Issue 01: Xpression / SEPTEMER 2024

SEPTEMBER 2024

EDITOR’S NOTE

Greetings and salutations,

My name is Sophia Osborn, and it is a privilege and honor to be your editor-in-chief of Xpress Magazine for Fall 2024. At Xpress, we are always looking for new and intriguing stories to cover. From leathermen to blue-collar work, there’s an article inside our pages for everyone.

In between homework and other life responsibilities students have to manage, our staff has worked tirelessly to bring you this new issue. For the first time ever, Xpress Magazine has created zines to help bring our exclusively online editions back into the spotlight. Enjoy this mini version of the magazine that we’ve created and produced IN HOUSE!

Many hours went into their creation and amalgamation of them, so be sure to check them out.

The last year on our campus has been one for the books. We’ve seen student activism at its finest and now, we all are holding our breath for one thing: The Presidential Election. All of us here at Xpress Magazine have been paying close attention to the political world and what it will mean for us. In our upcoming issues, we’ll be digging deeper and watching as the election unfolds.

This semester’s staff chose to express themselves through the topics that matter to them. Stories on consent, special education, video games in a competitive sport setting, what to do when you’ve graduated; we’ve written a plethora of topics for you.

Our reporters, photographers and editors have given blood, sweat and tears to get this issue out to you on time. By picking up one of our zines and reading this PDF version of our magazine, you are directly supporting student journalism here at San Francisco State University. For that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Our university has faced many transformations in the last semester alone, and our department has been hit by this change much like many others on campus. Even though we have some new factors to consider, we will bring you two online PDF issues of Xpress and two print issues. Look out for our zines on campus to see what we’ve got in store for you!

In this issue, we are all about Xpression. During the very beginning of our long and sometimes tedious writing process, I asked the staff to write about what interests them or makes them happy. What you’ll read in this issue is a conglomerate of this new staff and what goes on inside our newsroom. I’m excited for you to get to know us because we are all so ready to know you. Enjoy this issue and look out for our first printed edition coming at the end of next month. Next issue will be spookily entertaining. See you next time!

Sophia Osborn

Editor-In-Chief

of Xpress Magazine

San Francisco, Calif., skyline on Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2024. (Autumn

STAFF

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

VISUAL EDITOR

DESIGN

EDITOR

COPY EDITOR

ONLINE & CONTENT EDITOR

MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

DESIGNER

DESIGNER

STAFF WRITERS

PHOTOGRAPHERS

SOPHIA OSBORN

SERRAE BELL

AUTUMN DEGRAZIA

ALICE KAZAKOV

MICHAEL LANE

NATALIE METCALF

JONAH CHAMBLISS

NIKITA SEHGAL

SHEILA BERNAL

ISAIAH CASILLAS

LUKE CRAMER

JULIA CUSTODIO

JAIDEN FOREY

NATALIE GALLEGOS

TRAVIS RABURN

JESUS ARRIAGA ON THE FRONT COVER ON THE BACK COVER

Makowka, 70, stands proud and leathered at “Play on the Plaza,” hosted by the Leather and LGBTQ+ Cultural District, on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024. (Michael Lane / Xpress Magazine)

Robert

Morgan Rossi poses for a portrait at Happy House in San Francisco, Calif. on Sept. 20, 2024. Happy House specializes in showcasing and selling artists’ work. (Jesus Arriaga / Xpress Magazine)

DeGrazia/ Xpress Magazine)

Vogue ► Madonna

Video Killed The Radio Star ► The Buggles

Happy House ► Siouxsie and the Banshees

HOT TO GO! ► Chappell Roan

There She Goes ►The La’s

Yellow ► Coldplay

Here Comes The Sun ► The Beatles

Dog Days Are Over ► Florence + The Machine

Mr. Blue Sky ► Electric Light Orchestra

Hey Joe ► Jimi Hendrix

Where’d All the Time Go? ► Dr. Dog

Me and Bobby McGee ► Janis Joplin

Suddenly I See ► KT Tunstall

Fortunate Son ► Creedence Clearwater Revival

Come On Eileen ► Dexys Midnight Runners

Bitter Sweet Symphony ► The Verve

MEET THE STAFF

Sophia Osborn

Serrae Bell Autumn DeGrazia Alice Kazakov Michael Lane Natalie Metcalf

Jonah Chambliss Nikita Sehgal Shei Bernal Isaiah Casillas Luke Cramer

Julia Custodio Jaiden Forey Natalie Gallegos Travis Raburn Jesus Arriaga

The Graduation Scaries

Students grapple with next steps are after receiving a diploma

STORY BY JONAH CHAMBLISS

Graduating can be a scary experience. College provides structure, community and purpose for many students. Those who attain a degree are privileged to have received a higher education, but they are burdened with the massive step of figuring out what’s next in their life.

There are a million questions students must ask themselves: What job do I want? Do I stay with my partner? Where do I want to live? Did I even get the right degree? What comes next?

These questions make up some of the more personal yet important decisions that graduation presents to millions of Americans at the end of each school year. There are no simple answers to these questions. Students are expected to forge their way through society while trying to balance the life and connection they have created throughout college.

Achieving a college degree is nothing to scoff at. According to data from the United States Census, only 23% of the population receives a bachelor’s degree.

DESIGNED BY NIKITA SEHGAL

PHOTOS BY JONAH CHAMBLISS

Ava Austin, 21, of San Francisco, Calif., seated in front of the Humanities building at San Francisco State University in San Francisco, Calif., on Tuesday, September 10, 2024. Austin studied linguistics in the Humanities building, receiving their Bachelor’s degree in 2024.

(Jonah Chambliss/Xpress Magazine)

Tony Flores experienced this dilemma when graduating and is now trying to support students going through the same process. He graduated from SF State in 2014 with a bachelor’s degree. He moved to the Bay Area and experienced his own trials and tribulations in the process of attaining his degree.

Flores was placed on academic probation during his senior year. According to Flores, he was on a thin line between graduating or not. He received his diploma after a tough senior year, but he isn’t motivated to return and get his teaching credentials.

