These MDC Publications Are In The Hunt For A National Pacemaker

Four Miami Dade College student publications—AXIS, Urbana, Miambiance and The Reporter—have been selected as finalists for the prestigious Pacemaker award.

The prize, awarded by the Associated Collegiate Press, is the highest distinction given to collegiate publications. Finalists were selected based on work published during the 2021-22 academic year.

Winners will be announced at the Fall National College Media Convention in Washington, D.C. on Oct 28.

The Reporter, the student media outlet at Miami Dade College, is one of six finalists nationwide in the two-year student newspaper category.

Among the top stories tackled by the publication last year: A feature on an 11-year-old—Noah Thomas—taking classes at Kendall Campus, coverage of the College’s return to in-person classes and a profile on a baseball player who competed at MDC last year after defecting from the Cuban National Team.

The paper has won three Pacemakers since its founding in 2010 and was awarded the prize last year.

In addition, Ammy Sanchez, who served as the publication’s editor-in-chief, is a finalist for various individual ACP awards including Reporter of the Year and Sports Feature Story.

“This means the absolute world to me,” said Sanchez, who is now a junior studying organizational communications at Florida International University. “I’m blessed to have been part of such a high-caliber newspaper.”

In the two-year literary magazine category, MDC placed three of the six finalists—AXIS at North Campus, Urbana at Eduardo J. Padrón Campus and Miambiance at Kendall Campus.

AXIS, the literary arts magazine at North Campus, has been a Pacemaker finalist the past five years. They won the prize in 2018, 2020 and 2021.

Last year’s publication took an existentialist approach to the deconstruction and reconstruction of the self through pieces that showcased secret confessions, dream aspirations and coming-of-age stories.

“We really wanted our readers to witness a journey of self-discovery that they could relate to within the magazine,” said Anthony Barrios, who served as the editor-in-chief for AXIS last year.

Miambiance, the literary arts magazine at Kendall Campus, has won Pacemakers in 2009 and 2018.

Their volume concentrated on student self-expression through horror pieces that showcased body parts such as lungs, breasts and female genitalia. They represented topics like eating disorders and sexual abuse.

“I feel really proud to see it being nominated [and] getting recognition,” said Megan Carrion, the editor-in-chief of Miambiance last year. “It was a huge labor of love.”

Urbana, the literary arts magazine at the Eduardo J. Padrón Campus, won an Innovation Pacemaker last year. This year’s issue focused on a coming-of-age theme, featuring pieces reflecting on first experiences and overcoming trauma.

Additionally, several Urbanites were selected as finalists for individual ACP awards including Social Media Campaign, Podcast, Blog and Social Media Promotion.

“We put heart and passion into it,” said Stefani Davila, who served as the magazine’s co-editor-in-chief. “Seeing we were nominated made us feel accomplished.”

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