Tempo magazine earns major award in NYC

For over a quarter of a century, the editors, writers, designers and photographers of Tempo magazine have captivated readers with each issue they put out. At the 2019 Spring National College Media Convention, the latest issue of Tempo captivated judges at the 2019 CMA Apple Awards as the magazine placed second in the convention’s design contest.

Anne Kelley, Editor-in-Chief of Tempo magazine, gave her thoughts on the issue.

"I have an immense pride in Tempo because I quite literally put everything I had into creating this issue," said Kelley. "When you do that for something you love, you know when it’s close to perfect, so I’m not as surprised as some might expect that we won this award. Anyone who is an artist can understand the self-pressure of being a perfectionist and the overwhelming bliss you have when you reach your standards.

Britta Alford is the assistant editor of Tempo and described the feeling that they felt when seeing their magazine cover flash on the screen.

“Excitement; neon pink. That’s how I felt, if you can imagine it,” said Alford. “My heart was electrified, making up for the lack of words that my brain couldn’t form. We were all so happy—finally getting the recognition for all of our hard work and art.”

Alford expressed how they felt to see the image of their magazine cover in the ballroom of the Marriott Marquis that is located in the heart of Times Square.

“I’m on the cover of a magazine that won Second Place in a prestigious competition in New York City, and littered all over the insides of it,” said Alford. “What isn’t there to be absolutely psyched about?”

Like many student organizations that faced ordeals thanks to Hurricane Florence last semester, Tempo was pushed to their limits and then some when it came to getting their latest issue out.

Sarah Buddelmeyer, the art director of Tempo, gave her thoughts on seeing her publication win an award after all the hardships the staff went through in Fall 2018.

“Last semester, as my first semester of being on staff for Tempo, was very trying," said Buddelmeyer. "We had a month off for the hurricane and when we got back we basically had a month to produce the entire thing. In the end we pulled through and produced an amazing magazine! This was affirmed, especially on my end, by winning the design award at the CMA Conference in NYC. It was so rewarding to win this award, but it is even more rewarding to hear such positive feedback from the Coastal Community. We are currently working very hard to make our spring issue even better and I am so excited for our release at the end of April!”

Alford says that this issue is special to them and the award recognition in New York makes it even more special.

“Winning this award proves to, not only ourselves, but should serve as a tangible reminder to everyone that we are a force to be reckoned with,” said Alford. “Volume 21, issue 1 was a challenge from the start. Especially with the three weeks we lost due to the mandatory evacuations from the hurricane. But we did it, and we’ll do it again!”

Colin Burch, professor at Coastal Carolina and faculty adviser to Tempo, gave his thoughts on the team’s mindset to push through all the challenges they had to face.

“Our editor and art director helped us out a lot, staying in touch with everyone and being on top of things,” said Burch. “For some of the Tempo staff, that win felt like vindication for their efforts being away from campus for three weeks.”

Kelley opened up about what the issue means to her now after the issue that the staff worked so hard has now won a prestigious award.

"Holding Tempo in my hands, I still flip through its pages to take it all in, and the feeling of it is without words. It’s your creation in physical form—and it looks so good," said Kelley. "Sarah made my vision of Rebirth come to life and pop on the page. She is a superstar and Tempo will never be complete without her. We are both magic makers considering the strife we journeyed through. Now, we can officially say our magazine is award-winning."

The next issue of Tempo is set to be released towards the end of this semester and Alford has given readers a sneak peek at what to expect in the next issue of the award-winning Tempo magazine.

“We are bringing you the same boundary-pushing, ceiling-smashing content and aesthetics you’ve shown love for,” Alford said. “You can expect the fire to continue as we branch off of our last issue’s theme of rebirth and blaze forward into how each person can use their own musings of lifestyle to better themselves and the environment around them,” said Alford. “Topics like veganism, the importance of bees, more personal stories of resilience in the face of adversity, witchy vibes, travel tips and advice, and more—including an exclusive interview with internet sensation, and singer/songwriter Left At London!”

Kelley opened up about what the issue means to her now after the issue that the staff worked so hard has now won a prestigious award.