For Colin Stark, current Prince George Citizen reporter and former Editor-in-Chief of Over The Edge, the journey into journalism began with a simple desire to write. “I wanted an outlet for writing that wasn’t one of my classes, that was more fun,” Stark recalls of his initial involvement with UNBC’s student newspaper.
Before taking the helm as Editor-in-Chief for the 2015-2016 academic year, Stark’s journalism experience included high school writing classes and work experiences with the Prince George Citizen and local CBC Radio Bureau. His first contribution to Over The Edge was a review comparing DC and Marvel comics’ relaunches – a far cry from the faculty strikes and administrative controversies he would later cover.
“At the end of the 2014-15 academic year, basically the entire staff and board of directors were leaving,” Stark explains. The previous editor, Jasmine Kirk, recommended he apply for the position. After an interview at Zoe’s Java House downtown, Stark received a crash course in newspaper production before taking over.
During his tenure, Stark covered significant campus events, including the 2015 faculty strike. He remembers interviewing professors on the picket line at the University Way turnoff, where English professor Kevin Hutchings brought his guitar to play union and protest songs. The paper also reported on controversial issues like NUGS’ transit pass funding challenges and the appointment of former Harper government cabinet minister James Moore as chancellor.
The newspaper published twice monthly under Stark’s leadership, though maintaining consistent content quality and quantity proved challenging. “Sometimes people just sort of wanted to write about their personal experience. People didn’t really want to write about hard-hitting stuff as much,” he reflects. To address this, Stark created a dedicated reporter position to encourage more news coverage.
One of the biggest challenges was keeping the paper alive during periods of low staff numbers and limited board membership. “In my first year, we had so few staff members and members on our board of directors that basically the biggest goal was just trying to keep it alive,” says Stark.
Looking at Over The Edge today, Stark appreciates the evolution of the paper’s design and branding. “Overall I think the graphic design looks a little more professional in general, and I like the use of the UNBC colors,” he notes, comparing it to the previous tabloid format. “I think it looks better and more professional.”
When asked about advice for current student journalists, Stark emphasizes the importance of local reporting and getting out into the community. “Sometimes it felt like a bit of an uphill struggle to get the writers to write about what’s going on in their own backyard,” he reflects. However, he maintains that student journalists can break important stories and do meaningful work, even without formal journalism training.
Today, as a professional journalist with the Prince George Citizen, Stark’s experience at Over The Edge helped shape his career path. His journey from reviewing comic books to covering city news demonstrates how student journalism can serve as a stepping stone to professional reporting while providing essential coverage of campus life.
“I’m glad it’s still active,” Stark says of Over The Edge. “It helped me figure out what I wanted to do, and so I’m glad that opportunity is still there for other people.”
