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...