Student Publication Wins BIG!!

This past Friday evening (10-28) was the awards banquet for the Florida College System Publications Association Annual College Magazine Competition sponsored by the FCSAA (Florida College System Activities Association). The Phoenix, a Valencia-student run annual juried publication, competed with others from around the state, and once again, we THEY WON FIRST PLACE OVERALL, and were awarded the “General Excellence” plaque. Please notice that they earned 9 first place awards and a third place for the publication design and the content of the publication! Below are the specific awards:

Valencia College, Phoenix magazine: General Excellence Award (based on overall points): 1st place

Poetry (collection): 1st place

• Michael Martin, “Delayed Reaction” (100)
• Helen MacMaster, “Sister” (53)
• Philip Pantely, “Good Friday” (76)

Poem: 3rd place

• Michael Martin, “Delayed Reaction” (100)

Nonfiction: 1st place

• Merlaine Sivels, “Daddy Issues” (39)

Art: 1st place

• Alyssa Aviles, “Self Portrait” (93)

Illustration with Text, Individual: 1st place

• Alyssa Aviles, “Endless Adoration” (51)

Illustrations with Texts (collection), Magazine: 1st place

• Alyssa Aviles, “Endless Adoration” (51)
• Alyssa Aviles, “Skull Balloons” (71)
• Angel Rivera, “Death Angel” (60)

Design: 1st place

• Meg Lavinghousez and Patrick O’Connor

Editing: 1st place

• Echo Slocum

Cover: 1st place

• Meg Lavinghousez and Patrick O’Connor

Contents Page: 1st place

• Meg Lavinghousez and Patrick O’Connor

***Special award! The Debra Vazquez award in poetry is given to one poem annually to honor a slain English teacher and poet who was a key presence in the FCSAA until her untimely death in 2004. For the first time ever, one of the Phoenix  poets, Helen MacMaster, has won this award with her poem “Sister.”

This awards list will soon be posted on the Phoenix page (valenciacollege.edu/phoenix), and they hope to include the texts and images on their web page, too.