Christian Chan, Diego Villalobos, Carlos Perez, Dillon Stafford, Neal Hebrard-DeFrance, Kollin Zullo, Catherine Lighton, Daisy Juarez, Wynn Blas, Samantha Oliva, Michael Diebert, Ty’reka Ray, Jordy Emanuel Mar, Patrick Conlon, Thais Bunai, Raymond Watts, Christine Xolotl Muñoz
Photographers
Front Cover
Santa Monica College (SMC) student Denise Lopez from the Adelante club during the Club Row event at the main campus at SMC in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. Masie Najafi | The Corsair
Inside Cover
Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsair QB (13) Dylan Moreno dropping back to pass on Saturday, November 1, 2025, Santa Monica,Calif. The Corsairs won 27-14 and clinched the division. Tom Rosholt | The Corsair
Back Cover
Los Angeles Dodgers fans light off fireworks while celebrating after game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 in the series. Jake Crandall | The Corsair
Elizabeth Bacher, Jordi Garcia Sosa, Katy Santa Cruz, Micah Wilson, Juliana Frame, Fai Fong, Masie Najafi, Louis Ballard, Ana Sanchez Venegas, Danny Sanchez, Michael Knox, Kiros Nzuriwatu
Social Media Staff
Andrew Starnes, Sebastian Mathews, Daniela Landaverde, Shaylee Guerrero, Zander Vega, Aleli Amores, Robert Ruckett, Maryeloise Samoya, Eve Huerta, Seth Sirmenis, Andrea Castillo, Verna Jones
Letter from the Editor
Happy (late) Halloween, SMC!
WhileI am technically a christmas baby as I was born the day after, my favorite holiday of all has always been Halloween. Not just for the candy… But that is a factor. Dressing up, thinking for months about what character I can be— which usually ends up being multiple because I love costumes. While this edition is published a few days after the best holiday, I hope you can feel my passion and excitement linger, if only for just for a moment.
We are over half way through the Fall semester already. As my time as Editor in Chief, I find myself reflecting on how I can improve each and everyday as the face of this publication. If you told me years ago I’d be running my college’s newspaper, I would’ve told you that’s ridiculous. Life is a winding road, and this experience has taught me to expect the unexpected. I’m going to continue to change, and make decisions I nev er thought I’d make. While I might find mistakes along the way, I will pick myself up, and keep pushing through. To be honest, I am a writer, a creative one at that. I lose myself in daydreams of characters I have created, and I find joy in analyzing literature. I never expected myself to find a passion for journalism, but it has taught me how to step out of my comfort zone.
To circle back to the month of October as a whole, there are multiple things about this month that make it extremely important. October holds awareness for several issues, including, Breast Cancer Awareness, Domestic Violence Awareness, National Bullying Prevention, as well as bringing attention to LGBTQ+ History. In October, it is also Indigenous Peoples day— an extremely important day that commemorates the history and culture of Indigenous Americans. October is the month of change, and I hope as we step into the month of November, The Corsair will continue to improve. In the last weeks of the semester, I want my staff to push themselves and give it their all.
Speaking of The Corsair staff, over this last week, we brought to the newsroom a Periodic Newspaper of the Year award from the College Media Association. This wouldn’t be possible without the effort of our current and past editors, and with that, I celebrate them all. Let us continue presenting news with passion and diligence, aiming for the best each and every day. I have had a blast getting to read and edit so many stories this semester — and none of that could be done without the help of those around me. Thank you for sticking around our 4th publication. I hope, if anything, it makes you smile! Happy (late) Halloween, my fellow Corsairs!
Katie Easterson
Graphic from Canva
Hellbomb was a riot!
Police ended a skating event with kinetic projectiles after people threw glass bottles at them.
Kayjel J. Mairena || News editor
Officers dodged glass bottles, while skateboarders barreled downhill into oncoming traffic and through their skirmish line.
People flipped over a porta-potty, with a person inside — the man came out speechless and drenched in sewage. Someone dressed as Jesus Christ, who claimed to be an organizer, berated the crowd for destroying a Waymo, and they laughed at him.
“As far as the cops showing up, I kind of predicted it. Closed-off street in Los Angeles, man. I was walking up, I’m like, there might be a riot tonight. So when it happened, I wasn’t that shocked,” said professional skateboarder Chris “Crusty” Weissman.
Halloween Hellbomb, a yearly event where people skate downhill in costumes at high speeds, ended in a riot and one arrest after people crossed the event limit into the intersection and threw a traffic cone at a police car in downtown Los Angeles on
“I didn’t even have the full event happen because people started destroying a Waymo. That’s not what represents skateboarding or Thrasher,” said Brandon Aguilar, a musi-
Oct. 25.
A skateboarder performs a trick known as an acid drop off a Waymo in downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 25, 2025, during a riot at the Halloween Hellbomb event, a skateboarding competition sponsored by Monster Energy, Thrasher and Vans at the intersection of North Hill and West First streets. (Kayjel J. Mairena | The Corsair)
cian who participated in Hellbomb for the first time.
Bobby Bils, Kyle Walsh and Austin Leleu organize the event yearly with Thrasher Magazine. On Oct. 26, Bils stated on an Instagram post, “Hellbomb does not condone any vandalism or activities that do not involve skateboarding in the Halloween spirit. We are deeply upset that these incidents outside of the permitted event space caused our event to conclude early.”
The Corsair reached out to the organizers for an interview, but they declined to comment.
Before the event, hobbyists and professional skateboarders warmed up together in an impromptu Hellbomb — a play on the word hill bomb, which is rolling downhill at high speed.
Hellbomb covered the median and the majority of the southbound lane on West First Street between Olive and Hill streets, while people warmed up behind a small platform in the northbound lane, adjacent to the event.
The DJ heckled people who slowed down, creating a pile of skateboards and tangled bodies, but people celebrated the scraped knees and bruises.
“The spirit of skateboarding is going from the top of the hill, full speed, going fast as hell, hitting the rails, sending it with 100% energy, and if you fall, you get bloody, get back up, and you do it again until you get it right,” Aguilar said.
Once the event started, people immediately jumped the barricade. The DJ tried to empty the pit, but few left. Security personnel instructed the crowd to “just stay behind the white line,” while waving their fingers at the white pavement markings.
Some individuals climbed into the trees or onto city property to overlook the warm, sweaty and odor-ridden cluster obstructing the view and professional skateboarders’ pathway.
