Features
Diverse Talents Converge in Estuaries
Adding to Miami Dade College’s already impressive collection of student literary magazines, MDC’s Homestead Campus has launched its own student publication, Estuaries.
Garnering immediate acclaim from students, faculty, administrators and alumni, the magazine showcases some of the best poems, essays, short stories, visual art and photos from students at the campus.
High Caliber of Work
“The quality was excellent,” said faculty advisor Professor José Blanco, who solicited submissions in his English and creative writing classes. “This inaugural edition is truly a testament to our students’ shared vision and boundless creativity.”
The publication also stands as a shining example of how much diversity can be encapsulated on just one of the College’s campuses.
“What made our first edition all the more compelling was how reflective it was of the student population,” he added. “Estuaries presents a wonderful cross-section of South Florida culture and human experiences.”
Interdisciplinary Effort
Students from various majors had an opportunity to contribute to the magazine, which published works from more than four dozen writers and visual artists. The experience allowed them to collaborate with other students whom they never may have met or worked with otherwise.
“Interacting with my classmates was my favorite part and definitely very rewarding,” said Essays Editor Heidi Malaret, who will graduate from MDC with an associate degree this fall and hopes to pursue a bachelor’s degree in public relations. “I was able to tackle different styles of writing, and reading and editing other people’s work made me aspire to be a better writer. I’m happy I had a chance to play a role in this project. If I hadn’t taken that class, I don’t know if I would have been involved in this or played as big a part.”
Acclaimed Publications
Joining a tradition of excellence, Estuaries complements five other award-winning student literary magazines at MDC, including Metromorphosis (Wolfson Campus), Miambiance (Kendall Campus), Axis (North Campus), Café Cultura (Hialeah Campus) and Urbana (InterAmerican Campus).
The magazine’s name holds special meaning for Homestead Campus, said Blanco, explaining that when it was in the planning stages, Estuaries seemed to be the perfect symbol of life in South Dade and at MDC as a whole. At this unique College, a confluence of artistic and intellectual endeavors nourishes creativity and spawns new opportunities.
— AMS