29-30th. This year’s theme was ‘Lawrat’ – a parody of Sacha Baron Cohen's ‘Borat’ Read more...

Nominations Are Open For 2025 OUSA Exec

Posted 3:27pm Saturday 7th September 2024 by Hugh Askerud

OUSA is opening its gates on Monday, September 9th (today for diligent readers) calling for nominations for all Exec positions. What does this mean? Basically, anyone who wants to can nominate themselves or a mate to be on the OUSA Exec, the student government around these parts. There are 12 Read more...

Objectors Stall Opening of ‘DropKicks’ Venue

Posted 3:11pm Saturday 7th September 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Plans for a new venue, ‘DropKicks,’ above Sal’s (where Dive Bar was) have been hit with a curveball. Two community groups objected to the building’s liquor licence application, meaning their grand opening will have to wait until after a hearing. The hearing has caused a rift Read more...

Free Brekkie Times Extended and Menu Improved

Posted 3:08pm Saturday 7th September 2024 by Hugh Askerud

For the Free Brekkie diehards out there, today is a blessed day. It has been announced by OUSA Clubs and Societies that, starting from the 9th of September, free brekkie will run from 8am to 10am, collectively adding an extra hour to the service – as well as some cheeky wee additions to the Read more...

Purple Dog Crowned Bring the Noise Winners

Posted 7:13pm Sunday 25th August 2024 by Jordan Irvine

The Bring the Noise finals were held at U-Bar on Friday, 16 August. Six bands competed but only one came out on top. The winners were the indie rock band Purple Dog who have seen a surge in popularity this year, playing multiple Pint Nights, featuring in a Critic article (the highest praise) and Read more...

NZ Energy Crisis May Affect Power Bills

Posted 7:12pm Sunday 25th August 2024 by Gryffin Powell

If you’ve been having a nosey at the news (outside Critic, how dare you) in the last few weeks, phrases like “energy crisis” or “tight supply conditions” have been chucked around. The main gist of the issue is that wholesale power prices have risen above retail prices. Read more...

DJ Comp Shows Shift in Electronic Music Scene

Posted 7:10pm Sunday 25th August 2024 by Angus Rees

Last week, OUSA hosted its annual Future DJ competition at U-Bar. The comp platformed some of Dunedin's future DJ stars, welcoming electronic music punters and every breatha who loves drum and bass. But with only one of the top three DJs playing DnB, it seems there’s been a shift in the Read more...

Uni “Open to Discussions” for Band Practice Spaces

Posted 6:53pm Sunday 25th August 2024 by Jonathan McCabe

The lack of suitable spaces for bands to practise in is an issue that’s garnered increasing attention this year (check out the feature in this year’s Music Issue). In the interest of supporting the local music scene, musos have turned to the Stephens of the University for on-campus Read more...

Uni Accidentally Tells Students to Leave the Lib

Posted 6:45pm Sunday 25th August 2024 by Hugh Askerud

The automated “voice of God” in Central Library, normally reserved for kicking out late night studiers at closing time, spoke up at midday on Friday, August 16th. Despite being told to leave by the tinny voice, stubborn students remained steadfast in their seats. Critic respects the Read more...

Glass ‘Spike Trap’ Laid on Dundas

Posted 6:41pm Sunday 25th August 2024 by Hanna Varrs

Police are investigating an incident where a ‘spike trap’ of glass was allegedly laid out on Dundas Street close to Studholme at midnight on Saturday, August 17th. Residents living close to the mess said that it appeared like an entire blue bin had been emptied onto the road. Four police Read more...

Summer Festival Lineups Released

Posted 6:38pm Sunday 25th August 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Both Rhythm & Vines and Rhythm & Alps released their first lineups to the deflated applause of students last week. In a tough moment for students who bought early-bird tickets, the RnV line up has been critiqued by pretty much every student Critic talked to as being “shit.” For Read more...