“I had to deal with that while thinking, like, what am I going to do after I graduate, thinking I wanted to become a teacher. I ultimately decided that I didn’t want to go back to school after I graduated,” Flores said. “It’s just not what I want[ed] to do.”

Upon graduating, Flores began coaching soccer and working service jobs. He remembers the time fondly, reflecting on when he was happy working with kids and felt like he was making an impact. He was offered the opportunity to return to SF State as a student recruiter. Flores jumped on the opportunity and worked in recruitment for five years until he was hired as an academic advisor at the College of Liberal and Creative Arts.

Advising is where Flores feels he can utilize his own experiences to best support students experiencing similar struggles to what he went through as a student.

“I know what it takes to get a bunch of noes when it comes to financial aid,” Flores said. “So, just being able to speak about my experiences with students kind of puts a little bit of ease with them, because they know that they’re not alone.”

Flores connects with the students he advises through his shared experiences and knows the amount of uncertainty graduating can bring. He remembers what was important to him at that point in his life and encourages students to prioritize living life to the fullest.

“After graduation, it really just comes down to ultimately what you want to do,” Flores said. “If you want to follow somebody, if they’re going to go get their master’s across the country and you want to do that and you feel like it’s the right thing,I feel like you only live once. Sometimes you gotta take the risk.”

Flores feels like the only way to figure out what you want to do is to try.

“It’s your life,” Flores said. “People may not be happy with the decisions you make, but at the end of the day, it is your life. Sounds kind of cliché, but it’s the truth.”

Ava Austin graduated last spring and received a degree in english with a linguistics concentration. Their dream job was to work on television shows and movies helping actors learn different accents and dialects.

After realizing a job in Hollywood might be harder to get than they realized, and being discouraged by the salaries of entry-level teaching jobs, Austin changed their approach and started looking at graduate school.

“I didn’t know what I was doing next, but I’m applying to grad schools right now so at least there’s some momentum happening,” Austin said. “I wasn’t stepping out into the void after graduation. But also, there’s a chance I’m not gonna get in. The

world is just gonna open up to a bunch of possibilities rather than grad school. It was a weird feeling.”

Austin still relies on SF State and some staff to help them figure out the next steps for their career.

“Shout-out to my professor, Theresa Pratt,” Austin said. “I worked with her last year while I was a student on the Marcus grant; I did research while I was in the Netherlands on linguistics.

After I graduated, she continued to help me. She’s given me all this advice about how to apply [to grad school], so I don’t feel very alone.”

Theresa Pratt, a professor of linguistics at SF State, fondly remembers Austin from the time they began classes in the linguistics department.

While studying abroad in the Netherlands, Austin and Pratt collaborated on their research of how queer linguistic styles and variations appear in the Dutch language, specifically how these attitudes manifest in their use of English within digital communication.

“I really love supporting students in general and specifically in the research projects,” Pratt said. “Ava always had both a general interest and desire for my input and that makes a really nice working relationship.”

Since Austin graduated, the two have continued collaborating on research projects. At the same time, Pratt has been helping Austin consider the many factors that go into applying for grad school.

“Going to grad school usually means relocating to a different place, and that’s a big change. On the personal level, I think that’s a really important part of advising,” Pratt said.” “I always tell my students, you’re human first, and students second, third or fourth, depending on what’s going on in your life. So making a decision, like, are you going to go to grad school? Are you going to get a job in another place? That’s as much a personal decision as it is a professional or an academic decision.”

Although Austin is a San Diego native, their focus for now is applying to grad school and staying in the city they love: San Francisco.

“I came here for an AC/DC concert in seventh grade, and we were here for four days,” Austin said. “I loved the city so much, and that was the only time I had ever been here. So I had my heart set on living here.”

Gabe Pothier, 28, of San Francisco, Calif., seated on his motorcycle, in front of his apartment in San Francisco, Calif., on Saturday, September 14, 2024. (Jonah Chambliss/ Xpress Magazine)

“I do know that I want to work with women specifically, just because they’re very underrepresented, researched, and I’ve been treated awful as a woman in healthcare.”

As many residents know, rent in San Francisco isn’t the easiest to afford. According to U.S. Census Bureau data, as of September 2024, San Francisco’s rent is 65% higher than the national average. To make rent, Austin works six days a week at a restaurant in West Portal while working with Professor Pratt on grad school and internship applications.

Austin isn’t the only person who’s prioritizing living in San Francisco.

Victoria Tyannikov is in the thick of her senior year. She’s in the middle of working hard to achieve her degree with little idea of what she’s going to do next.

Tyannikov is a rare double major in psychology and general biology. The Sacramento native knows that she wants to work in healthcare. According to Tyannikov, the important thing for her is engaging in female-based research and health initiatives.

“I do probably want to practice somewhere as a doctor, but I don’t know what specialty exactly,” Tyannikov said. “I do know that I want to work with women specifically, just because they’re very underrepresented, researched, and I’ve been treated awful as a woman in healthcare.”

Tyannikov isn’t alone in not knowing what exactly she wants to do. A 2016 Harvard Buines Review Study found that two-thirds of graduates struggle to launch their careers post graduation.

“I don’t have too many options with internships and whatnot right now. If I don’t land an internship after graduation, I’m probably gonna go into a clinical medical assistant program,” Tyannikov said. “They have free programs for SF residents that can get me connections to UCSF [University of California, San Francisco]. Then I can work in a hospital setting and get money that way, so it’s not just a free internship. I’ll actually be making wages after I get that certification.”

Tyannikov doesn’t have much time to think about the future. She’s currently taking 20 units to graduate next semester and trying to balance her relationship at the same time.

“I don’t know where exactly that’ll end up, but he’s always told me, ‘I’ll move where you move,’” Tyannikov said, responding happily to the idea with, “Okay, that works out.”

She let out a laugh and smiled wide when thinking about her relationship.

Gabe Pothier does not remember his final year at SF State fondly. In fact, he described it as, “super mid.” Pothier spent six years at SF State and held a union job with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees throughout his entire time in college.

