Is living with the results of the 2024 election as painful as cutting off your own foot with a rusty saw in a grimy bathroom? No, and that’s a weird analogy? Horror columnist Niko Kay Smith SC ’25 doesn’t care, and explains why “Saw” (2004) provided the escapist self care he needed the weekend after election day.
Author: Niko Kay Smith
A Nightmare on 6th St: The brilliant, doomed marketing of ‘Longlegs’
If you were brave enough to call the phone number on a mysterious Los Angeles billboard this summer, you would’ve heard the voice of a serial killer singing “Happy Birthday.” Horror columnist Niko Kay Smith SC ’25 unpacks “Longlegs” (2024), the movie behind this stunt, and explains how this incredible viral marketing set the film up to disappoint.
A Nightmare on 6th St: How horror movie exposure therapy eased my anxiety
Does the idea of watching a horror movie this Halloween give you the shivers? Horror columnist Niko Kay Smith SC ‘25 shares tips she learned on her journey from scaredy cat to a horror fan, and shares how scary movies helped her confront her anxiety.
A Nightmare on 6th St: How ‘I Saw the TV Glow’ uses your memories against you
When is a movie not just a movie? Horror columnist Niko Kay Smith dives deep into the trans phenomenon of Jane Schoenbrun’s recent coming-of-age horror film “I Saw The TV Glow” and the ways it demands participation from its audience.
A Nightmare on 6th St: A sincere defense of ‘Dream Warriors’ and 80s cheese
Horror columnist Niko Kay Smith (SC ‘25) risks their reputation as a critic to passionately defend “A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors” (1987). Jam packed with see-it-to-believe-it 80s absurdity, the film also proves surprisingly relatable for Gen Z living through the nightmare that is the 2020s.
‘Inside-Out as a Model for Constructive Dialogue’: Pitzer students and faculty discuss prison exchange program
On April 22, Pitzer College hosted a panel discussion titled “Inside-Out as a Model for Constructive Dialogue,” celebrating ten years of the Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program.
Pomona Divest From Apartheid commences “Final Show of Force” of Palestinian Liberation Week
On March 28, Pomona Divest From Apartheid hosted Day 1 of its multi-day show of force for Palestine Liberation Week.
Interfaith challah-making event braids together Muslim and Jewish students
There are few feelings as universal as ripping into freshly baked bread, warm and fluffy right out of the oven. On the evening of Feb. 23, two dozen Muslim and Jewish students savored that pleasure together at an interfaith challah-making event co-hosted by Nishmat and the 7C Muslim Student Association (MSA). Nishmat and MSA organizers emphasized the importance of Jewish-Muslim solidarity amidst Israel’s ongoing siege of Gaza.
‘4 Bisexuals’ slays the stage with queer Dracula retelling
The Green Room, a 5C student theater club, staged “4 Bisexuals and 2 Guys Named John Kill Dracula” by Zoë Rose Jennings on Feb. 10 and 11. Co-directed by Ash Ahrenhoerster PO ’25, Regan Rudman PZ ’24, Amelia Lewis SC ’25 and Carson Hambuchen PO ’24, the play is a queer comedic retelling of the classic Dracula. The production reimagines Bram Stoker’s novel within an absurd, chaotic and queer modern setting, marked by campy physicality and seductive objects.
‘Queering the form’: Playwright Gina Young is reaching out to the next generation of queer artists
Gina Young, a celebrated queer playwright, director, and musician, offered an intimate performance at Scripps College’s SCORE living room on Feb. 1. She performed monologues from six of her plays and chronicled her journey through queer history and theater. She shared how her own experiences of navigating queerness in a Catholic school and her involvement in the Riot Grrrl scene influenced her work.