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

Giovanna Montoya

Giovanna Montoya, Editor-in-Chief

Giovanna Montoya is the Editor-in-Chief of Xpress Magazine for the Spring 2024 semester. She is a journalism major with a minor in media literacy. Giovanna was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA, where she studied 4 years of filmmaking and cinematography. She is an avid pickle-lover with a bold, adventurous personality, and would try anything at least once. There is nothing more important to her than her dog Pixel (nicknamed “pickle”), who has been a part of her life since she was 8-years-old. Writing and experiencing new things help distract from the fact that she’s 350 miles away from her fur-baby.

All content by Giovanna Montoya
Sycr holds a can of spray paint up to a wall in Daly City on Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2023. Since it was the middle of the night, he held a flashlight in his mouth while he was painting. (Andrew Fogel/Xpress Magazine)

Hard in the Paint

Giovanna Montoya, Editor-in-Chief
December 15, 2023

Throughout the streets of San Francisco, a myriad of vibrant artworks wind down alleyways and decorate the sides of buildings. A colorful tapestry of graffiti and murals blanket the mundane, industrial...

A crowd dances during Tobë set at the cave rave on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023. (Andrew Fogel/Xpress Magazine)

Cave Rave

Giovanna Montoya, Editor-in-Chief
December 5, 2023

Densely packed together, a crowd of rave-goers surrounds a makeshift DJ booth constructed out of a single steel barricade and two strips of caution tape. Colorful strobes pierce through the haze emitting...

Gisselle Peñuela Solis poses for a portrait using her laptop, which has a sonny angelclimbing on the back, in between Burke hall and the fine arts building on Monday, October 2, 2023. (Andrew Fogel/Xpress Magazine)

Comfort in Cupid

Giovanna Montoya, Editor-in-Chief
November 8, 2023

After an awful day at school, Gisselle Peñuela Solis was feeling frustrated and annoyed. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she decided to walk over to Stonestown Galleria to see if they had any Sonny Angel...

Ivy Chan sews into a gray shirt that will be later upcycled into a new set of clothing. They will later be sold in ISSO in the Mission at 3608 19th St. (Abraham Fuentes / Xpress)

Reduce, Reuse, Upcycle

Giovanna Montoya and Abraham Fuentes
October 16, 2022

Upon entering any retail store, wandering customers are greeted by rows and rows of brand-new clothing. Each piece is vibrant with expression and waits to be given a new home, hoping to be worn and styled...

Paulina Rosil, 21-year-old fashion designer and SF State student, prints T-shirts with original designs and ironic phrases in her apartment in San Francisco, Calif., on Sept. 12, 2022. Each tee Rosil sells is specially made-to-order per customer. (Tatyana Ekmekjian / Xpress Magazine)

The Tea on Tees

Giovanna Montoya, Editor-in-Chief
September 16, 2022

Think back to 2002. Pop culture is dominated by merciless tabloids that control the narratives of socialites and celebrities presented to an unforgiving public. Fashion is the safest form of retaliation.  Following...

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The student-run magazine of San Francisco State University
Giovanna Montoya