Pothier hit a point where he was completely committed to graduating. He was taking seven classes and on campus six days a week during his final semester. That’s when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

“Everything changed, and it all went online,” Pothier said, “Then my job stopped all work, because there were no concerts or anything. So, I ended up working in healthcare, basically as an IT guy for a little bit.”

Pothier survived the COVID-19 pandemic. He had already completed an apprenticeship at his union and shows began opening back up.

“I went to work doing the Harry Potter show for a year,” Pothier said. “Then I ended up getting [a job] at the Opera House.”

That’s where everything fell into place for Pothier. He hadn’t sought out this job, but his employer noticed that he had a degree that was applicable to their needs. Pothier’s recommendation to recent or upcoming graduates is to not pigeonhole yourself.

Pothier was looking for jobs unique to his skill set and couldn’t find any. With his current perspective, he realized this was the wrong approach. His advice for upcoming or recent graduates is to do anything you can in order to narrow your skill set instead of starting as a specialist.

Victoria Tyannikov, 21, of San Francisco, Calif., standing in front of her apartment in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, September 14, 2024. (Jonah Chambliss/ Xpress Magazine)

Is consent important?

Consent is an integral part on campus can help inform

Can I kiss you? Can I give you a hug? Can I touch you? Yes! Consent happens when all parties agree on a sexual activity. But, consent is more than just sex. Consent happens everywhere, all the time, every day.

September 16-20 was consent awareness week. There are many resources on campus to learn about consent and receive help for circumstances of sexual discrimination, harassment or assault. If a case were to arise, SF State students can reach out to the Title IX office and The SAFE Place: resources on campus that provide students with assistance during cases of sexual assault and harrassment.

For information about consent and sexual health resources, students can go to Health Promotion and Wellness, Education and Referral Organization for Sexuality (EROS) and the Women's Center. These organizations on campus refer students who need someone to talk to about relationships, sex, mental health, etc. These organizations are referral programs, meaning they can refer you to professional assistance.

What is Consent?

According to Health Promotion and Wellness, consent is an affirmative and unambiguous “yes.” It is an agreement between both parties before engaging in any sexual activity.

Partners can change their mind at any given time if they want to stop an activity. Consent cannot be given if one person is asleep or unconscious.

Title IX

Once a year, students are required by the California State University system to take a sexual harassment course called San Francisco State Title IX Impressions. The training is a mix of informative slides about consent, sexual harassment and reporting a Title IX action.

Cy Petrocelli speaks on the Community united against violence program that they are apart of, as an Outreach Coordinator. They stand in the plaza near the Cesar Chavez student center on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (Gabriel Carver / Xpress Magazine)

important? Yes!

part of people’s daily life, these resources inform and assist students on campus.

“Someone who is in a dating relationship with someone, the idea of ongoing consent and blanket consent is not something that should be inferred through a prior social relationship,” Anna Titus, the assistant vice president for Title IX and Discrimination Harassment Retaliation (DHR), said about student relationships on campus. “The idea that a student is engaging in sexual activity with another, that consent conversation should be ongoing and is not transactional.”

According to Titus, consent to one sexual activity, such as foreplay, cannot carry over as consent to another sexual act, such as penetrative sex.

“Consent awareness is very important on campus, as the university is able to create the living, learning, educational, working environment that we all want to be a part of,” Titus said. “Affirmative consent and consent education is really important to hold each other accountable to what university expectations are.”

Titus began working at the Title IX office in July. She previously worked at the University of South Carolina, where she was the director of investigations and resolutions. There, she supervised all civil rights related resolutions, including discrimination and sexual harassment.

The Title IX office is located in the Student Services Building Room 403 and is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Health Promotion Wellness

Health Promotion Wellness, or HPW, is located at Village at Centennial Square. Students can come in to receive safer sex supplies such as condom kits, dental dams and lube.

Taylor Davies is the sexual health coordinator at HPW. She runs two workshops for students about sex and relationships: one on boundaries and the other on sexual communication. While she is a mandated reporter and would have to report cases of sexual harassment or assault to the Title IX office, students

come to her after workshops for relationship advice. Davies has a background in working with domestic violence prevention but now prefers to inform students on sexual health.

Davies uses the F.R.I.E.S acronym in her workshops.

According to Planned Parenthood, F.R.I.E.S. stands for freely given, reversible, informed, enthusiastic and specific.

Freely given means consent is a choice made without pressure, uncertainty, manipulation and the use of alcohol or drugs. Reversible means anyone can change their mind at any given time, no matter the situation. Informed means someone can only consent to something with full context. All sexual acts need to be fully discussed. Enthusiastic means giving an energetic and excited “yes” rather than a “yeah sure.” Lastly, specific means communicating with your partner about what is agreed upon. Saying yes to one thing does not mean saying yes to multiple.

“The idea is to provide students with the tools to open the conversation with their partners about being explicit when you talk about sex,” Davies said.

Consent is more than just a “yes” to her, it is consistently checking in and communicating with the other person.

“I think a lot of the time people think of consent as an individual agreement, but when you’re in the moment, you’re sharing it with whoever that person is,” Davies said. “You’re both making that exchange.”

SAFE Place

The SAFE Place, located in Student Services Room 205, provides free and confidential counseling services to victims of sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking and sexual harrassment. The program works directly with San Fransciso Women Against Rape.

SFWAR was founded in 1973. It supports survivors of sexual assault with information and counseling resources. People can also sign up to volunteer for the program as well.

Nour Loren is the manager of The SAFE Place. Previously, she had collaborated with EROS at their events in past semesters. During consent awareness week, The SAFE Place provided its resources to students through tabling.

STORY BY NATALIE METCALF DESIGN BY SHEI BERNAL PHOTOS BY GABRIEL CARVER

This pie chart shows the percentage of women and men in sexual assault and rape cases, according to US Department of Justice. (Natalie Metcalf/Xpress Magazine)

“Specifically in the work that I do, it [consent] is necessary for all types of interactions — romantic, sexual, platonic — whatever the case may be,” Loren said. “It’s really just the foundation of a healthy communication practice between two people and negotiating where the boundaries are in those relationship dynamics.”