Women’s Ice Hockey on the Rise

Posted 4:44pm Saturday 17th August 2024 by Adam Stitely

The Dunedin Thunder Women’s Hockey team is taking to the ice in a home game at the Dunedin Ice Stadium against the Auckland Steel this weekend, August 24th and 25th. The team, including five Otago students and coached by SPEX lecturer Michael Sam, currently sit at third on the table. Critic Te Read more...

Queer Rep Quietly Removed From Exec

Posted 4:42pm Saturday 17th August 2024 by Nina Brown

There is no longer a Queer Rep on the OUSA Student Executive. The position was added to the 2024 Exec as an ex-officio member from UniQ after a Student General Meeting (SGM) in September last year voted it in. However, following contention over whether this followed “due process”, the Read more...

Student Presidents Unite at National Conference

Posted 4:38pm Saturday 17th August 2024 by Hugh Askerud

In the wake of a crumbling New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA), student association presidents have united to create a national president’s council. The decision was made at a national conference between the student leaders on the weekend of July 26th, held at Lincoln Read more...

POLSA Students Beat Lecturers in Debate

Posted 4:33pm Saturday 17th August 2024 by Hanna Varrs

In the first iteration of a students versus lecturers POLSA debate, last Monday August 12th a team of “white male law students” (their words) pipped their professors at the post. A keen crowd of peers gathered in the Richardson Building Moot Court to witness the battle over whether or Read more...

Young Writers Fest Coming to Town

Posted 4:30pm Saturday 17th August 2024 by Nina Brown

Back for its 10th year, Ōtepoti will be hosting the New Zealand Young Writers Festival on September 13-15th, a (free) three-day festival produced by Dunedin Fringe. This year’s program, which dropped last Wednesday, is packed with a diverse range of panel discussions, workshops and Read more...

New Venue ‘Dropkicks’ Announced

Posted 4:27pm Saturday 17th August 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Captain Cook and Dive Bar’s grave is soon to welcome new occupants. The building, which has been up for lease since 2022, will soon be occupied by a venue called ‘Dropkicks’, set to be open this September. Musos and students rejoice, something fucking great just happened. The Read more...

New Venue ‘Dropkicks’ Announced

Posted 7:20pm Monday 12th August 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Captain Cook and Dive Bar’s grave is soon to welcome new occupants. The building, which has been up for lease since 2022, will soon be occupied by a venue called ‘Dropkicks’, set to be open this September. Musos and students rejoice, something fucking great just happened. The Read more...

Problems Reported at Award-Winning Te Rangihīroa College

Posted 11:47pm Saturday 10th August 2024 by Gryffin Powell

Te Rangihīroa College had a rocky start at the beginning of the year, flooding mere 24 hours into its first full-time residents moving in. It has now been alleged to Critic Te Ārohi by multiple sources that the flooding was the first of other issues. The hall, which is the Read more...

Uni Flats Unplugged

Posted 10:58pm Saturday 10th August 2024 by Jodie Evans

A number of Uni Flat residents are feeling left in the dark after a series of evening power outages occurred without explanation in the peak of Dunner's winter. In an effort to stay warm, residents went to bed early and “piled on blankets” all the while feeling miffed. However, an Read more...

Med Revue Review

Posted 10:57pm Saturday 10th August 2024 by Jonathan McCabe

Medagascar: Med Revue 2024 went off without a hitch. The three night show sold incredibly well and, beating the insular claims, not just to Med students! From August 1st until the 3rd, med students took a few hours break from their rigorous 16-hour-day study schedules to put on one hell of a Read more...

International Film Festival Comes to Dunners

Posted 10:54pm Saturday 10th August 2024 by Adam Stitely

The New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF) is coming down to dirty Dunners from the 15th to the 25th of August. This means it’s time to grab your least conspicuous trench-coat (the snacks won’t sneak themselves in) and try to remember something from your year 10 French class (je Read more...

