Being a student here for more than a few years now, you think I would know the ins-and-outs of the campus pretty well; apparently, that is not really the case. Before this semester, I had never been to the Depot. I had heard about it from time to time, but never even knew where it was.

Though it is right under our noses, many students at SF State might not know that our school has its very own venue. That venue is called the Depot, and it hosts everything from Open Mic, comedy, and board game nights, to performances by both student and outside musicians.

Now that you know that there is this venue on campus, you might be wondering where it is. The Depot is housed on the floor below the ground level of the Cesar Chavez Student Center. If you know where the Pub and Tuk Tuk Thai are, it is right next to that.

“All freshman year I went to the shows with all my friends and we had a really good time, so I wanted to get involved,” says Lizzy Schliessmann, manager of the Depot. “I’ve been here for three years and it is the best decision I’ve made in college I think so far.”

The Depot holds events every weekday. Last week Wednesday, they had karaoke from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m. for those wishing to sing their hearts out during lunch time, and on Friday, they had “quality TV time” between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m., where Bob’s Burgers was enjoyed by onlookers. Slam poetry is also something that the venue becomes an outlet for. S.P.E.A.K., a student slam poetry club, puts on twice a month at the Depot.

And in case you were wondering, all activities and performances at the Depot are absolutely free.
“I think it’s awesome because it gives students here an opportunity here to actually perform as opposed to just seeing random artists,” says Lucas Benacerraf, a business major who is in the process of shifting to a BECA major.

When there aren’t events happening at the Depot, the space is filled with tables and chairs populated by students either studying or unwinding with friends over a drink or two.

“I’ve really enjoyed it so far,” says Katrina Rickman. “The booze keeps bringing me back.”
If you or someone you know would like to perform or get involved with the Depot, an e-mail to [email protected] should do the trick.

“There’s a little place for anyone creative at the Depot, so if we could hook you up with that, we would be delighted,” says Schliessmann.