EROS (Education and Referral Organization for Sexuality)

During consent awareness week, EROS put together a three-day series of events to explain the importance of consent to S.F. State students. Students also learned about sexual assault prevention, healthy relationships and sexual communication. They also had access to a resource fair. The events were put together by Camila Hernández, the director of EROS.

The EROS office is located on the terrace floor of Cesar Chavez Student Center. Similar to HPW, the organization offers safer sex supplies such as condoms and lube. Students can check out informational books on sex and relationships and also rent pornographic DVDs, which is exclusively a part of EROS resources. According to the EROS website, the program’s mission is to inform students about sexuality and gender.

“I believe in enthusiastic consent,” Hernández said. “That's

like, ‘yes I really want to do it’ because it’s not just ‘no means no.’ There’s also ‘yes means yes’ so if someone wants to do it [sex], they are really adamant about doing it.”

Monica Perry worked on the EROS staff last semester, but still hangs out in the EROS office once and a while. Perry, a visual communication design major, believes consent informs our daily lives and relationships.

“I think it can sometimes be the defining line between having a good relationship with someone and completely disrespecting someone,” Perry said.

Women's Center

The Women's Center is located on the terrace level of Cesar Chavez Student Center. The center offers resources for students facing sexual assault, domestic violence and even housing insecurity. Their office is designated as a safe place for all students. They offer free pads, tampons and pregnancy tests to students as well.

MJ Parafina and Madeline Cox, the director and the assistant director of the Women's Center, respectively, want students to know that consent is essential. They believe the Women's Center is a safe space for all that enter.

“Consent is important to us at the Women's Center because a lot of people have trouble speaking up for themselves,” said Parafina. “I feel like we try our best to give them that power and emphasize empowerment in standing up for yourself.”

Parafina pointed out that a lot of people on a college campus are just now figuring out their sex lives — what they like and what they don’t like.

“The best thing we can do here [Women's Center] is provide them with resources and hold events where they can have a space to learn these things and open up about what they might be going through,” Parafina said.

If a student has an issue, they can go to the Women's Center and be referred to Title IX or The SAFE Place, where a report will be made. The center also collaborates with off-campus organizations such as SFWAR, Black Woman Revolt and La Casa de las Madres.

Black Woman Revolt’s mission is to increase awareness of intergenerational violence amongst the Black community. La Casa de las Madres is an organization that responds to calls of domestic assault and helps victims and survivors. If a problem were to arise on campus, Parafina and Cox would refer the student to talk to La Casa de las Madres and Black Woman Revolt, while also referring them to The SAFE Place and the Title IX office.

“Students that need our help, the advice I would give them is to not feel ashamed in any way about what they experienced,” said Cox. “Don’t feel embarrassed about coming forward or think that whatever issue they’ve experienced isn’t worthy of getting help.”

Students at S.F State have a plethora of resources available to them, but they also have student leaders that will provide a safe space to share feelings or report sexual misconduct.

All sorts of programs on campus and off gather near the Cesar Chavez Student center during the consent awareness event on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024.

(Gabriel Carver / Xpress Magazine)

Special Education Demands an Attitude Change

From elementary classrooms to college level programs, educators are working hard to highlight the need for accessible education

STORY BY ALICE KAZAKOV

DESIGN BY SHEI BERNAL

PHOTOS BY ALICE KAZAKOV, AUGGY GARCIA, ASH VERWIEL

Everyday, students with disabilities characterized as physical, developmental or related to learning are forced to tackle difficulties within education. Some classrooms are missing teacher aids, others are too crowded and overstimulating.

As more conversations about inclusionary learning, budget cuts and accessible education continue to enter the public eye, it is important to recognize the programs and staff that impact students with disabilities.

Despite the availability of resources and support programs, students at the furthest ends of the K-12 spectrum are often left out of the conversation when it comes to accessible special education. Early childhood and elementary special education and college programs often lack the same support as general education at the middle and high school levels.

Special education aims to provide students with disabilities equitable and accessible education through individualized learning plans and tailored accommodations that look different for each family and student.

At the college level, students with disabilities are suddenly faced with needing to make decisions for their education on their own without the guidance of a school counselor or special education teacher. It can get overwhelming on top of the already existing challenges with standard college practices, such as

financial aid, enrollment and housing.

The Inclusion Pilot Project at San Francisco State University aims to provide students with intellectual and developmental disabilities an accessible education by allowing students to enroll in classes of their choosing. The project walks students through a person-centered plan while also assisting them with both professional goals, such as setting up a portfolio, and social goals.

Amber Dinov, program coordinator for the Inclusion Pilot Project, stresses that the project exists out of the students’ desire for a higher education.

“Our society has put this label on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities that they’re kind, they’re helpful. They can do simple things. However, that’s not the case,” Dinov said. “There’s a capacity for more, there’s a want for more. One of the cornerstones of our project is not everybody needs college, but everyone should be able to access education.”

The program and its staff is funded by the Department of Rehabilitation, which supports students with disabilities from youth to adulthood. The Inclusion Pilot Project, or the IPP, works through something called Open University, which allows students to purchase open seats in classes.

After getting registered in the program and enrolled within classes, students are assigned a peer mentor that works with them throughout their journey.

Assistive devices in Anderson’s classroom allow students to communicate through different functions. (Alice Kazakov / Xpress Magazine)

Ash Verweil is currently a peer mentor for Augustin “Auggy” Garcia who prefers to go by his first name. The two have worked closely for six semesters now as Auggy continues to take cinema and animation classes through the IPP.

Verweil reflects on when he was introduced to the program via Handshake, saying he had no idea about what kind of barriers students with disabilities face until he started working at the IPP.

Verweil started by assisting Auggy with his coursework and being physically present in the classroom. Now he is helping Auggy with finding internships or job opportunities while working together to build his portfolio of different artwork and films.

Verweil says their favorite part of the experience has been seeing Auggy grow within his academics and interests. He speaks to Auggy directly, saying how proud he is of him. “You always had a whole world in your head, and now you kind of know how to make that come to life,” Verweil said.

He goes on to talk about how important the program is for Auggy. “I think that’s part of the accessibility, right? Now you have all the tools and resources to make that come out, so that’s really cool,” Verweil said with a smile on their face.

