A devastating EF3 tornado ripped through St. Louis on the afternoon of May 16, killing five people, injuring 38, and leaving a trail of destruction through North City. The storm caused an estimated $1.6 billion in property damage along its 23-mile path, according to The St. Louis American, and hit some of the region’s most vulnerable neighborhoods hardest.
We at The Forum would like to congratulate our 2025 graduating class for a successful journey through STLCC. Despite the stress and adversity you faced, you managed to power through, and we would like to wish you good luck and Godspeed in your future endeavors—whether that be furthering your education or pursuing your goals in the workforce.
Here is a question: Would you consider yourself to be someone who cares about freedom and the right to expression? If so, ask yourself some other questions, like why have so many student journalists in recent years been harassed, assaulted, detained, or even threatened with deportation? Why have so many student journalists been suspended or expelled from their educational institutions, maligned on social media and throughout their communities? Why are administrators at schools, colleges, and universities across the United States so adamant about keeping information from being reported by students who are tasked with doing exactly that?
As today’s technology keeps growing and changing, social media has become a huge part of our everyday lives. Apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are everywhere, and it’s now completely normal for young teens and even young kids to have them on their phones. To young people today it feels like if you’re not on social media, you’re missing out on something. While social media does have positives, like helping us stay in touch with friends and be able to express our creativity, I believe it can be very damaging to teens and young kids.
Florissant Valley students and staff enjoyed Spring Fest 2025 on May 6 with food, music, a range of carnival games, and a mechanical bull ride. Spring Fest, an annual tradition at STLCC across its four main campuses over multiple days, brings each campus community together to eat and have fun before finals week.
STLCC’s Student Government Association (SGA) held their annual banquet May 9 at the Renaissance Airport Hotel. All four STLCC campuses came together to celebrate students’ achievements.
The Forum bids “bon voyage” to its current student editor, Vienna Austin. It would be a sin to hold this very passionate writer, editor, and activist back. I’ve been working with Vienna for a year, and I wanted to send our glorious editor off with a celebratory article. To get a better look at her time at The Forum, I interviewed Vienna to see how she remembers her experience leading Flo Valley’s student paper.
Cartoon by Abby Westhoff, May 2025.