Catacombs Wets The Bed

Posted 10:49pm Saturday 10th August 2024 by Nina Brown

Moshtix sent disappointed ticket-holders for the ‘Pink Pony Club: Pop Party’ an email last Wednesday announcing that the event had to be postponed – not because Chappell Roan would never willingly set foot in the dank den of DnB (Catacombs ofc), but because of Read more...

Inside Out? More Like Dance Your Heart Out

Posted 10:40pm Saturday 10th August 2024 by Molly Smith-Soppet

The Otago Dance Association’s annual showcase is fast-approaching, scheduled for September 28 in the College Auditorium. This year, the ODA’s exec have chosen to base the showcase on Pixar’s Inside Out, the 2015 cartoon movie applauded for its colourful depiction of the inner Read more...

Students Protest University’s Silence on Palestine

Posted 3:41pm Sunday 4th August 2024 by Iris Hehir

A crowd of 100 student protesters marched from Union Lawn to the Clocktower on Tuesday, 30 July, to protest the University of Otago's continued silence on Palestine. Otago Students for Justice in Palestine (OSJP) are demanding the University declare Palestine an “independent and sovereign Read more...

Youths Get Crafty For Palestine

Posted 3:31pm Sunday 4th August 2024 by Gryffin Powell

Crochet and fundraising are quite possibly the two most wholesome things you could pair together. Luckily for Aotearoa, the Crochet for Palestine raffle means you can experience just this in the next few weeks. For just five bucks a pop, you can enter the raffle, closing August 11th. Critic Te Read more...

Big Red May Become Just ‘Big’

Posted 3:01pm Sunday 4th August 2024 by Hugh Askerud

A makeover is on the cards for the iconic Big Red Castle Street flat. In a recent Trade Me listing which put the flat up for rent in 2025, DNA Property Management described big plans to make the dingy den “into a nice place to call home [...] rather than how it looks now.” To Read more...

Dunedin Sound Icon Martin Phillipps Dies at 61

Posted 2:59pm Sunday 4th August 2024 by Jordan Irvine

Martin Phillipps, lead singer and songwriter of legendary Dunedin band The Chills, died unexpectedly on Sunday, July 29th. Revered as an icon for crafting the legendary New Zealand anthem ‘Pink Frost’, the singer was a beloved local figure. At age 15, Phillipps began his music career Read more...

Look After Your Mates: A Broader Reminder

Posted 2:56pm Sunday 4th August 2024 by Hanna Varrs

During OUSA Student Support’s recent Winter Wellbeing Week, students may have noticed ‘Look After Your Mates’ campaign posters on campus from the OUSA Student Exec. Critic Te Ārohi spoke to OUSA Welfare and Equity Rep Tara Shepherd, who spearheaded the campaign and explained Read more...

Hayward’s Dryer Fiasco “Anarchy”

Posted 2:50pm Sunday 4th August 2024 by Hugh Askerud

What’s that smell? Hayward College, according to its residents. In a letter to the editor, one student tipped Critic Te Ārohi that the hall has been left with just one functioning dryer for two months and no hot water showers for its 176 residents, welcoming a “barf-inducing B.O. Read more...

Auckland Beats Otago in Football Quarterfinals

Posted 2:47pm Sunday 4th August 2024 by Robbie Heller

Chatham Cup fever struck Dunedin on Saturday, July 27, as the University Football Club took on New Zealand football powerhouse Auckland City in the quarterfinals. Held at Logan Park, it was a true David vs Goliath battle, with Auckland claiming a 5-1 win in front of a (slightly sloshed) student army Read more...

Residential Rep Resigns

Posted 2:45pm Sunday 4th August 2024 by Nina Brown

The Student Exec’s Residential Rep has resigned from the position for “personal reasons.” This comes mere weeks after the former Finance and Strategy Officer also resigned from her post, with the by-election last week electing a replacement for the position. At their weekly meeting Read more...