He shares how the program impacts the greater community as well. “I think what professors often forget is that their classroom is also enriched by adding inclusion students because it just adds another layer of life and diversity and, like, another perspective that makes it more reflective of real life, you know?” Verweil said.

When Auggy first came to SF State, he didn’t know how many classes were available or anything about different resources such as the Cesar Chavez Student Center. Continuing into his sixth semester, Auggy has now honed into his animation and production skills and has directed some of his own films.

“To my own dreams, I want to study about animation and making movies,” Auggy said. “And more importantly be a director, storyboard artist, and animator.” Auggy’s portfolio and his work can be found here.

Despite its small presence on campus, the IPP has greatly impacted the students enrolled in the program seeking higher education and achieving their dreams.

“There’s not any community that isn’t touched by disability, and disability should be embraced,” Dinov said. “Disability is not a bad word, it’s not a negative thing, it’s just a part of what it is to be alive.”

Dinov says the program is like a mushroom spore, starting with the students and branching out to their peers, their professors and their communities.

“We love that our peer mentors leave us with the

“To my own dreams, I want to study about animation and making movies,” Auggy said.

“And more importantly be a director, storyboard artist, and animator.” Auggy’s portfolio and his work can be found here.

understanding that people with intellectual disabilities and developmental disabilities are funny, bright, artistic and fun to be around and important,” Dinov said. “The professors that we work with see that, and it changes how they teach the next semester. When somebody leaves us and graduates, the idea of accessibility, the idea of inclusion, goes with them into that new space.”

On the opposite end, early childhood and elementary special education educators find themselves struggling with staffing issues and apathy from administration, yet they still love what they do.

Kimberley Anderson is the main teacher for the Special Education Day Class at Dolores Huerta Elementary School. She works with a handful of students ranging from grades three through five with different disabilities and adjusts to their every need while also trying to follow rules the school enforces.

Her classroom is full of sight words and feelings flashcards labeled with “calm, choice, no, etc”, and alternative seating for the students. The kids each receive assistive devices and iPads

Auggy Garcia’s storyboard for a class assignment. Photo courtesy of Auggy Garcia

Auggy Garcia drawing in class at SF State. Photo courtesy of Ash Verweil

that read out something they need to communicate if they can’t do so verbally. Every little thing in Anderson’s classroom is set up in a way to help her students and accommodate any sensory challenges.

“If students don’t feel successful early on, that can impact them their entire lives,” Anderson said. “They can go through their entire elementary school career thinking, I can’t read, I can’t do math, I don’t have any friends and that’s going to impact them in middle school [and beyond]. So we need to really set them up for success at the very beginning.”

One of the issues with special education that Anderson mentions is the lack of funding for flushed out special education programs and staff. Citing the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990, which mandates schools to offer equitable and free public education to those with disabilities, Anderson explains that special education is simply too expensive for schools.

“It’s a federal mandate, so it has to be done,” Anderson said, “but the government isn’t actually funding it, so school districts are scrambling to pay for this. I’m hoping we get a federal administration that respects and w special education.”

Another issue that Anderson faces is that special education teachers feel isolated from general education and that they aren’t supported by their schools.

“If we had, I think, better training for all teachers, general education as well as administration, then things would be more cohesive,” she said.

Anderson explains it as an “attitude issue” towards special education in that it is not being built into college programs for education.

Melissa O’Mahony, the assistant director at Stretch the Imagination preschool and former graduate of the SF State Department of Special Education, shares Anderson’s viewpoint of integrating special education early on into someone’s career in education.

O’Mahony received her Master of Early Childhood Special Education and now currently lectures at the university while overseeing graduate students and student teachers. At Stretch the Imagination, she acts as a liaison and mentor between families and teachers for students diagnosed with disabilities.

According to O’Mahony, if someone wants to be an educator in California they need to first choose if they will enter general or special education. She believes that this fosters an idea of “separation” in an educator’s training early on.

When asked about how she tries to combat the “attitude issue” within her staff, O’Mahony explains that it helps that she has a role of superiority, but that she also takes the extra step to actively listen to her teacher’s frustrations, anxieties and needs while offering suggestions.

“I do think the mindset is ‘this is hard, I can’t do this, I’m afraid, this is a lot of responsibility,’” O’Mahony said. “So with that pushback, the underneath is actually really valid and valuable to look at.”

When asked about the importance of accessible special education for students as young as preschool age, O’Mahony said that early intervention has proven to be beneficial in setting students and families up to be successful later on.

Educators like Anderson and O’Mahony work every day

She shares that people commonly have misconceptions about the difficulty of early childhood education and the ability of students. “Yeah, I think there’s a lack of awareness and understanding of how crucial those years are and how much the children are able to learn.”

to dispel any stigma around special education while trying to bring to light some of the difficulties they face. People looking to go into fields such as education, psychology, health and more will eventually find themselves working with students with disabilities. She shares that people commonly have misconceptions about the difficulty of early childhood education and the ability of students. “Yeah, I think there’s a lack of awareness and understanding of how crucial those years are and how much the children are able to learn.”

Anderson encourages people to take on an open mind when thinking about special education and the diversity within communities. She strongly believes in students with different disabilities taking up space within their communities to encourage accessibility.

When asked about how to start that process and mentality, Anderson says it’s always about visibility.

“I think having classes like mine on campus, being visible and being a valuable part of our community [is important], which is why I love my school too because we are extremely inclusive. Other students are going to school alongside kids with Down’s Syndrome, with Autism, in wheelchairs, and with significant and multiple disabilities and they are seeing them as peers,” said Anderson. “It’s going to take this new generation having positive experiences with people with disabilities.”

Students practice phonetics with visual cues to help them put meaning to words. Students paste a photo of a cat with purple eyes to understand "purple". (Alice Kazakov / Xpress Magazine)

Happy House:

How a Psychedelic General store is helping Local Artists

This psychedelic general store is a colorful and artist-centric space for small artists to expand their work.

