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The student-run magazine of San Francisco State University

Xpress Magazine

The student-run magazine of San Francisco State University

Xpress Magazine

The student-run magazine of San Francisco State University

Xpress Magazine

Lead vocalist Louis Addis sings during an Elephant Garden band rehearsal. (Braelyn Furse / Xpress Magazine)

Into the Elephant Garden

Natalie Gallegos, Content & Online Editor
May 10, 2025

On the SF State campus, the beat of a drum loudly echoes out of a single building. There are guitars lined up on the wall, signs and posters of animated figures, bands and a multi-colored flashing fluorescent...

Ryan White looks proudly at his monitor in the editing booth. (Olivia Moran / Xpress Magazine)

Finding Universal Understanding with Filmmaker Ryan White

AJ Voorheis, Visuals & Multimedia Editor
May 4, 2025

Roughly 50 miles north of San Francisco, in Sonoma County, surrounded by towering redwoods, wide-stretched wineries, and the region’s famous Russian River, SF State alum Ryan White found inspiration...

Kim Schwartz, director of the School of Theatre & Dance at SF State, stands for a photo. Schwartz, along with other staff, has been working on ways to accommodate students interested in productions and cinema. (Neal Wong / Xpress Magazine)

School of Theatre & Dance at SF State trying to do more with less

Neal Wong and Elijah Shaw
May 4, 2025

To be, or not to be — that is the question San Francisco State University’s theatre department asks as its funding dwindles. Since 2017, SF State’s School of Theatre and Dance has seen massive...

Bay Area and Hyphy: Cultural preservation amidst a changing landscape

Gabriela Calvillo Alvarez and Ahbree Innis
April 15, 2025

If you’ve ever been to a party in SF or Oakland, you’ve most likely heard the all-too familiar melodies of Too Short’s “Blow the Whistle” or E-40’s “Tell Me When To Go.” Both artists represent...

A child stands in the middle of a circle of adults during the Holi event in San Francisco. The celebration of spring welcomed many children and families to the event. (Braelyn Furse / Xpress Magazine)

Holi street party makes colors fly in San Francisco.

Braelyn Furse, Staff Photographer
April 14, 2025

Bags of pigmented powder covered people, tables and the street until all the boxes of non-toxic, rainbow powder were dispersed. Then, the water guns emerged. Joyous attendees dodged streams of dyed water...

In the used media and bookstore at SF State, a plethora of sections such as International Relations, Ethnic Studies and books in Spanish and German are available for purchase. (Natalie Metcalf / Xpress Magazine)

The Friends of a Used Book

Natalie Metcalf, Editor-in-Chief
April 10, 2025

New Yorker Magazines from 1939 are stacked on the librarian conference table on the third floor of J. Paul Leonard Library. Their thick, glossy paper is in pristine condition – Melanie Smith, the first-year...

Big Tractor, a drag performer and musician, plays on their banjo during Punk N' Drag night at The Depot. (Braelyn Furse / Xpress Magazine)

Big Tractor’s Depot Debut

Braelyn Furse, Staff Photographer
April 7, 2025

The strumming of a banjo twanged throughout The Depot on March 13th during a Punk N’ Drag night.  Big Tractor, otherwise known as Liv, performed two original songs, Down to Farm and Arizona, with...

erika mid-set as she DJs. (AJ Voorheis/ Xpress Magazine)

The entrancing late-night world of San Francisco’s program

AJ Voorheis, Visuals & Multimedia Editor
March 18, 2025

It seemed to come out of nowhere — and then it was everywhere: six rounded points in the formation of a flower. Flyers were hung around San Francisco that read “program.soulseek. Big Bass and Hot Trax....

Shruthi Krishnaraj, with her friends David Hernandez and Dalilah Martinez, showing off TCY clothing. The fashion brand is built by artists, for artists.

Q&A with Shruthi Krishnaraj, owner of The Creative Youth

Natalie Gallegos, Content & Online Editor
March 10, 2025

After being given The Creative Youth (TCY) brand by a family friend, SF State student Shruthi Krishnaraj made it her mission to empower artists through the platform.  Krishnaraj, a design major, has had...

A street skateboarding pioneer and owner of FTC, Kent Uyehara poses in his first flagship shop which opened in 1994. (Ryo Kojima / Xpress)

Your Favorite Skater’s Favorite Skate Shop

Sarah Louie, Staff Writer
February 13, 2025

A cold and rainy January night in San Francisco did not stop the crowd of people gathered outside laughing and talking on Haight Street. A sea of FTC hats, free Laughing Monk beer, and skateboards perched...

Amber Brown plays her guitar in her dorm room. Brown’s original song, using the tune of “What Was I Made For” by Billie Eilish, gained 1.1 million views on TikTok. (Braelyn Furse / Xpress Magazine)

A Violet Soul, the journey to producing music

Natalie Gallegos, Content & Online Editor
February 13, 2025

In the dorms of Manzanita Square, one room glows purple. The strumming of a guitar can be heard and behind the instrument is Amber Brown, psychology student and musician. Dressed in all shades of purple,...

Per Sia, a 43-year-old transgender woman, drag queen, and educator, spends her weekday afternoons teaching first graders at an after-school art program in San Francisco. She has spent over a decade in the program and even longer as a drag queen. Her life outside of teaching is intermixed with performances and drag story hours, having been the first drag queen to host these now internationally recognized events for children. Drag has been a part of her life for eighteen years, and over the span of almost two decades, she has made an impact on the San Francisco drag scene and even more of an impact on her students. (Photo taken on April 26, 2024.)

Per Sia by Night

Braelyn Furse, Staff Photographer
February 11, 2025

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