Others who couldn’t see the competition returned to the impromptu Hellbomb inside the event limits. By 6:30 p.m., the crowd had spilled onto the intersection of West First and North Hill streets and moved the Hellbomb barricade.
A Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) squad car
A skateboarder rides down First Street next to the Halloween Hellbomb event hosted by Thrasher, Vans, and Monster Energy on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in downtown Los Angeles. The event was declared an unlawful assembly after participants began forming their own run adjacent to the event, which spread into the street, and upon police arrival, those in the crowd began throwing objects. (Jake Crandall | The Corsair)
A skateboarder slams his skateboard into a Waymo vehicle line during the Halloween Hellbomb event hosted by Thrasher, Vans, and Monster Energy on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in downtown Los Angeles. The event was declared an unlawful assembly after participants began forming their own run adjacent to the event, which spread into the street, and upon police arrival, those in the crowd began throwing objects. (Jake Crandall | The Corsair)
drove by the event, which people welcomed with boos and a volley of water bottles. After a man threw a traffic cone, the cop flipped their lights on, and police in riot gear arrived.
Skateboarders, rollerbladers and people in wheelchairs sped through a narrow, unauthorized tunnel of people standing on West First Street. They moved fast, and as they gained speed, their wheels wobbled, sending them headfirst into the asphalt, crowd or idling cars.
“People are just indestructible here. They fall and they get right back up. It’s awesome to see,” said Isaac Fine, an emergency responder at the event.
“Just look around, nobody’s really wearing helmets. No one’s wearing kneepads or anything — head injuries are pretty common. But these guys know how to fall correctly.”
Police arrested a skateboarder after they collided with the police skirmish line. Officers waited for the incoming person and struck them with a baton as they collided. The cops threw them to the ground, pointed their kinetic launcher at the indi-
vidual and handcuffed them.
In front of the LAPD, people flipped a porta-potty, dirtbikers did burnouts and skateboarders destroyed a Waymo. A man climbed out of the toppled porta-potty to the crowd mocking him as he walked away with his head hanging and soaking wet.
People smashed the Waymo’s windows, graffitied the sides and posed for celebratory pictures on top.
“We hate AI, we hate AI,” chanted the rioters as skateboards caved in the windows and costumed individuals performed a trick called an acid drop off the roof of the car.
A man wearing face paint and dressed as Jesus Christ claimed to be an organizer and attempted to control the crowd, but only received ridicule.
“I thought Jesus was about love,” said a teenager with a smirk.
People threatened to beat him as they raised their middle fingers to his face and mocked his costume.
Skateboarders compete in the annual Halloween Hellbomb event hosted by Thrasher, Vans, and Monster Energy on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in downtown Los Angeles. Jake Crandall | The Corsair
The alleged Hellbomb organizer confronted the crowd, but never stopped the show. As less-lethal shots rang out, the man in the Jesus Christ costume started insulting journalists and threatened to fight the crowd of mostly teenagers, drunk individuals and costumed skateboarders.
“I am the one who started this with my friends. Now your dumbass is standing here acting like this is a protest or some reason to stand in front of the cops,” said the alleged organizer to the press as people threw bottles at the police. The cops later shot him with kinetic projectiles as he struggled to push an event barricade out of the intersection.
By 8:30 p.m., Hellbomb was over. The DJ said police were shooting rubber bullets and tear gas into the
crowd, which sent people into a frenzy.
Throughout the night, multiple people commented on the lack of security enforcement for an event held downtown. “It could be held there. It just has to have the security, like a bit more of a presence.
People were hopping the barricades and just jumping over. It got crazy,” said Aguilar.
As the cops moved in, people skated away or gathered by their cars, watching LAPD fire kinetic projectiles.
“It should have been like everyone just celebrating skateboarding. It’s a rebellious activity. It doesn’t mean that we have to go hurt the cops and destroy cars,” said Aguilar. “That’s not what Thrasher or I feel like embodies — it’s more about skating,
A Halloween Hellbomb event organizer dressed in a Jesus Christ costume stands in front of the Los Angeles Police Department skirmish line after the event was declared an unlawful assembly after participants began forming their own run adjacent to the event, which spread into the street, and upon police arrival, those in the crowd began throwing objects on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in downtown Los Angeles. Jake Crandall | The Corsair
A skateboarder in a Chucky Doll costume participates in the Halloween Hellbomb event, a skateboarding competition sponsored by Monster Energy, Thrasher and Vans, in downtown Los Angeles on Oct. 25, 2025. Kayjel J. Mairena | The Corsair
Dodgers fans takeover the Los Angeles Streets
Fans took to the streets of Los Angeles to celebrate the Dodgers’ historic World Series win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Nov. 1, resulting in city-wide property destruction and a volley of less-lethal munitions.
At 5:45 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) issued a tactical alert as a precaution for Game 7. They set road closures throughout L.A. and put a command post on Douglas Street and Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park — near where people torched a Metro bus during last year’s championship celebration.
Officers arrived at their command post in Echo Park with riot gear, kinetic projectile launchers and mounted officers. Patrons of the Douglas restaurant booed in unison at an LAPD horse trailer as it drove past, and they heckled the cops after they issued a dispersal order at 7:46 p.m.
The LAPD repeated the dispersal order multiple times, but people didn’t leave; the Dodgers were trailing 2-4 midway through Game 7 of a back-and-forth World Series. The police
A Metro bus driver sits in the vehicle as a man sprays paint on it on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, during a street takeover to celebrate the Dodgers winning the 2025 MLB World Series. Kayjel J. Mairena | The Corsair
Dodgers fans celebrated on the streets after winning Game 7 of the World Series.
Dodgers fans celebrate the team winning the MLB World Series at the Douglas in Echo Park, Los Angeles, on Saturday, Nov.1, 2025, in a seven-game series. Kayjel J. Mairena | The Corsair
Kayjel J. Mairena || News Editor
declared an unlawful assembly at 8:02 p.m. during extra innings.
As the Dodgers recorded the last out, the LAPD moved into the Douglas and pushed the crowd eastbound towards the intersection of Echo Park Avenue and Sunset Boulevard, where Dodgers fans gathered to celebrate. They lit fireworks, held a street takeover and consumed copious amounts of alcohol until the police set a rolling skirmish line.
Mounted officers shouted “move,” as they charged the crowd and pushed people eastbound down Sunset Boulevard. Police dodged glass bottles being thrown at them and fired kinetic projectiles in the direction the object came from — at times, they shot bystanders in the back.
