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...

Erections Continue at New College

Posted 3:30pm Friday 1st October 2021 by Fox Meyer

There’s a new residential college going up by Emerson’s brewery, in case you’ve been wondering what all the dramatic scaffolding is for. Te Rangihīroa College is set to be operational by semester two, 2023. Chief Operating Officer Stephen Willis told Critic that the college Read more...

Behind the Counter: Employment Law Breaches, Bullying, and Sexual Harassment in Uni Hall Kitchens

Posted 1:56pm Monday 20th September 2021 by Elliot Weir

CW: sexual harassment, homophobia, sexism, and racism. Kitchen staff are a key part of the first-year experience in residential colleges. They dish up mashed potatoes and chicken cordon bleu for hundreds of already-drunk freshers on a Thursday night, and take their dishes from them afterwards. Read more...

Is Living in A Twin Room Hell?

Posted 2:47pm Sunday 18th July 2021 by Erin Gourley

Living in a twin room might seem like your worst nightmare, but you do save a lot of money compared with the usual price of living in one of Otago’s residential colleges.  “I can’t image paying full price,” said Carolina*, who lives in a twin room in Aquinas. She only Read more...

Locked In: what happened when RAs were locked down in residential colleges

Posted 10:41pm Saturday 10th April 2021 by Annabelle Vaughan

Lockdown exposed problems with residential colleges. Residential assistants (RAs, this year known as Sub-wardens) had heavy expectations placed on them. Whether it was managing first years’ mental health or fighting for fair pay, lockdown placed a spotlight on conditions of work in residential Read more...

Boutique Hotel Takes the L, Repurposed into Student Accommodation

Posted 6:01pm Saturday 6th March 2021 by Quintin Jane

Otago University has converted its Executive Residence boutique hotel into student accommodation for 2021.  The Executive Residence, also known as “that fancy house on Union Street East,” is now being managed by University College as a part of the University’s expansion of Read more...