On Oct. 27, 2018, Andrews University’s student-produced Envision magazine received a Pacemaker award from the Associated Collegiate Press (ACP).
Known as “collegiate journalism’s preeminent award,” the Pacemaker awards are presented yearly by the ACP. Paul Kim, chair of the university's Department of Visual Art, Communication & Design, says, “These [Pacemaker awards] are widely referred to as the Pulitzer Prizes of collegiate journalism.”
Entries for the Pacemaker awards span a variety of publication types including online, newspapers, yearbooks and magazines. Each entry is carefully judged on coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership, design, photography and graphics.
Heather Thompson Day, associate professor of communication at Andrews University and editor of Envision magazine, further describes the significance of this award. “We competed against schools such as Harvard, Columbia and Baylor. The top 17 magazine publications in the nation were selected out of approximately 125 entries from their prospective schools. The Pacemaker signifies which schools set the pace for magazine publication in the country.” She adds, “I would also like to note we were one of very few Christian schools to be nominated, and I believe we were the only Christian school to win.”
Envision magazine received the Pacemaker award for their recent 10th issue, which featured Mekayla Eppers, Mrs. America 2018. Pictured on the cover holding a #MeToo sign, Eppers poignantly opens up about her own personal experiences with sexual abuse. The magazine also included stories, pitched by young college students, titled “Why are Christians So Fake?” “Can I be a Christian and a Feminist?” “Facebook is Making Me Hate My Friends,” “DACA and the Death of Dreams,” and “17 Years a Slave.”
Visit envisionmag.com to read the Envision blog, view writing submission requirements and watch behind-the-scenes videos about the people featured in the magazine and the student teams who pull it all together.
Founded in 1874, Andrews University is the flagship institution of higher education for the Seventh-day Adventist Church and offers more than 200 areas of study including advanced degrees. Its main campus is in Berrien Springs, Michigan, but the university also provides instruction at colleges and universities in 19 countries around the world.
— Hannah Gallant is a university Communication student writer.