Few people know more about what’s going on at Douglas College than Angela Espinoza. As news editor of the Other Press, the college’s student newspaper, that’s her job.

When she isn’t writing about campus events and student issues, Angela is busy finishing an Associate of Arts degree. She plans to transfer to SFU after she’s done at Douglas.

Normally, Angela’s the one asking the questions. But she was happy to let us interview her about what it’s like being news editor:

What do you do at the paper?

I’m the news editor. I mainly write and edit stories about Douglas and cover New Westminster and Coquitlam news. Interviews play a major role in news articles, so I often speak with college staff or other figures throughout New West and Coquitlam. College sports are also covered in the section.

How did you get started at the paper?

During a fall orientation in 2009, I passed by the Other Press’ booth and met then Editor-in-Chief Liam Britten. He encouraged me to come to the meetings and eventually I started writing. I became Arts Editor, from 2011 to 2013, before taking a break and moving onto News last March.

What do you like most about the job?

With editing, I love to try and bring a piece to its fullest potential. Communication is another aspect I enjoy, as interviews are always an opportunity to learn something new.

What was a particularly interesting or memorable assignment you’ve had?

Last October I wrote a story about Douglas’ Women’s Centres. At the time, the centres had been without student staffing for 10 months. As the centres are safe spaces, I felt the topic was important for students. I spent three weeks conducting interviews, researching, and eventually learned what happened.

How can students get involved with the paper?

We meet every Monday at 6pm in room 1020 at the New West campus. There you can meet with volunteers and staff, and contributing is a great way to get writing and paid volunteer experience. We’re hiring right now, so you could also get a job out of it.

You can read Angela’s stories and more on the Other Press website.