People ran, but the police followed, spreading the centralized celebration throughout Echo Park.
Graffiti artists vandalized walls, Waymos and a Metro bus as they fled.
Some people left after the LAPD utilized tear gas, but circled back to Echo Park Avenue through the side streets. They avoided the entire show of force by walking one block over.
Approximately 350 to 400 people celebrated the World Series win downtown on the intersection of Ninth and Hope streets, according to the LAPD Central Division X account. But many street takeovers occurred.
People vandalized Metro buses, threw fireworks at passing cars and held
street takeovers where people were hit by vehicles doing donuts.
The incident commander authorized the use of less-lethal munitions and tear gas after people launched fireworks and bottles at officers, according to the LAPD Central Division X account.
Officers bounced from incident to incident, with the commotion subsiding around 2 a.m.
The win puts the team in a tie for third for MLB teams with the most championships, marking the third in six years and the ninth in franchise history. The Dodgers World Series parade is Monday, Nov. 3 at 11 a.m., followed by a rally at Dodger Stadium at 12:15 p.m.
A Dodger fan walks towards tear gas on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, during a street takeover to celebrate the Dodgers’ Game 7 of the 2025 MLB World Series win.
Kayjel J. Mairena | The Corsair
Los Angeles Dodgers fans celebrate after game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 in the series.
Jake Crandall | The Corsair
A man smashes a Waymo’s front windshield with somebody inside on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, during a street takeover to celebrate the Dodgers winning the 2025
MLB World Series.
Kayjel J. Mairena | The Corsair
Two men show off their wounds from less than lethal rounds fired at them by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) after celebrations for the Dodgers winning the World Series in downtown Los Angeles were declared an unlawful assembly by the LAPD on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. Jake Crandall | The Corsair
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) on horseback pushes Los Angeles Dodgers fans celebrating after game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series in Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. LAPD declared multiple celebrations in the area to be unlawful assemblies Jake Crandall | The Corsair
Los Angeles Dodgers fans celebrate after game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. The Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 in the series. Jake Crandall | The Corsair
A person is arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) during celebrations after game seven of the 2025 MLB World Series in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. LAPD declared multiple celebrations in the area to be unlawful assemblies. (Jake Crandall | The Corsair)
Los Angeles Police Department mounted officers rip a Dodgers flag out of a vehicle that’s stuck in traffic during a street takeover on Echo Park Avenue and Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, after Game 7 of the MLB World Series.
Kayjel J. Mairena | The Corsair
A Los Angeles Metro Transit employee stands in front of a vandalized bus in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, after a street takeover to celebrate the Dodgers winning the 2025 MLB World Series. Jake Crandall | The Corsair
2025 Dodgers World Series parade
Dodgers celebrate consecutive World Series wins with a parade through Downtown Los Angeles Jake Crandall || Photo Editor
Thousands of Dodgers fans packed into the streets of downtown Los Angeles for the 2025 Dodgers World Parade to celebrate the Dodgers’ ninth World Series victory. An estimated 225,000 to 250,000 people attended the parade.
The Parade started at the Los Angeles City Hall and ended near the Los Angeles Central Library, primarily traveling on Grand Avenue.
The Dodgers won their second World Series in a row, marking their ninth MLB World Series win in 22 appearances. The Dodgers are now tied with the Oakland Athletics and Boston Red Sox for third in World Series wins.
The parade ended with the team arriving at Dodger Stadium for a soldout rally where Dodger players delivered speeches. Shohei Ohtani, who uses a translator, gave a rare speech in English. Ohtani said, “I’m so proud of this team, and I want to say you guys are the greatest fans in the world.”
After the parade, fans rushed the street. They jumped the barricades and gathered to celebrate on Figueroa Street. The Los Angeles Police Department began crowd containment before fireworks were set off near police
officers and the crowd. The LAPD declared an unlawful assembly, but many people remained in the area.
A small crowd that broke off, gathered at Seventh Street and Grand Avenue before climbing on a flatbed truck collecting barricades after the parade, prompting the driver to exit the vehicle. People began spray painting the truck, as they danced to Kendrick Lamar’s hit song Not Like Us, drank alcohol and several women flashed their breasts.
A person was beaten by multiple people in the crowd, requiring an ambulance, prompting police to disperse the crowd. A driver returned and drove away with people still on top of the vehicle, causing multiple people to fall off as the vehicle accelerated.
At least two arrests were made during the Dodgers Parade and three after.
Dodgers and fans waved farewell to pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who retired after 18 seasons with the team. The 2025 World Series champions now look towards next season to secure three consecutive world series wins.
The Los Angeles Dodgers pass by fans in double-decker buses during the MLB World Series Dodgers championship parade on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in downtown Los Angeles. Jake Crandall | The Corsair
A large crowd gathers on S. Figueroa St. in downtown Los Angeles shortly after the parade for the Los Angeles Dodgers concluded, Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in Los Angeles, Calif. The parade was organized by the Dodgers after their victory over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the World Series.
Nathan Hanson | The Corsair
Los Angeles Dodger fans waiting for the parade on Monday, November 3, 2025, Los Angeles, Calif. The Dodgers won the 2025 World Series.
Tom Rosholt | The Corsair
Mercy Hernandez ,a Los Angeles (LA) Dodgers fan showing off her Dodger-themed weiner at 2nd Street and Grand Avenue, in Los Angeles, Calif., on Monday, Nov 3rd, 2025. The LA Dodgers won against the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 in the seventh game of the World Series, making the Dodgers back to back champions.
Jordi Garcia Sosa | The Corsair
A Los Angeles (LA) Dodgers fan screaming towards the LA Dodgers buses during the Dodgers World Series Champions Parade in Los Angeles, Calif., on Monday, Nov 3rd, 2025.