STORY BY NATALIE GALLEGOS

ARTWORK BY AUDREY RIORIDAN

From neon clothing and dead stock vintage items to zines, bolo ties and clown rings, the sights you’ll see upon entering the funky, psychedelic general store Happy House in North Beach, will make you realize that this is not your typical San Francisco gift shop.

For longtime friends and owners of Happy House, Nikki Greene and Isabella Hill, this artistic space is an extension of their personality and their beliefs.

“My grandfather was a photographer. My mom was a fashion designer,” Hill said. There is a long tradition of artistry in her family.

Hill is a textile artist who specializes in cross-stitching embroidery. Greene is a photographer. The idea of Happy House was sparked during the COVID-19 pandemic when Hill and Greene shared an art studio together in the Mission.

“That was one of our inspirations for starting the store,” Hill said. “We wanted something that would support us, artists like us, and give us a little extra income while we pursue these projects.”

“One day I was just like, ‘Hey, I’ve had this idea for a really long time and I think it’s something I want to do’. And then she [Hill] was like, ‘Cool, I have an idea of something I’ve been wanting to do and it seems like we should just do this together,’” Greene said.

For Hill, a space where people could shop for handcrafted items in person rather than online sounded amazing. It was a concept that Greene had held onto for over a decade. There were different iterations in her mind of what the space would be like; a store containing artist-made items that you wouldn’t be able to find anywhere else. A space where craft and art meet.

Happy House began their pop-ups at craft fairs in the fall of 2022 near the Ferry Building where they began sourcing friends’ art pieces to sell. As the shop expanded, community artists began to approach Hill and Greene and asked to be included.

Just this May, Happy House found its longterm spot on Grant Street. The shop allows artists to consign their items with Happy House, splitting the profit evenly once it sells. Half of the items are consignment while the other half is dead stock vintage, which are discontinued items no longer sold in stores that are sourced by Greene and Hill.

“I think that the time of having a bunch of useless, cheaply-made stuff is over,” Greene said. “I think that if we want to continue on this planet as conscious people, it’s just time to put our money where our mouths are, because commerce is a big part of arts and crafts and has been since the beginning.

A unique fact about Happy House is that Hill and Greene can tell you how and where everything was made. According to Greene, it lends itself to having consciously, ethically and

DESIGNED BY NIKITA SEHGAL PHOTOS BY JESUS ARRIAGA

sustainably made items in a world full of trash.

For Dena Goldsmith-Stanley, having a place like Happy House allows for her work to enter the world in a way she might not be able to do herself.

“I’m handpicking what I use and pretty much a hundred percent of what gets cast in the resin is stuff that I found, you know, on the ground,” said Goldsmith-Stanley.

Her unique jewelry consists of hand-painted clown-faced rings and bolo ties, some of which are resin filled with dried and preserved flowers, googly eyes and safety pins. According to her, isolating these items and freezing them adds a time capsule quality, making these everyday objects more interesting.

“I’m just kind of taking from the world, you know in that way, and of course I’m producing small enough amounts that the carbon footprint is very low,” Goldsmith-Stanley said.

Originally from Bakersfield, artist Samantha Solano focuses her work on rugs and clay magnets. After receiving the gift of a turfing frame, which is often used for makeshifting rugs, she thought she’d give it a try. Her clay work began with making miniature versions of her record collection and her work slowly turned into face characters.

Solano came across Happy House and met Hill while she was walking her dog in the neighborhood.

“I haven’t been able to find a place, a storefront or something that I want to sell my stuff,” Solano said. “We just fit in perfectly. Psychedelic General Store is exactly what I was looking for.”

For San Francisco based ceramic artist Katie Thrash, Happy House is a spot where her own work is displayed. She was introduced to the store after being approached by the team during the West Coast Craft in the winter of 2023.

Ceramics has led Thrash to the forefront in the realm of being able to make and build with her hands, tapping into her creative side. Her Nerikomi pieces are often colorful and patterned, most being inspired by her mother’s quilting background and her father’s engineering side.

Thrash has appreciated knowing the stories behind other artists’ processes, techniques, work and effort as she knows how much goes into her own pieces.

“Oftentimes, artists are not making nearly enough for the time that they’ve put into their items,” said Thrash. “I see a lot of people juggling to make it work because they’re so passionate about their work,” said Thrash.

Happy House is located at 1412 Grant St. and is open Wednesday to Sunday from 12-8 p.m. Markets and events are often hosted at the psychedelic general store and announced on their Instagram account (@happyhousesf).

Morgan Rossi poses for a portrait at Happy House in San Francisco, Calif. on Sept. 20, 2024. Happy House specializes in showcasing and selling artists’ work. (Jesus Arriaga/ Xpress Magazine)

Smudging sage on display at Happy House in San Francisco, Calif. on Sept. 14, 2024.

Morgan Rossi models a playing card spread at Happy House in San Francisco, Calif. on Sept. 14, 2024.

Small Spells collection by Rachel Howe on display at Happy House in San Francisco, Calif. on Sept. 14, 2024.

Small Spells collection by Rachel Howe on display at Happy House in San Francisco, Calif. on Sept. 14, 2024.

Small Spells collection by Rachel Howe on display at Happy House in San Francisco, Calif. on Sept. 14, 2024.

Who’sYour (Leather) Daddy?

The leather community of San Francisco can be an intimidating subculture. But beneath the hard exterior, they’ve got some pretty soft hearts.

STORY BY TRAVIS RABURN DESIGNED BY NIKITA SEHGAL

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL LANE

Moonlight spills over the rooftops of San Francisco’s South of Market neighborhood, illuminating a peculiar scene in the street below. Men dressed like erotic leather soldiers can be seen standing outside a black-and-blue striped Victorian style house, which practically vibrates from the high-tempo music playing within. They appear as if they could either be from a Hell’s Angels documentary or the set of a pornographic film.

One of them, a man with a captivating gray beard and nose ring, lights a cigar and perches it over the crease of his mouth. The smoke sifts through his mustache and careens over the lip of a black military-style hat that somebody could have plucked from a beach in Normandy. He is performing a special kind of mating ritual.