Breatha Lands FSO Position at By-Election

Posted 2:43pm Sunday 4th August 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Second-year Daniel Leamy would have had one hell of a Wednesday night after winning last week’s OUSA Finance and Strategy Officer by-election by a razor-thin five vote margin. Copping 50.74% of the votes, Daniel beat out his opponent, none other than Critic Te Arohi Bachelor Joel Tebbs, 172 Read more...

Otago Skiers Win Big at Canterbury Campus Comp

Posted 2:40pm Sunday 4th August 2024 by Nina Brown

The Otago Uni Snow Sports Club (OUSSC) “brought the energy” at the annual CUBA JIB in Christchurch on Wednesday, July 24th. The Red Bull-sponsored Re-Ori event is a ski and snowboarding competition run by the Canterbury Uni Boardriders Association, held right on campus. They welcomed Read more...

U-Bar Renos Chop Green Room

Posted 2:09pm Sunday 4th August 2024 by Hugh Askerud

U-Bar’s green room (where bands and their mates hang out during gigs) is no longer available for use, leaving musos and ardent Pint Night goers in despair. This comes after the bar’s recent renovations, which saw Pint Night temporarily shifted to Auahi Ora for the last handful of first Read more...

‘The Dairy’ Back on the Market

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

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...

Rob Roy Dairy Sold To New Owners

Posted 8:40pm Sunday 28th July 2024 by Angus Rees

Rob Roy has been officially sold to a new owner as of July 17th. The iconic Dunedin dairy, famous for its hefty amounts of ice cream and massive cones (wheyyyy), had been up for sale since March 2nd before being purchased by new owners the Wednesday before last.  As the old guard looks to Read more...

Finance and Strategy Officer By-Election

Posted 8:35pm Sunday 28th July 2024 by Critic

Following the resignation of the Finance and Strategy Officer on the OUSA student exec, there is a by-election happening to fill the position. OUSA accepted the nominations of two candidates last week: Daniel Leamy and Joel Tebbs.  Voting is open this week from Monday to Wednesday, July 31st Read more...

Vic Uni Staff & Students Call for Divestment from Israel

Posted 7:56pm Sunday 28th July 2024 by Monty O’Rielly

Pressure continues to mount for universities across the motu to express solidarity with Palestine. Pōneke Wellington has seen successive protests, the most recent involving Massey students calling for their university to divest from investments in Israeli Government Bonds. Now, Victoria Read more...

Poker-Playing Students Invite Buy-Ins

Posted 7:54pm Sunday 28th July 2024 by Hugh Askerud

Students have flocked to Cosy Dell after two open-invite poker games were advertised to the student body last week. Posted on Castle 24 (before being removed by organisers), the games were advertised as a $50-100 buy-in event, inviting students to rock up for an evening of good old-fashioned poker Read more...

DCC Proposes Time Limits to North D Parks

Posted 7:49pm Sunday 28th July 2024 by Hanna Varrs

The Dunedin District Council (DCC) is proposing changes to 60 parks on the student-riddled street of Harbour Terrace. According to the DCC, these changes will occur in two places: “the block between Union Street and St David Street; and the block between St David Street and Dundas Read more...

Icy Plunge Secures $3k for Mental Health Support

Posted 7:45pm Sunday 28th July 2024 by Hugh Askerud

A second-year battler has raised $3k for mental health support after swimming in the recent New Zealand Ice Swimming Championships at Alexandra Pool on July 10-13th. Now that’s Dunedin-core. Maddy spoke to Critic Te Ārohi about the struggles of the race and her motivations for taking Read more...

‘Flipper Fest’ For Feathered Friends

Posted 7:42pm Sunday 28th July 2024 by Sam Smith-Soppet

A genre-diverse festival called Flipper Fest has been scheduled for August 9-10th, all in the name of the Yellow Eyed Penguin Trust. Platforming local musos of the current Dunedin Sound, the festival promises to merge surf rock with punk and indie-adjacent sounds to make for a rip-roaring Read more...