Jordi Garcia Sosa | The Corsair
Dave Roberts, The Los Angeles Dodgers manager holds up the Commissioners Trophy during the Dodgers World Series Championship parade in downtown Los Angeles, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. Jake Crandall | The Corsair
A Los Angeles Dodgers fan collects confetti after the 2025 World Series parade in downtown Los Angeles, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. Jake Crandall | The Corsair
Los Angeles Dodgers fans climb on top and dance on a flat bed truck collecting barricades after the World Series Championship parade in downtown Los Angeles, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. Jake Crandall | The Corsair
Players, staff, and family of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrate on top of a double-decker sightseeing bus at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ victory parade, Monday, November 3, in Los Angeles, Calif. The Dodgers secured their 9th World series championship on Saturday’s Game 7 in Toronto. Juliana Frame | The Corsair
Fans cheer for a news camera at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ victory parade, Monday, November 3, in Los Angeles, Calif. The atmosphere was especially raucous as tens of thousands of people lined the streets of Downtown Los Angeles to watch the winners pass by. Juliana Frame | The Corsair
Three people were arrested following the World Series Championship parade in downtown Los Angeles, Calif., on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025. Jake Crandall | The Corsair
A Los Angeles Dodger fan hoists their
pet dog, Bart, above their head after the Dodgers parade on Monday, Nov. 3, 2025, in downtown Los Angeles. Jake Crandall | The Corsair
Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsair LB (8) Derek Boyd II sacking Glendale College Vaqueros (18) Braden Brimhall on Saturday, November 1, 2025, Santa Monica,Calif. Tom Rosholt | The Corsair
The Corsairs Dominate in Sixth Consecutive Victory line
The Santa Monica College football team keeps its winning streak alive against the Glendale Vaqueros in the penultimate match of the season.
TheSanta Monica College (SMC) Corsairs put on a show in their final home game with a win against the Glendale Vaqueros on November 11. The offense, led by quarterback Dylan Moreno, was able to close the game out at a score of 27-14, but the Corsairs’ defense was who really shone on Saturday.
Glendale started the second quarter with the ball, slowly grinding up the field. Just outside the red zone on SMC’s 24-yard line, Glendale quarterback Braden Brimhall threw an interception in the end zone to Naiem Powell, defensive back for SMC.
17-7 in SMC’s favor.
The third quarter was case for both teams, one field goal by SMC 20-7. Here, the Corsairs zone defense on full
Dillon Stafford || Staff Writer
Glendale was first to score early in the first quarter. In only four plays over two minutes, the Vaqueros marched 80 yards downfield to give Glendale a 0-7 lead. However, SMC was quick to strike back. Moreno and the offense drove 65 yards in just eight plays, topping off their scoring possession with a two-point conversion to make the score 8-7.
After a brief sequence of back and forth turnovers, linebacker D’Anthony Coleman got a tackle-for-loss in Glendale’s endzone, earning a 2-point safety for SMC and turning the ball over. In the final moments of the first half, Moreno found wide receiver Bryson Wood for a 26 yard catch-and-run for another SMC touchdown. The first half wrapped up at
Glendale’s last drive of was a long and grueling of mainly short passes. dale’s fatal flaw proved liance on the passing 4th-and-8 in the redzone, threw another interception zone, this time to SMC Tyler Thompson.
November 1, 2025, Santa Monica,Calif. Tom Rosholt
was a defensive showamounting to only SMC to make the score Corsairs put their red display.
of the third quarter grueling one, consisting passes. However, Glenproved to be their overregame. On a crucial redzone, Brimhall interception in the endSMC defensive back
During the final quarter, each team earned one more touchdown. Going back to their passing game, the Vaqueros struck first with a 34-yard catch-and-run to make it 20-14. Just as things seemed to be potentially heating up, SMC’s running back, Christopher Washington, answered with a touchdown. With nine minutes left to play, the score remained 27-14 in favor of SMC.
Glendale seemed to be rolling down the field with blistering speed, completing a 54-yard pass that took the offense from its own 35 all the way to SMC’s 8-yard line. However, the story of Brimhall’s day wouldn’t change. With the game on the line, Brimhall threw another intercep-
tion to defensive back Thompson, the showstopper of Saturday’s bout.
The Corsairs’ win against the Vaqueros was an assertion of domination. SMC controlled possession of the ball for more than 75% of the game, earning 354 total yards of offense and 21 first downs.
Saturday’s game marked the sixth consecutive victory for the Corsairs, putting them at 8-1 overall with a conference record of 4-0. Their final match of the season is a conference game against the West L.A. College Wildcats on Saturday, Nov. 8, at West L.A. College.
Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsair RB (5) Christopher Washington rushing for 5 yards on Saturday, November 1, 2025, Santa Monica,Calif. Tom Rosholt | The Corsair
Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsair DB (7) Tyler Thomas celebrating after catching touchdown pass on Saturday,
| The Corsair
Santa Monica College Corsairs vs. Glendale Vaqueros
Mia Whitlock is Homecoming Player of the Week!
From being positive to an impactful player on the court Mia Whitlock earns Player of the Week!
Ciara Burris || Sports Editor
Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsair middle blocker (10) Mia Whitlock player of the week on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, Santa Monica,Calif. Tom Rosholt | The Corsair
Middle blocker, outside hitter and libero are all heavy weight positions placed on the shoulders of the Santa Monica College (SMC) freshman volleyball player, Mia Whitlock. For week two October, Whitlock was named Player of the Week, while SMC continued their winning streak. College of the Canyons and Antelope Valley College are the most recent to add a loss to their record after facing the Corsairs.
After second guessing if she wanted to continue playing volleyball after high school, Whitlock flew into California from Washington to begin her college career in July. Starting out playing at the YMCA in the second grade, and moving up to club volleyball in the sixth grade, Whitlock was destined to continue her game at a high level.
During her last season at Washington Volleyball Club Academy, Whitlock’s sole position was libero. Entering SMC, she was placed back in a position to kill the ball rather than digging it up.
Starting in 19 games this season, Whitlock upholds 174 kills with 164 digs trailing right behind. Overall, her kills per set are 2.64, and are impactful for her team.
“It’s been pretty difficult,” Whitlock said regarding her transition from high school to college volleyball. “I played Libero my last club season so I came in as an outsider here and just getting back into the rhythm was a little awkward but my body came back to being a hitter.”
Whitlock enjoys playing at SMC, and feels like the team excels due to a lot of team bonding activities they do. Before each game, the players pick their own ideas to help the team get to know each other better such as dancing, playing charades and hide and seek. This keeps the game fun when they’re on the court.
As well as maintaining game engagement on the court, Whitlock also gets to go home with five of her teammates; Ava Salvo, Grace Poort, Kaliea Garcia, Eleanor Serrano and Nadene Taase as roommates.
One of Whitlock’s favorite teammates is sophomore libero and setter, Annah Legaspi, who led the state in digs last year. During the game,
the chemistry between the two is very visible.
