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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

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,...

Flyers from past events hang on a wall in the Women's Center in the Cesar Chavez Student Center. (Braelyn Furse / Xpress Magazine)

There’s No Place Like Your Third Place

Bailey Zitko, Staff Writer
February 12, 2025

Where known and unknown faces warm the room and conversation is contagious, enter a third place. These informal gathering places where people connect over shared interests, aren’t hard to come by at...

Bahar Karakucuk (left), the domestic president of the IEEC, and Thorn Horwell (right), the international president of the IEEC, pose for a photo at the IEEC Study Abroad Fair in Malcolm X Plaza on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2025. (Braelyn Furse / Xpress Magazine)

Navigating the Challenges of Studying Abroad: Exchange Students Share Their Experiences at SFSU

Lola Pérez Gómez, Staff Writer
February 11, 2025

SF State welcomes exchange students from more than 100 associations all over the world. Students navigate the challenges of living far from their homes while chasing their aspirations in foreign countries. According...

Mashouf Wellness Center was completed in 2017. The wellness center provides students with opportunities for adventure and athletic experiences across its 118,700 square feet of state-of-the-art facilities. (Yoobin Shin/Xpress Magazine)

SF State Sustainable Buildings and Certification, Explained

Olivia Mendez, Managing Editor
February 8, 2025

SF State’s new buildings on campus meet requirements that will certify their status as sustainable buildings. Through a combination of design, construction materials, low-energy fixtures, and post-occupancy...

A graphic of the write-out SETE's questionnaire awaiting a student's response. (Sophia Osborn / Xpress Magazine)

The movement to reform student evaluations of teaching in higher education

Julia R. Custodio, Staff Writer
December 30, 2024

We’ve all heard some version of the phrase: we learn in different ways. American cartoonist George Evans’ famous quote, “every student can learn, just not on the same day or in the same way,” is...

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...

Hashem Mishal using an angle grinder to cut a drill bit, in the SAE team’s garage at SF State on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024. “We don't get anything from the school other than this workshop,” Mishal said. “Our advisor, he runs the shop, and he also works with us to try and get as [many] opportunities as possible. So it was really nice, in helping us get this space, but all the tools are just some of the guys’ or third parties’. I don't know where these tools came from, but a lot of it was sponsors, donations from alumni. Right now, all the hardware we’ve been paying out of pocket for the time being.”  (Jonah Chambliss / Xpress Magazine)

Let’s Build a Race Car

Jonah Chambliss, Multimedia Editor
December 13, 2024

Those who have tried to change their oil know that cars can be frustrating to work on. A typical car shop features lots of tools, loud noises and dirty hands. Gathered in the new engineering building at...

Elliott Scheuer, Library Services Specialist, browsing the Friends of the Library Bookstore at the J. Paul Leonard Library at SF State. (Rodliam Suspene / Xpress Magazine)

BYOB: Bring your own book

Natalie Metcalf, Editor-in-Chief
November 20, 2024

Every Tuesday on the second floor of the J. Paul Leonard Library in Room 286, a handful of students gather. Whether these students sit quietly and read or discuss their latest book adventure, from 6-7:30...

Chef Tim Shaw (center) and Colin Johnson (right) inspect orders and dishes at The Vista Room. (Jesus Arriaga / Xpress Magazine)

Classroom to kitchen

Sophia Osborn, Editor in Chief
November 19, 2024

On the fourth floor of Burke Hall, right by the elevators, there's a pair of double doors. Behind this set of tan, wooden entryways, lies a quiet room filled with tables set up to resemble a restaurant....

From left to right, Pacific Islander Student Association executive board members Jayde Palega, Amelia Tupua and Kekoa Garabilez table in the Cesar Chavez Student Center at SF State in August, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Amelia Tupua)

It Takes a Village

Serrae Bell, Managing Editor
November 18, 2024

In a dimly lit, rectangular room tucked away in the corner of the third floor of the Cesar Chavez Student Center, a small group of students shared their deepest insecurities. They went around the table...

From left: Anthony Gamarra, Marc McClure, and Jorge Aguilar assess a workhorse rocket post-landing in Lot 25 at SF State. (Rodliam Suspene / Xpress Magazine)

It Is Rocket Science

Isaiah Casillas, Staff Writer
November 16, 2024

In the early morning mist, members of Fog City Rocketry gather in Lot 25 to assemble and test their latest rocket. As SF State’s student-led rocketry club, they bring together skills in engineering,...

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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