The Forum

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.

Stephanie Licklider: How many years have you been editor? Since when?

Vienna Austin: I've been the student editor of The Forum for just under two years. I began working as the editor in August 2023 at the beginning of the fall semester after being a staff writer for one semester.

Stephanie Licklider: How did you feel about getting the job of editor?

Vienna Austin: I was very excited! I came to really value my work at The Forum when I was a staff writer, so when Mary Horner, our faculty advisor, asked me to take the job, I was happy to do so!

Stephanie Licklider: What was the toughest challenge you faced as editor?

Vienna Austin: When I first became the editor, The Forum's staff only consisted of me and Mary. The only other staff members left—either graduated or had to leave to keep up with their coursework— after the previous semester, and the paper was still recovering from being defunct during the COVID19 pandemic. It took a long time of me and Mary running The Forum almost completely by ourselves before we were able to attract more staff and get to a spot that we were happy with.

Stephanie Licklider: What do you feel was your greatest accomplishment as editor? Vienna Austin: I'm most proud of the fact that I was able to help rebuild The Forum post-COVID along with Mary and our staff members. It's been long and difficult but incredibly rewarding to lead Florissant Valley's student newspaper during a period of such change and to help return it from a struggling pamphlet into a robust eight-page publication.

Vienna just graduated with a degree in General Transfer Studies. She is heading off to the University of Missouri-Columbia to study journalism. “I had no intention to become a journalist when I joined The Forum Newspaper,” she said. “I was interested in writing as a hobby, and I had some experience with getting articles published, but I didn't envision myself working as a journalist in the future. Now, as I'm leaving The Forum after nearly two years as its editor, I can't imagine myself doing anything else. It's not an exaggeration to say that this newspaper changed my life—and for the better.”

I also spoke to Faculty Advisor Mary Horner about her time working with Vienna: “Austin was instrumental in reviving The Forum student newspaper after the pandemic. Her excellent writing and interviewing skills were obvious from the first articles she contributed as a staff writer. After her promotion to editor, she pushed for and helped create a larger print publication with a stronger online presence and recruited and coordinated volunteer staff writers and photographers to accomplish this goal. Her commitment to journalism and The Forum has had an impact that sets the bar high for our next editor. I have no doubt she will succeed in her academic and career goals, and I look forward to reading her future bylines in major publications.”

I’m sure I speak for everyone who has ever worked with Vienna, that we will miss you, and we wish you good luck in your future endeavors.