“Mia is one of my favorite people to play with,” said Legaspi, relating to why she enjoys Whitlock as a teammate. “She’s always engaged, you know 24/7 she’s going to give 100%. She cares for the game, her eyes are always open, she’s giving people feedback on and off the court. You can tell she’s a leader when she talks. I’ve never seen her down once, like even if she’s having a rough patch she’s never down, she’s always encouraging and she’s possibly one of the best people to play with.”
That attitude carries Whitlock a long way, as volleyball can get very stressful when your team is making errors back-to-back. Although SMC holds a 16-4 record overall and 5-0 in the conference, some of the sets that they play can become heavy with service and communication errors.
“At the end of the day, this sport in particular has so many errors,” said head coach Christian Cammayo before their match up with Bakersfield on Oct. 1 relating to team errors that come typically within the third set. “We have to be comfortable with the error rate, but more than anything we’re trying to address how we respond to the errors.”
Cammayo also finds Whitlock to be an outstanding player. “I think what sets Mia apart … she’s just a joy to be around,” he said. “She’s genuinely positive and she stays pretty consistent and that consistently positive attitude is actual mental toughness. It’s just disguised in like a smiling form.”
Regarding her volleyball future after SMC, Whitlock feels her height may be an issue entering a D1 college. The average height for a D1 volleyball player is approximately 6’0 while middle blockers often are 6’1 and taller. Whitlock currently stands at 5’10 but wouldn’t mind going back to the libero position to continue playing. Liberos are usually the shortest on the team averaging around 5’5 to 5’9.
Whitlock currently has one more season to play before attaining her associates degree. As she continues her season as a Corsair, Whitlock feels very rewarded to receive Player of the Week.
(Left) Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsairs’ (L to R) (23) Savannah Wooley, (10) Mia Whitlock, and (7) Annah Legaspi celebrating after score on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, Santa Monica,Calif. Tom Rosholt | The Corsair
(Right) Santa Monica College (SMC) Corsair middle blocker (10) Mia Whitlock serving on Wednesday, October 29, 2025, Santa Monica,Calif. Tom Rosholt | The Corsair
“We wanted everyone to get into the spirit with some scariness,” Nicky Wong said.
By Sofia Kieser | Copy Editor
There were fewer tricks and more treats at Santa Monica College’s (SMC) Fall semester Club Row on Thursday, Oct. 30. Organized by the Inter Club Council, clubs from across campus embraced the Halloween spirit, dressing up in themed costumes, decorating booths with cobwebs and pumpkins, and handing out candy to students throughout the main quad.
The day before Halloween, many students dressed in costume, and Club Row gave people the chance to explore the various clubs in a fun and festive way, allowing clubs and their members to show off their spirit and creativity.
The Adelante Club put on a spooky carnival featuring a popcorn stand next to a giant tent entrance resembling a clown’s face. Inside, members in clown costumes and makeup greeted potential new club members with a prizewheel and candy.
“Our president is dressed as Art the clown from ‘Terrifier,’ so we decided to go for a circus theme,” said Jake Aleman-Perez, vice president of the Adelante Club.
Scream Queens and Creepy Clowns: Halloween Club Row at SMC
Earlier in the week, Adelante members gathered to prepare for the event with a decorating party. The club’s social media director sketched out the design for the giant clown head ahead of time, and club members jumped in to help with painting and creating other props for the tent. “It was a good experience for them to interact with us and join in on the process of making our whole Club Row possible,” Aleman-Perez said.
The Women in Business Club went all out with their set-up, mixing humor and horror for their booth. Their tent included a life-sized picture of Kris Jenner and a hanging body bag that drew double takes from people walking by.
Additionally, the club hosted a screaming contest where co-presidents Emmelia Goh and Vivian Le, along with vice president Nicky Wong, judged students based on how loud and terrifying their screams were.
Smaller prizes were handed out to people who participated, while students with the loudest screams took home king-size candy bars.
Vivian Le (left), Nicky Wang (center), and Jaeda Rajpilour (right) (all cq) of the Women in Business Santa Monica, Calif., Thursday, October 30, 2025. The Women in Business club hosted a screaming
Santa Monica College (SMC) student Elisabeth Moralez from the Corsair Game Jams club during the Club Row event at the main campus at SMC in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025.
Masie Najafi | The Corsair
ARTS AND CULTURE
Clowns:
Students celebrated Halloween early at SMC’s Club Row, where clubs turned the quad into a spooky scene.
Nahomy Rivas said, “We’re trying to boost our engagement as AS because a lot of our students are not aware of what’s happening on campus or about AS in general, and we need more of that awareness.”
“We wanted everyone to just get into the spirit with some scariness,” Wong said. Le added, “Yeah, because Halloween’s not scary anymore, so we really need to scare some people.”
The Korean Student Association brought their own cultural twist to Club Row, dressing as characters from the Korean show “Squid Game” and playing ddakji — a traditional Korean game seen in the show where players try to flip their opponent’s folded paper tile by slamming their own down onto it.
Associated Students (AS) joined in on the day’s festivities by offering rubber duckies, stress balls and custom-made Halloween bracelets to students who showed up in costume. The club also had a temporary spray-on tattoo machine that brought in a small line throughout the event.
Nahomy Rivas, AS director of activities, said she came up with the idea for the booth with the support of the whole AS body.
While handing out donut holes to students who followed the AS Instagram and liked a post, Rivas said, “We’re trying to boost our engagement as AS because a lot of our students are not aware of what’s happening on campus or about AS in general, and we need more of that awareness.”
A DJ played out on the lawn, spinning tracks as students roamed the quad, going from booth to booth exploring different clubs and what each one had to offer. As the event came to a close, the Melanated Roots Choir put on an acapella performance of “Back on 74” by Jungle and “Golden” from “KPop Demon Hunters.”
This semester’s Club Row highlighted the creativity and collaboration of SMC’s student clubs, shining a light on SMC’s campus spirit and connecting students through candy, costumes and community building.
Business Club pose with their sign and leaderboard at Club Row on the campus of SMC in screaming contest, featuring a decibel meter. Juliana Frame | The Corsair
Santa Monica College student Roshan Huxlee (right front) dons a red balloon dog costume for the annual Halloween-themed Club Row held on the main campus quad on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. Elizabeth Bacher | The Corsair
Santa Monica College (SMC) students Munoz (left) and Xenia P.(right) during the Club Row event at the main campus at SMC in Santa Monica, Calif., on Thursday, Oct. 30, 2025. Masie Najafi | The Corsair
Ailsa Ortiz’s path to A.S. President
Santa Monica College’s new A.S. President, Ailsa Ortiz, shares how her past has shaped who she is today and her need to fight for change.
