ACP names top collegiate student magazines

Pacemaker competition recognizes 27 finalists

Aug. 30, 2023

MINNEAPOLIS — The Associated College Press recognized 27 top collegiate student magazines as finalists in its prestigious Pacemaker competition. 

Finalists will be honored and winners announced at the ACP Pacemaker and Individual Awards Ceremony at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 30, at the Fall National College Media Convention, in Atlanta.

“The Pacemaker is the association’s preeminent award,” executive director Laura Widmer said. “ACP is honored to recognize the best of the best.”

The 27 magazines named as finalists represent 12 states. From the 27 finalists, nine will earn Pacemakers. Magazines competed in feature/general audience and literary arts divisions. Magazines produced at four-year and two year institutions competed in separate categories.

In the feature magazine category, there are 13 finalists — three from two-year and ten from four-year institutions. Of these 13 finalists, three will earn Pacemakers.

In the literary arts magazine category, there are 14 finalists — five from two-year and nine from four-year institutions. Of these 14 finalists, six will earn Pacemakers.

Three judges, with extensive magazine-editing and advising experience, studied each entry discussing and analyzing its strengths and weaknesses.

Gary Lundgren, ACP associate director and coordinator of the Pacemaker competition, noted the quality of the winning student magazines rivals those produced by professionals.

“The verbal and visual storytelling in the winning magazines is incredible and robust long-form stories combined with shorter quick-reads to pace the reader through the pages of the feature magazines,” Lundgren said.

“And the creativity displayed in the literary arts magazines is incredible — the unique formats and creative designs make the magazines themselves a work of art,” he said.

Finalists are alphabetical by state.

El Sol
Southwestern College
Chula Vista, California
Editors-in-chief: Liliana Anguiano, Nicolette Monique Luna
Advisers: Max Branscomb, Kenneth Pagano

Inside Fullerton
Fullerton College
Fullerton, California
Editors-in-chief: Mariana E.G., Ian Winstanley
Adviser: Jessica Langlois

The Bleed
Lane Community College
Eugene, Oregon
Editors-in-chief: Jessica Harris, Stephanie Walen
Adviser: Tom Madison

Pursuit
California Baptist University
Riverside, California
Editors-in-chief: Caleb Chong, Camille Grochowski, Kia Harlan, Madison Kirkland
Adviser: Sonya Singh

Ke Alaka’i
Brigham Young University-Hawaii
Laie, Hawaii
Editors-in-chief: Rahel Meyer, Hadley Wurtz
Adviser: LeeAnn Lambert

Drake Mag
Drake University
Des Moines, Iowa
Editor-in-chief: Annie Peterson
Adviser: Jeff Inman

Envision
Andrews University
Berrien Springs, Michigan
Editors-in-chief: T. Lynn Caldwell, Scott Moncrieff, Diane Myers, Dave Sherwin, Dan Weber

Jerk
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York
Editor-in-chief: Zoe Glasser
Adviser: Harriet Brown

Salt
Syracuse University
Syracuse, New York
Editor-in-chief: Staff
Adviser: Claudia Strong

Beaver’s Digest
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon
Editor-in-chief: Sukhjot Sal
Adviser: Jennifer Moody

DAMchic
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon
Editor-in-chief: Naomi Kleinschmit
Adviser: Jennifer Moody

Flux
University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
Editor-in-chief: Nick LaMora
Advisers: Steven Asbury, Charlie Butler

El Espejo
Texas A&M University-San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
Editors-in-chief: Serenity Hernandez Bogert, Miranda Rodriguez
Adviser: Donna Pazdera

WALL Literary Journal
Saddleback College
Mission Viejo, California
Editor-in-chief: Lizeth Tello
Adviser: Gina Victoria Shaffer

AXIS
Miami Dade College, North Campus
Miami, Florida
Editor-in-chief: Lea Rabaron
Advisers: Carmen Bucher, Eric Cornish, Kate Noonan

Urbana
Miami Dade College, Padrón Campus
Miami, Florida
Editors-in-chief: Maria Alejandra Albarracin, Nicole Viloria
Adviser: Niki Goenaga

Phoenix
Valencia College
Orlando, Florida
Editor-in-chief: Carrigan Raketic
Advisers: Meg Curtiss, Jackie Zuromski

Impulse
Rockland Community College
Suffern, New York
Editors-in-chief: Jenna Chong, Trevor Grant, Beck Larkin, Mabel Serulle, Anthony Viola
Advisers: Kristian Dougherty, Eileen MacAvery Kane

The Auburn Circle
Auburn University
Auburn, Alabama
Editor-in-chief: Ren Carroll
Adviser: Billy Ferris

Aquarian
Jacksonville University
Jacksonville, Florida
Editor-in-chief: Abigail Neff
Advisers: Robert Dew, Nicholas McNally

Erato
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, Georgia
Editor-in-chief: Jimmy Lui
Adviser: D. McCall Pitts

SCAN
Savannah College of Art and Design, Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Editor-in-chief: Eva Erhardt
Adviser: Katherine Medina

Port City Review
Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah, Georgia
Editor-in-chief: Kaitlynne Rainne
Adviser: Katherine Medina

Square 95
Savannah College of Art and Design
Savannah, Georgia
Editor-in-chief: Kaitlynne Rainne
Adviser: Katherine Medina

Colonnades Literary & Art Magazine
Elon University
Elon, North Carolina
Editor-in-chief: Caroline DiFrango
Advisers: Andrew Perry, Tita Ramírez

Prism
Oregon State University
Corvallis, Oregon
Editor-in-chief: Maricruz Trenado-Frias
Adviser: Steven Sandberg

Amendment
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, Virginia
Editor-in-chief: Syd Lewin
Advisers: Jessica Clary, Mark Jeffries, Owen Martin