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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

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...

Children draw in colored powder on the floor at the end of the Holi 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

Clare Camasura, a sneaker enthusiast, poses at a staircase at Cesar Chavez Student Center at SF State. (Rodliam Suspene/Xpress Magazine)

Stepping Into Style: The Footwear That Shapes SF State’s Sneaker Culture

Isaiah Casillas, Staff Writer
December 14, 2024

Footwear at SF State is a window into the evolving trends of campus culture. Sneakers — ranging from classic Air Jordans to limited-edition Yeezys — still dominate the scene, but boots and brands like...

Lily Layman (right) works on a junk journal at the Crafts and Gratitude: Pages of Thanks event at Peacock Meadow in San Francisco, Calif. on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (Jesus Arriaga / Xpress Magazine)

Got Junk [Journals]?

Natalie Gallegos, Content & Online Editor
December 13, 2024

Receipts, colorful stickers, photographs and random gum wrappers in the bottom of your bookbag all might be junk you’re unsure how to get rid of. Within blank pages of a journal, your crumpled up junk...

Angely Alas, left, and Alisa Martinez, right, pose at the Garden of Remembrance at SF State. (Rodliam Suspene / Xpress Magazine)

Bringing Fashion to Class

Natalie Gallegos, Content & Online Editor
November 14, 2024

From go-go boots to mini skirts, puffer jackets and layered clothing, you might find yourself walking past various students dressed head to toe in fashionable attire. For five students, everyday attire...

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