Multimedia Editor || Jenna Tibby
Ailsa Ortiz 25, the newly elected
Associated
for
in downtown Los Angeles, on April 15, 2025. Ortiz said “What motivates me, is the kids. My niece and nephews, and the generations that I won’t see. But, knowing that they can live in a world that’s a little less harsh... or a little easier, they don’t have to struggle as much as I or others have had. That’s really what motivates me. I just, I’m tired of seeing people suffer.”
Santa Monica College
Students President Ailsa Ortiz 25, poses
photo
Gregg Hawthorne | The Corsair
ARTS AND CULTURE
BeforeAilsa Ortiz knew she wanted to lead Santa Monica College’s (SMC) student government, she was a kid desperately trying not to be different. However, the now 25-yearold political science major has embraced her identity and is using her history to help ensure every student feels seen and heard.
Ortiz spent the spring semester weaving a blue fold-out wagon around campus, piled with flyers and buttons sporting her face. She gave speeches throughout the day on why she should be the Associated Student (A.S.) President while holding up a large QR code linking students to the voting portal. She ended up earning almost half of the student vote and took over office for the 2025-26 school year.
Ortiz saw a hole in how little students knew about A.S. and strived to change that. “It was really rewarding, seeing a bunch of students, that I can relate to, that had no idea that the elections were happening, but felt accomplished in participating,” she said.
Now, more than a month into her presidency, Ortiz is finding the groove of political life. She said it can be a lot juggling bureaucracy, people skills and enacting her ideas. However, Ortiz is no stranger to working through turmoil.
She grew up with a single mother as the youngest of seven siblings after her father was deported to Guatemala before she was born. “I am really realizing how much of a broken home I came from,” she said.
Ortiz grew up in “basically Section 8 housing,” which provides rental assistance for low-income households. Her father was not able to return to the United States, so she didn’t see much of him until she was 16, when she began visiting him regularly in Guatemala.
Ortiz also struggled to fit in with her community growing up. She has Latinx and Indigenous roots but felt disconnected from her culture, as her mother pushed a more Americanized lifestyle. Ortiz said, “She just let me assimilate and maybe she thought that would just be easier for me.”
Her mother enrolled her in an accelerated Mormon elementary school, making her feel even more separate from her peers. She said, “The thought of me being something else other than white, I hated it.” Ortiz was embarrassed when her mother packed her Mexi-
can-style lunches to take to school because the food looked so different. “I felt othered,” she said.
As she got older, she became more curious about her heritage.
“I just had epiphanies that made me be more curious to know who exactly I am and where I come from,” Ortiz said.
Ortiz is K’iché from the Mayan people on her father’s side and Apache and Tepehuan on her mother’s. During her visits to Guatemala, she began connecting more with her Indigenous Mayan roots. She started exploring what being Indigenous meant for her and learning about her family’s history, eventually leading her to become vice president of Indigenous Scholars at SMC.
On a recent trip, Ortiz attended a fire protection ceremony at the Tikal pyramids, where she had her “nawal” carved and blessed. A nawal is similar to a zodiac sign, but follows the Mayan calendar.
“I wanted the fire protection ceremony because I knew I would need protection mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually,” she said.
Through it all, she remains close with both her parents.
“Had they not supported me from so far away, I don’t think I would be here today,” she said.
Before finding her way to SMC, she worked assorted jobs throughout Los Angeles. The shimmer of Hollywood’s promise drew her away from her home in Arizona, to go where “stars are born or made out of,” she said.
She explored influencer marketing, social media, packaging and entrepreneurship, but nothing felt right.
“I was just kind of lost in what am I gonna do for the rest of my life, and I didn’t want to do that because it was so superficial,” Ortiz said.
Though she had never considered higher education before, she enrolled at SMC, hoping to eventually start a mental health nonprofit. As she progressed through school, she began dreaming of becoming a congresswoman.
“What motivates me,” Ortiz said, “is the kids — my niece and nephews, and the generations that I won’t see. But, knowing that they can live in a world that’s a little less harsh... or a little easier, they don’t have to struggle as much as I or others have had — that’s really what motivates me. I just, I’m tired of seeing people suffer.”
Her counselor suggested she explore student government, and Ortiz said it just made sense.
“I’m already standing up for my community outside of school, already being involved. And so it’s, it was kind of like what else can I do? And so I had that sense of urgency to look for positions that have power that I can actually leverage,” she said.
Ortiz described herself as an “activist” before she became president. She credits the George Floyd protests in 2020 with reigniting her drive to fight for change. The transition from activism to politics is something she is still navigating.
“How do I leave my impact with my presidency knowing that this is a more bureaucratic position than an activist position?” Ortiz said.
“Because that’s what got me to this position was all of my activism, but now, I’m in these meetings and then they’re so slow and everything is slow.”
Despite that, Maliyah Ponce, the A.S. director of equity and diversity, said Ortiz “hit the ground running.” Ponce sees Ortiz pursuing politics on a larger scale.
“She is really just this incredible force,” Ponce said. “She’s one of those people; you’re gonna meet one of her in a lifetime. She’s very passionate.”
Ortiz credits her friends for much of her success. Her peers were the ones who pushed her to run for the presidential role, and she stresses the importance of surrounding yourself with people who have your best interests at heart.
“It’s just surrounding yourself with people that have the same kind of integrity and ambition,” she said.
Ailsa
Ortiz, a political science major and vice president of the Indigenous Scholars Club, stands with a flyer to help boost awareness of her candidacy for Associated Students president on the Santa Monica College campus on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. (Nathan Hanson | The Corsair)
One such friend is Jocelyn Rivera, who met Ortiz in a statistics class a few years ago.
“Ailsa is a really hardworking woman, and she’s super ambitious,” Rivera said. “Once she sends her mind to something, she will not stop until she basically gets to where she needs to get, or even just does what she needs to do, which I admire that a lot about her because it motivates me to want to do better as well.”
Ortiz said she looks to Jasmine Crockett, the U.S. representative for Texas’ 30th Congressional District, for inspiration.
“She will always be transparent. She’s the only one that has the guts to speak out,”
ARTS AND CULTURE
Ortiz said. She respects Crockett for standing up for what she believes in despite political expectations and hopes to mirror that in her own journey, finding strength in the face of power.
