Three MDC Student Publications Are Pacemaker Finalists
Miami Dade College student publications The Reporter, Urbana and AXIS have been selected as Pacemaker finalists by the Associated Collegiate Press.
All three won a National Pacemaker, the highest collegiate distinction, last year.
Winners will be announced on Oct. 30 at the Associated Collegiate Press/ College Media Association Fall National College Media Convention in Atlanta.
The Reporter was one of four publications nationwide selected as a finalist in the two-year newspaper/news magazine category.
“This means a lot to the staff of volume 13,” said Juan S. Gomez, the paper’s editor-in-chief during the 2022-23 academic year. “Through hard work, we are continuing to uphold the legacy of [The Reporter].”
To be considered, the paper submitted three full issues produced this past school year. The work was analyzed by two teams of three judges based on the strength of its design and content.
The Reporter has won Pacemakers the past two years and has been a finalist five years in a row. It has collected four Pacemakers since its inception in 2010.
It serves as MDC’s college-wide student newspaper, printing 10,250 copies each month, producing a bi-weekly newsletter and is augmented by its social media channels and an online website.
Urbana and AXIS were selected as finalists in the two-year literary arts magazine category based on content produced last school year. Five community college magazines were selected as finalists.
They were selected by three judges with magazine-editing and advising experience.
AXIS, the North Campus literary and arts magazine, has dominated the contest in recent years. They have been finalists for the award the past six years and won the honor four times including the past three years.
In August, the College Media Association selected the publication as a Pinnacle Finalist in the Two-Year Literary Magazine of the Year category.
Their most recent issue, which celebrates the publication’s 20th edition, explored themes of reminiscence and renewal through pieces reflecting on memories, time, self-image and social issues.
“We put in a lot of hard work and the hard work is paying off,” said Bianca Jules, who is the magazine’s editor-in-chief this school year. “So we’re really excited about it and we’re really proud of that.”
Urbana, the literary and arts magazine at Eduardo J. Padrón campus, won its first magazine Pacemaker last year. The publication received an Innovation Pacemaker in 2021.
Since its founding in 2007, the magazine has blossomed into a literary heavyweight in the community college landscape, securing awards from the ACP, CMA and the Florida College System Publications Association.
In addition to the magazine, Urbana has a podcast, a YouTube Channel, a robust social media presence and a blog.
This year’s issue centered on the theme of collage, with pieces highlighting the beauty of unity, self-expression and the unique experiences that shape human beings.
“It’s honestly great to recognize the student work, to show that we did it and [that] we were able to really push through it,” said Maria Alejandra Albarracin, who served as co-editor-in-chief of Urbana last year. “It’s really great to see everyone working together.”
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