This act is called cruising in the LGBTQ+ community, using visual and physical cues in public places to find a bedmate. Leaning on the side of the building, standing tall in obsidian colored combat boots, he grabs his crotch in the sight of passersby. A purposefully tight black leather button-up highlights a muscular chest, and the bulge of his penis is seen at attention through pants fashioned with a silver zipper designed for easy accessibility.

He finds his target for the night, a younger man, maybe 23 at most, wearing only a jockstrap, boots and leather vest. He first begins by scanning his body, spending a few noticeable extra seconds locked in on the young man’s crotch. He then approaches. They both have played this game many times before, and they will play it many times more. This is why they have come to the Powerhouse, a leather and cruising bar.

The leather daddy and boy, as younger and older duos in the leather

scene are commonly referred to, duck into the dark alleyway next to the bar. They will be seen again tomorrow evening, not in each other’s company, but to do it all over.

The leather community of San Francisco has a deep history, particularly in the SoMa neighborhood, where most of the leather scene is now contained. According to the GLBT Historical Society, the leather aesthetic was catalyzed by Englishman Alan Selby, who moved to San Francisco in the late 1970s. Selby became known as the “Mayor of Folsom Street” and established a famous BDSM store called Mr. S Leather in 1979. But while Selby may have popularized leather, there are other theories about when and how it first appeared.

Longtime Powerhouse bartender Carlton Paul says he heard the aesthetic first caught on because it protected the community against gay bashings and bar raids the San Francisco Police Department would regularly conduct. The SFPD would not harass bikers because of their intimidating appearance, something

the gay community took notice of.

“They [SFPD] had this standoffish thing with the bikers,” said Paul, in his thick southern accent. “Some smart gays decided that they could get from their apartment to the bar if they dressed like bikers so the cops won’t beat the shit out of them. That construct of how we became leathermen has this idea behind it of taking masculinity and using it to protect ourselves.”

Leathermen are part of the greater bondage, domination, sadism, and masochism scene, or BDSM for short. But underneath all the leather is just a community of guys who like to have fun and who care about each other.

“It [the bar] sets people free,” Paul said, while slicing a fresh cucumber for drink garnishes. “They come here and have a drink – or not – and they feel free to misbehave. My job is a conductor of frivolity. Because when people come to the Powerhouse, [they] come to the Powerhouse to cut up.”

Many people who come to these spaces seem to be set sexually free.

“They’re all just a bunch of gay men who like to exchange cooking recipes,” Kristofer Weston, a household name in the global leather community, said while producing a hearty laugh. “When you get into a dom-sub role in the bedroom, there’s a dynamic that occurs. But there’s also real life that occurs outside of that.”

Leather harnesses and straps line Folsom Street in San Francisco during Play on the Plaza, Saturday, Sept, 14, 2024

(Michael Lane / Xpress Magazine)

Leather bars are playgrounds for human sexuality; prudishness is seemingly left waiting outside like a roommate who’s lost his house key.

“Tonight is an underwear party,” said Paul. If you go to Powerhouse any Thursday you’ll likely see throngs of men in their underwear dancing, drinking and potentially some more “heated” action in the smoking area outside, according to Google reviewer Jay Berrios.

But in addition to the sexual energy, there’s also a sense of community in the leather bars. Many of the leather folk are also community organizers who advocate for the BDSM community’s interests. Their self-advocacy efforts even resulted in establishing the Leather and LGBTQ+ Cultural District in 2018 by Mayor London Breed, the world’s first of its kind.

“We’ve done a lot of work with legislation,” said Supervisor Matt Dorsey, who oversees the SoMa neighborhood. “Continuing to honor the history and cultural enrichment that this community brings to the city at large is really important.”

Supervisor Dorsey most recently showed his support for the leather community by awarding the Bare Chest Calendar’s competition winners certificates of honor for their fundraising efforts and contributions to the community. The Bare Chest Calendar is an annual competition where men compete to have themselves represented in a calendar. Proceeds from the calendar and other fundraisers the winners participate in go to that year’s beneficiaries.

“I made sure I went out and got ribbon that was [colored like] the leather flag,” Supervisor Dorsey said, referencing

a flag with black and blue stripes, a streak of white in the middle, and a heart in the top-left corner that represents the leather and BDSM communities. “Because I wanted it to be special for the district I represent.”

The Bare Chest Calendar raises funds primarily for the PRC, previously known as the Positive Resource Center. The PRC is an organization that provides support and services for community members affected by HIV/AIDS, addiction and mental health afflictions. This year alone, the organization raised $262,956, shattering all previous fundraising records throughout its 40-year history.

Community leaders are also pushing for more diversity in the leather scene, which historically has been more friendly to cisgender white men. Even today, many of the leather bars are considered to be exclusionary to gender expressions other than male. Some leathermen see this as cultural preservation, while others see it as an opportunity for growth.

“There’s clearly been a lot more momentum since the pandemic,” Katherine “Mama Kat” Rose, a beloved community organizer, said. “And I think that’s because we need each other. We need each other’s energies. We need the different things we all bring.”

Mama Kat, while wearing an intricately designed leather trench coat and round sunglasses, was attending an event held by the Leather and LGBTQ+ District called “Play on the Plaza”. She says even though she loves the city, she had to leave San Francisco for a brief period because of the harassment she had faced. But today she’s back for good and is the reigning Ms. SF Eagle Leather. Mama Kat is also the first trans woman to win the competition.

Now, she’s using her title to give back to her community.

“All of us [titleholders] raise money

for charity,” Mama Kat said. “One of the first things we do is identify a charity that we want to raise money for, and then all of our fundraising efforts for that year go into raising money for that charity.”

What’s kinkier than giving back to your community? Well, maybe Folsom Street Fair, an annual BDSM festival that attracts more than 250,000 kinky pilgrims to get their freak on in the streets of SoMa. The event even got Berlin kinksters so horny that they started their own version in 2003, called Folsom Europe.

Jukie Schweit, operations manager of Folsom Street, the nonprofit that runs the fair, said the event is more diverse than ever before in its 41 years of existence.