Ponce noted that Ortiz’s confidence can sometimes be misunderstood.
“There’s this stigma with powerful women that they are hard,” Ponce said. “They’re not nice, and it’s unfortunate that women who are powerful have to be seen that way. But the reality is, women who are in those leadership roles oftentimes are both. They’re very loving, they’re very compassionate, and that is what makes them so powerful.”
Taking up this space has been one of Ortiz’s biggest challenges on her journey
to becoming A.S. president. She used to believe she had to shrink herself to make others comfortable but now wishes to stand tall.
“I had to have some audacity to think, I had to think I’m somebody too,” Ortiz said. “Which just goes hand in hand with knowing your worth, or knowing your value. It’s okay if you’re too much because that’s just who you are, you know? People just might not have a big enough stomach for it.”
Ortiz hopes to fill her commissioner roles and start hosting her own events soon. As for what’s next, she hopes to attend a school on the East Coast and continue working her way up in politics to make a difference and fight for marginalized voices.
Ailsa Ortiz, a political science major and vice president of the Indigenous Scholars Club, stands with a flyer to help boost awareness of her candidacy for Associated Students president on the Santa Monica College campus on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. Nathan Hanson | The Corsair
Alisa Ortiz, Candidate for Santa Monica College (SMC) Associated Student (AS) President, talks to students at the Midterm Motivation Event on SMC Main Campus in Santa Monica, Calif., on Apri 1 2025. Katy Santa Cruz | The Corsair
- Facebook motto, c. 2009
SOCIAL MEDIA HAS DESENSITIZED US TO DEATH AND VIOLENCE
Social media used to be social. Now it’s just media.
By Nathan Hanson
On Sept. 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and founder of the nonprofit organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot in the neck while holding a public event on the campus of Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem, Utah. The assassination quickly went viral as cellphone videos captured the precise moment in which the bullet penetrated Kirk’s carotid artery, causing liters of blood to spurt out as he fell to the floor and died.
At the same time as this horrific incident was unfolding, a revolution was taking place 8,000 miles away in Nepal, where tens of thousands of protesters gathered in the streets of Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal, to protest decades of government corruption. Footage showing protesters lying dead in a pool of their own blood on the streets, as a result of the military crackdown that ensued, began to surface, proving just how intense the turmoil had become.
In Gaza, the humanitarian crisis that has been unfolding over the last two years in the wake of the October 7th attacks–which the United Nations recently declared to officially be a genocide–has captured the attention of millions worldwide.
Every day, images emerge online showing buildings collapsing into rubble; of charred and mangled corpses spread out on the streets; of protruding stomachs and the outlines of ribs from starving children. Videos of men and women sobbing uncontrollably at the sight of their entire family wrapped underneath a white tarp and placed into rows beside other dead Palestinians have garnered millions of views, likes, and comments across social media.
A pervasive numbness has been setting in. This constant loop of death and despair being posted online is systematically paralyzing our collective psyche to react to these horrors appropriately. Rather than being consumed by shock, we continue to compulsively scroll, apathetic to the chilling array of chaos on our screens. Worse still, our age-old ability to mindlessly murder our fellow man has tragically become yet another commodity, reduced to being mere content that is cycled to compete within the perpetual rat race for our finite attention spans.
To some extent, this should be expected. As a user base is exposed to increasingly violent and graphic content, our brains naturally become less sensitive to that particular stimuli.
Illustration by Nathan Hanson | The Corsair
In many ways, it’s quite difficult to take seriously the graphic nature of these atrocities on our screens when they’re methodically sandwiched in between funny memes and personalized ads.
This issue isn’t entirely new, though. Social media–and the internet more broadly–has always been home to a slew of horrific content. Take the notorious video sharing website LiveLeak, for example. The site came to prominence in the mid-2000’s due to its willingness to platform gore and extreme violence. In 2007, it captured international attention after a pair of Ukrainian serial killers decided to upload a series of videos where they bludgeoned dozens of people to death by striking them repeatedly with a hammer. (Some might remember these videos from their sadistic title, “Two Guys, One Hammer.”)
It didn’t take long for this violence to digitally evolve, either. By the early-2010’s, groups like the Islamic State (or ISIS, as they were more commonly known) dominated YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter with their highly-produced and infamous beheading videos, which often incorporated the style of the popular Call of Duty franchise.
Meanwhile, in some of the more obscure corners of the internet, 8chan–the depraved offspring of the anonymous messaging board, 4chan–became embroiled in controversy in 2019 after it was revealed that one of its users, 28-year old Brenton Tarrant, had posted a lengthy manifesto on the site minutes before he livestreamed two mass-shootings on Facebook, killing 51 Muslim worshippers during Friday prayer in Christchurch, New Zealand.
As horrific and appalling as all of this content was, it mostly sat on the margins of the internet and was only seen by a very limited demographic.
However, as the internet continued to drift away from its Libertarian roots and into the consolidated confines of a tightly restricted monopoly, governed by an elite class of Silicon Valley tech executives, the catastrophic horrors that used to live on the margins had nowhere else to go but to migrate to more mainstream platforms, such as X, Meta, and TikTok.
Would this explain our collective apathy? And have we always been this callous?
I’m reminded of the atmosphere of May 2020. The U.S. was two months into a global pandemic, and the world as we knew it had come to a complete standstill. During Memorial Day weekend of that year, a 10-minute video surfaced across social media that captured the image of a police officer with his knee placed on the neck of an unarmed civilian, 46-year old George Floyd, killing him after 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
The video sparked intense outrage across the nation, leading to dozens of demonstrations and protests, eventually escalating to violence and looting.
This anger and outrage spread to virtually every corner of the United States, drawing an estimated 15 to 26 million people to participate in some form of protest, according to four polls tracked by The New York Times in July 2020.
His name might not hold as much salience today as it did at that time, but it was virtually impossible to meet someone who felt nothing by it. The untimely and violent death of George Floyd was recorded on a cellphone and posted online, resulting in tens of millions of people feeling compelled to participate in some form of political protest.
Fast forward to the summer of 2025:
The final post that Charlie Kirk put up on his Instagram page, just hours before he was assassinated, was a CCTV still of a woman named Iryna Zarutska, a 22-year old Ukrainian refugee, who, on the evening of August 22, 2025, was commuting home from work before she was fatally stabbed in the neck on a commuter train, completely unprovoked, by 34-year old Decarlos Brown Jr., in Charlotte, North Carolina. In the Instagram post, Kirk writes, “America will never be the same.”