Exec Propose to Pay Themselves More

Posted 7:40pm Sunday 28th July 2024 by Nina Brown

An emergency meeting was held between the OUSA Exec last week to discuss the proposal of paying themselves more. Given they’re currently paid $20.50 per hour pre-tax (minimum wage in NZ is $23.15) you can see their reasoning. They plan to present proposed remuneration changes to the student Read more...

Shrexy U-Bar Kicks off Re-Ori

Posted 4:17pm Saturday 20th July 2024 by Gryffin Powell

After U-Bar was SWAMPED with closure for much of the second half of first semester (cue wails from Pint Night loyalists), its semester two debut was OUSA’s very own Shrek rave – presented by yours truly.  Boasting free entry and complimentary glow sticks – potentially in a Read more...

Closed Caption Lectures (Hopefully) A Step Closer

Posted 4:15pm Saturday 20th July 2024 by Gryffin Powell

In a win for accessibility and people who swear they can’t hear without subtitles, closed-captions in lectures appear to be getting closer to reality for Otago tauira. Last week, all students were emailed a link for surveys inviting them to give feedback on a policy proposed by the OUSA Exec Read more...

Students Pressure Unis for Stance on Palestine

Posted 3:38pm Saturday 20th July 2024 by Nina Brown

Students for Justice in Palestine across the motu are continuing to pressure their universities to take political stances on the war on Palestine. Universities continue to defend their positions of “institutional neutrality” – a position students might have been willing to accept Read more...

Capping Show Claims Edinburgh Ripped Off ‘Beezie’ Theme

Posted 3:36pm Saturday 20th July 2024 by Molly Smith-Soppet

A recent Edinburgh Realty ad campaign has raised eyebrows after students noticed it looked somewhat similar to the Capping Show’s Barbie-esque theme. Edinburgh? More like Edinbruh. With similarities in colour palette, characters, and terminology, Capping Show members have voiced their Read more...

Free Brekky Attracts Porridge Pinchers

Posted 3:32pm Saturday 20th July 2024 by Robbie Heller

Rumours of a porridge thief swept the free brekky community last week after successive mornings saw the porridge stock depleted quicker than you can say “oatmeal.” Breakfast runs from the OUSA Clubs and Socs building from 8:30am every morning, but claims say that the porridge has been Read more...

Exec Member’s Ghosting Prompts By-Election

Posted 3:24pm Saturday 20th July 2024 by Hugh Askerud

A by-election for the Finance and Strategy Officer role on the OUSA Student Exec has been called. Abby Clayton, who occupied the role last semester, bowed out of her Exec position last Monday, July 15th. Her formal resignation followed a month of radio silence, with repeated attempts to reach the Read more...

OUSA Referendum Results Are In

Posted 8:42pm Saturday 13th July 2024 by Nina Brown

The OUSA referendum was at the end of last semester. All enrolled Otago Uni students were emailed a link to an online survey to have their say on what OUSA should focus their efforts on. Questions were able to be submitted by students prior to being put to vote, and after some to and fro (with many Read more...

Daddy Grant Graces the Vice Chancellor’s Throne

Posted 8:36pm Saturday 13th July 2024 by Nina Brown

July 1st marked Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka’s freshly minted Vice Chancellor Grant Robertson’s first day on the job. The former OUSA President and Deputy Prime Minister has had a busy first couple weeks of welcomes, meetings, and media attention, telling the Uni Council at his first Read more...

OUSA Student Support Has New Digs

Posted 8:32pm Saturday 13th July 2024 by Gryffin Powell

OUSA Student Support shifted locations early last week, vacating its building on Ethel Benjamin (behind Clubs and Socs) and moving into the old National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies – a casualty of the University’s financial strain.  For those unfamiliar, OUSA Student Read more...