STATISTICS FROM THE STUDY 7,/00 The number of students attend- ing UNBC and CNC in Prince George $44,066 The average annual salary of UNBC graduates 12,000 The number of visitors who came to CNC and UNBC in 2004/05 for academic con- ferences, sports events, and graduation ceremonies -~ 1/10 ‘The proportion of residents ir Prince George who are students at CNC or UNBC $33,618 The average annual salary of CNC graduates 2/3 The proportion of CNC and UNBC graduates who stay in Prince George million The amount of money con- tributed to the Prince George Economy as a result of post- secondary student, faculty, and institutional spending IN THIS ISSUE: NEWS isccscayisscviciocccsnuvorpiaeneatacennercerress Sportsane!GIUBS eka .ccsvestaccsseess Fea tUne ce dec teramcnnentrancianis Opinions? «...2° mse. Arts and Entertainment REVIQWS ceesssscssessescsecensessersee Bs (GOMICS Sassescsesescce cotasiaeeeeaiNasasssaaspeaeee Volume 12 Issue 2 VER THE EDGE September 28, 2005 Printing nudity for a good cause since 1994 Students and Staff Worth $721 BELINDA LI Dr. Stephen Rader, a chemistry professor at UNBC, discusses his vision of the future of biotechnology industry in Prince George on Education Economy Day at the Farmer’s Market. ANDREW KURJATA NEWS EDITOR Students, politicians, and UNBC staff members were on hand as Mayor Colin Kinsley proclaimed September 17 to be “education economy day’, in _ tecognition of the contribution post- secondary institutions have made to Prince George and its businesses. At an event put on by the Downtown Business Improvement Association (DBIA), a new study revealed that the University of Northern British Colum- bia and the College of New Caledonia inject a combined total of $721 million annually into the local economy as a result of students, faculty, visitors, and institutional spending. The announcement took place in Wilson Square downtown, across from the courthouse. Sharing space with the weekly Farmer's Market, the event was designed to build links between stu- dents and residents of Prince George. It kicked off with a free pancake breakfast provided by the CNC Culinary Arts Program and an invitation for students and residents to give feedback about the Farmer's Market while perusing its goods: Following this was a series of speech- es presided over by DBIA member Blair Moffat, who welcomed students and espoused the benefits that UNBC and CNC have brought to the city. He was followed by Mayor Colin Kinsley, who mentioned the attractions Prince George has for students, such as its lakes, hikes, and pub crawl. He then unveiled the findings of a report con- ducted by UNBC Co-op student Tara Bogh, which found that Prince George is the smallest community in Canada to offer its wide range of degree programs, has the highest per capita student population in British Columbia (one in ten), and has a rapidly rising propor- tion of residents with a university de- gree (53% from 1991-2001). Next was Dr. Stephen Rader, a biochemist from San Francisco who is currently teaching at UNBC, He talked about his research in the field of RNA splicing and his goal of bringing the biotechnology industry to Prince George by training students and creat- ing the intellectual pool needed to. at- tract companies to the region. Finally, CNC student Amanda Horaine talked about why she chose to pursue her for- est resource technology degree in Prince George rather than locate elsewhere, citing the exemplary staff, resources, student services and field training. “Prince George is the smallest ity in Canada to of- fer its wide range of degree programs, has the highest per capita student population in British Columbia ...” comimun- The morning concluded with a scavenger hunt in which ‘students searched downtown for answers to questions about Prince George such as Smt, “In what month is the Prince George Folkfest?” and “What is Mr. PG wear- ing on his head?” They were aided by neatly 500 volunteers wearing “Ask Me About Prince George” buttons located throughout the downtown area. They were also given welcome bags with information, promotional items, and coupons donated by downtown busi- nesses. Janet Morris-Reade, Executive Direc- tor of the DBIA, was extremely pleased with the turn-out and the enthusi- asm expressed by both the students and residents in attendance. “[It was] shocking how much people wanted to jump on board,” she said, commenting on the number of volunteers helping in the scavenger hunt. The real measure of success was in how much it managed to link students to the community.“ don't make it out here often,’ said Neil Bailey, one of many students in attendance, “and it’s good to get students involved in the community.’ For more information visit http:// www.downtownpg,com. On the Digital Front The latest trend in digital music is broadcasting radio shows over the = Internet. See what Over the Edge’s resident tech columnist has to say.