The Great Shakeout Drill: “I think we would all die”

A Santa Monica College (SMC) student ducks under a table during the SMC’s Great California Shakeout Drill on Thursday, Oct 16, 2025, at the SMC’s Center for Media And Design Campus, Santa Monica, Calif. (Fai Fong | The Corsair)

Safety Officer, Sergio Velez , reporting to command center on the status of the Santa Monica College (SMC) Malibu campus on Thursday, October 16, 2025, Malibu, Calif. (Tom Rosholt | The Corsair)

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Safety Officer, Velez Sergio, wheeling Art Garcia down the stairs during shakeout drill at the Santa Monica College (SMC) Malibu campus on Thursday, October 16, 2025, Malibu, Calif. Only Gracia knew about the emergency drill in advance. (Tom Rosholt | The Corsair)

Students outide Santa Monica College (SMC) Center for Media and Design during International ShakeOut Day on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. The ShakeOut is an annual drill practicing earthquake safety, with millions of participants across California. (Elizabeth Bacher | The Corsair)

Students at Santa Monica College (SMC) Center for Media and Design exit the building with their teachers during International ShakeOut Day on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. The ShakeOut is an annual drill practicing earthquake safety, with millions of participants across California. (Elizabeth Bacher | The Corsair)

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(L) Safety Officer, Velez Sergio, triaging Art Garcia at the Santa Monica College (SMC) Malibu campus on Thursday, October 16, 2025, Malibu, Calif. Only Gracia knew about the emergency drill in advance. (Tom Rosholt | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College (SMC) Police officer {} takes notes outside the Student Services Center at SMC in Santa Monica, Calif., during the Great Shake-out earthquake drill on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. The SMC Police Department uses the drill to practice in case of a real earthquake. (Juliana Frame | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College (SMC) Police officer {} stands outside the Student Services Center at SMC in Santa Monica, Calif., during the Great Shake-out earthquake drill on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. The SMC Police Department uses the drill to practice in case of a real earthquake. (Juliana Frame | The Corsair) outside the Student Services Center at Santa Monica College (SMC) in Santa Monica, Calif., during the Great Shake-out earthquake drill on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. The SMC Police Department uses the drill to practice in case of a real earthquake. (Juliana Frame | The Corsair)

Students and employees evacuate the Student Services Center at Santa Monica College (SMC) in Santa Monica, Calif., during the Great Shake-out earthquake drill on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. SMC participates in the drill yearly, which takes place during a class period to simulate a real emergency. (Juliana Frame | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College (SMC) Police officers help {} down the stairs as he is "rescued" from the Student Services Center at SMC in Santa Monica, Calif., during the Great Shake-out earthquake drill on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. During the drill, some volunteers act out situations that may occur in a real earthquake, such as injuries. (Juliana Frame | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College (SMC) students and faculty participated in The Great California Shake Out, an annual opportunity for Californians to practice earthquake safety, on Thursday, Oct. 16. 

Earthquake safety is crucial to Californians because the state is in the middle of what the United States Geological Survey describes as the Ring of Fire, a zone that includes the west coast of North and South America. This region is known for having the majority of the planet’s earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes. According to the USGS, California has roughly 10,000 earthquakes every single year. Though most of them are too small to be felt, there is always potential for a catastrophic quake. Therefore, it’s important to stay prepared and practiced.   

At 10:16 a.m. local time, an emergency message played over the intercom, imploring students to exit all buildings in an orderly fashion. While people cleared the building, police and emergency responders performed a staged rescue on the second floor of the Student Services Center (SSC). Officers also set a point of command for the drill in the main driveway circle outside the SSC. 

Edgar Prado, a student ambassador for SMC, played the role of an injured student during the staged rescue.  Two paramedics placed him on a stretcher and carried him down a flight of stairs before ending the demonstration. 

“I think they did a great job and I would feel 100% safe,” Prado said.  

However, not all the students felt confident in everyone’s preparedness. SMC student Isabella Garcia said she felt that the drill seemed unorganized when compared with high school earthquake drills and that she would be 100% worried. “I think we would all die,” Garcia said.  

The drill ended around 10:30 a.m., with students being allowed to re-enter their rooms and continue with their activities and classes. According to SMC Police Chief Johnnie Adams, the biggest potential issue in a real emergency is the number of students on campus. 

Adams said to prepare for an on-campus earthquake, one should download and update their info on the Corsair alert app and learn the exits to buildings. According to the campus police section of the SMC website, the app works in collaboration with the SMC Police Department to keep students, faculty, and staff well-informed, connected and protected when on campus.  

You need to know what to do, and if you can learn these skills on your own without needing directions from the staff, you, as well as those around you, are safer, Adams said.