When death becomes commodified and sold back to us as content, as is often what happens in cases like this, the victim of the crime dies and is reincarnated as an avatar for a political movement.
Iryna Zarutska, therefore, ceased to be a person who was brutally murdered at the hands of a crazed lunatic and instead became appropriated as a symbol to propagate a political agenda. To the Conservative-Right, such as Charlie Kirk, Zarutska’s story highlighted their perception of the media’s hypocritical double-standards, provided evidence for the failures of soft-on-crime legislation, and served as a personal mourning for America’s general decline.
For me, though, Zarutska’s death was more symbolic of the collective apathy that has hijacked our hearts and minds in recent years.
In the minutes following the gruesome stabbing that took place on that Charlotte commuter train, CCTV footage shows that not a single person was compelled to help Zarutska in any way. No one offered to call 911; no one made any attempt to stop the bleeding; no one even asked to see if she was OK, despite puddles of blood visibly dripping from Brown’s hands and Zarutska’s body violently slumping to the floor. In fact, to the extent that anybody did react in any way, it was to get out of their seats and abandon the scene altogether.
Nobody helped Iryna Zarutska. She was condemned to live out her final moments on this Earth, confused and distraught, and die alone from a completely random act of violence that happened 5,000 miles away from her homeland.
If we can’t even be bothered to act when someone is clearly dying before our very eyes, what can we be bothered to do? If we are so desensitized to death, how can we ever be trusted to preserve life?
Michael Diebert | Staff Writer
Sins O’ The Flesh actor plays Frank N Furter during the 50th anniversary performance of the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Saturday, October 5, 2025, at the Nuart Theater in Los Angeles.Jake Crandall | the Corsair
Star Aceves-Cowley and her friend, who identified themselves only as “Elton John” (right), pose for the camera while waiting in line for the 50th anniversary performance of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, at the Nuart Theater in Los Angeles, Saturday, October
2025. At these performances, it is common for attendees to dress up in costumes fitting for the occasion.
5,
Sins O’ The Flesh actor acts out the parts of Janet Weiss during the 50th anniversary performance of the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Saturday, October 5, 2025, at the Nuart Theater in Los Angeles. Jake Crandall | the Corsair
Sins O’ The Flesh actor plays Frank N Furter during the 50th anniversary performance of the Rocky Horror Picture Show on Saturday, October 5, 2025, at the Nuart Theater in Los Angeles. Juliana Frame | the Corsair
A Cult Classic Turns 50 Years
The history of American cinema is defined by films that have not just changed the lives of their audiences but also impacted the world. The metric for a film’s success is a matter of opinion; it can be box office revenue, awards received or how long the film retains the interest of its fans. Legendary films such as “Pulp Fiction,” “Citizen Kane” and “The Godfather” all achieved public and critical acclaim, but their life on the big screen spanned just a few months.
But one film, unlike any other, is not just a success but a global phenomenon — the ultimate cult classic, the late-night double feature, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,”which is celebrating 50 years in theaters.
In 1973, Richard O’Brien wrote and starred in “The Rocky Horror Show,” which premiered at London’s Royal Court Theatre. O’Brien collaborated with Australian theater director Jim Sharman, known for his work on “Jesus Christ Superstar,” to bring “The Rocky Horror Show” to life on stage.
Featuring a brilliant ensemble cast led by the bewitching Tim Curry as Dr. Frank N. Furter, O’Brien and Sharman blended just the right amount of sci-fi, horror, music and comedy into a groundbreaking success. “Rocky Horror’s” strange journey had just begun — when Hollywood called.
Lou Adler, owner of the iconic West Hollywood nightclub, The Roxy, was responsible for bringing “Rocky Horror” to the Roxy’s stage, kicking off its first American tour.
Curry reprised his lead role, traveling to Los Angeles, and an otherwise new cast was assembled— expanding to include legendary rock icon Meat Loaf. The Hollywood stage production was an instant success, and Adler soon secured a deal with 20th Century Fox to produce “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” as a feature film.
On Oct. 21, 1974, production began on “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” Filming took place primarily at Bray Studios in Berkshire and Oakley Court, a gothic country house known for being a film location for Hammer Film Productions— the studio that defined the early days of British horror cinema.
“These late-night audiences embraced the insane, subversive nature of the film.”
Principal photography continued for approximately six weeks, wrapping on Dec.19, 1974. “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” was the manifestation of O’Briens dreams; the perfect combination of talent, risk and insanity that seemed destined for success. But there were challenges.
The film premiered in London on Aug. 14, 1975, and subsequently in Los Angeles at the UA Westwood Theatre on Sept. 26, 1975. Unfortunately, the film was not an immediate success and flopped during its initial theatrical release, dismissed by critics and audiences alike. However, the story didn’t end there— at the stroke of midnight on April 1, 1976, everything changed.
On April 1, 1976, “Rocky Horror Picture Show” had its first midnight screening at the Waverly theater in New York City. This one event changed the course of the film’s trajectory, creating a literal overnight sensation. The cult of “Rocky Horror” fans began to form, generating a renewed and weekly demand for the film’s presentation.
These late-night audiences embraced the insane, subversive nature of the film and began showing up dressed as the iconic characters, bringing props and joyfully shouting callbacks throughout the screening. 20th Century Fox and Adler expanded the midnight screenings to other cities such as Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago, realizing that they had gone from a commercial failure to a cultural phenomenon.
In 1996, I was like so many other teenagers in Los Angeles — sad, lonely and unsure of the future to come. I was obsessed with counterculture and anything that seemed to be against whatever the world was. Being a “goth punk” in love with everything weird, I found myself buying “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” soundtrack. Unbeknownst to me at the time, this purchase would change my life forever.
Much like the kids of today with their smartphones, the teenagers of the late 20th century were never far from their CD player — if they were lucky enough to have one. I had a Sony Discman, and I never went anywhere without it. Music was the only way that the poison pills of reality could be tolerated, and so it became my world. Sometimes people would take note of what music you were listening to and strike up a conversation, such was the case with my friend Kerry White.
At 13, flying home to Los Angeles after my summer vacation, I found myself seated next to another goth on the plane, and that person was Kerry. She looked down at me curiously; such a chance encounter was highly unlikely, maybe even statistically impossible. She then noticed that I was listening to “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” soundtrack and instantly we became best friends.
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