“Folsom Street Fair right now has the most diverse group of people that have been at the helm,” Schweit said, her eyes lighting up from behind her hot pink glasses. “Everyone is a mixture of genders, backgrounds, kinks and colors. One of the things we’re pushing for is to have more diversity at the fair so all attendees can feel welcome.”

So, in addition to the lust and leather, there’s a lot of love in this community.

“They’re all just a bunch of gay men who like to exchange cooking recipes,” Kristofer Weston, a household name in the global leather community, said while producing a hearty laugh. “When you get into a dom-sub role in the bedroom, there’s a dynamic that occurs. But there’s also real life that occurs outside of that.”

Weston grew up in the conservative state of Wyoming and was often captivated by movies like “Wild Wild West,” where the hero is captured and tortured. This dynamic, in Weston’s own words, really got him off. He would take fantasies like that one to reality during college at Arizona State University.

“They paid $300 if you came and you wrestled around in your jockstrap,” Weston said, explaining how he got his

An intricate, hand-painted jacket is displayed in a leather booth at Play on the Plaza, Saturday, Sept, 14, 2024 (Michael Lane / Xpress Magazine)

J.Cub (@pupballz), a pup, attends Play on the Plaza, Saturday, Sept, 14, 2024 (Michael Lane / Xpress Magazine)

“When you trust someone and you let them have power over you, there’s this cathartic thing that happens in your brain,” Paul explained, while opening the doors to his bar for the evening service. “It can take sex to a place that is more intimate. You’ve experienced this thing together, and so leather can be a gateway into a more intimate relationship.”

start by answering an ad in Los Angeles’ Frontier Magazine. “I needed money for college, so it was kind of a no-brainer. And they would pay you an extra 50 bucks if you came, so I would always opt for that.”

Weston himself is a veteran of the leather and BDSM communities. He’s dedicated over 20 years of his life to producing for and acting in BDSM porn with famous porn studios, such as Falcon and Colt. But now he and his partner of 10 years, Tyler Rush, known to the kink community as a puppy named Pup Amp, produce the BDSM education podcast “Watts the Safeword”.

Puppies are a leather subgroup who often roleplay as dogs in both sexual and social situations. Usually, they wear a leather hood resembling a dog and sometimes a tail. They have a fairly sizable community in San Francisco.

“I think the younger generation needed a safe sex outlet,” Weston continued. “[Because] my generation, with their full leather and hardcore imagery, was scary. It’s kind of like cosplay in a way. They don’t have to communicate verbally. They can go ‘bark, bark,’ and shake their tail.”

A tail in this case is generally a butt plug with a rubber tail on the end. But in order with what Weston said, statistics show that young people are evidently more interested in exploring alternative sex.

Feeld, a dating app that markets itself towards more open minded users, conducted a study earlier this year alongside Indiana University’s Dr. Justin Lehmiller. Dr. Lehmiller works with the Kinsey Institute, which studies issues relating to sex and gender. With data collected from Feeld, Dr. Lehmiller found that Gen Z users had a 55% chance of discovering a new kink using the app, suggesting that Gen Z could be the freakiest generation yet. Millennials were 49% likely, Gen X 39% and Baby Boomers were least likely at 33%.

Weston and Amp are huge supporters of kink education and use their platform on “Watts the Safeword” to educate viewers and break down stigmas around sex. Weston also hosts a podcast called “On Guard Cigar Salon,” where every month he talks with community members about issues and changes within the leather scene.

“My message for people wanting to explore kink is to do it at your own pace,” Weston said, his voice shifting from conversational to almost parental. “Don’t think that you have to go from one to one-hundred overnight. Find someone you trust and who can guide you.”

SF State’s Education and Referral Organization for Sexuality has information for students interested in exploring the BDSM community, in addition to a plethora of other sexual health resources.

“When you trust someone and you let them have power over you, there’s this cathartic thing that happens in your brain,” Paul explained, while opening the doors to his bar for the evening service. “It can take sex to a place that is more intimate. You’ve experienced this thing together, and so leather can be a gateway into a more intimate relationship.”

Students can find events related to BDSM and the leather community through Folsom Street’s website, or can even attend the Folsom Street Fair on Sep. 29th.

Vintage magazines and erotica are a common sight on Folsom Street in San Francisco, Saturday, Sept, 14, 2024 (Michael Lane / Xpress Magazine)

FROM ROOMMATES TO BANDMATES: Q&A WITH

Moving into the college dorms can be a daunting experience for anyone. You’re away from home, taking care of yourself and living with complete strangers. For second-year student Luca Stiehm, moving into Mary Park Hall became a blessing in disguise when he met his roommate, Emmett Penney. Both Stiehm, 18, and Penney, 19, had an interest in making music, and the two became friends immediately. The duo began producing and recording music in their small dorm room when they weren’t in classes. Their project, named Pucaloaded, was born.

XPRESS: HOW’S YOUR GUYS’ DAY GOING?

LUCA STIEHM: I had a good-ass day. I had a yerb [yerba mate] in the morning, I’m feeling energized. Hit the gym. We were cooking, or you guys were cooking a little bit earlier.

EMMETT PENNEY: Our roommate made birria tacos. They were good!

XPRESS: YOUR PROJECT IS CALLED PUCALOADED. HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT?

LS: I’ll just start from the very beginning of how it started. So basically, Mary Park, I was in that dorm, randomly assigned roommate, I had no idea who I was going to be with. First day comes, and I meet this guy [Emmett Penney] right here. A few

days go by and he brings in all these pianos and shit. He has guitars and then brings in his whole PC setup. Then he tells me he makes beats, which is crazy because I rap. I make music too. From the jump, we had that little click, like, we gotta make music together. It was our first year of college, so we had to balance out school. But over time, me and Emmett would slowly cook on FL Studio.

EP: We were just fucking around. We didn’t take it seriously at that time. It was kind of ass. We did make one good song. We didn’t think anything of it at the time. That was toward the end of the first semester. The second semester came by, and the shit we were making started getting way better. Over two or three weeks, we would go to City Eats [now the Monarca Dining Hall]. We’d come back to the dorm and just cook. We didn’t go out, hang out with friends, we didn’t do anything.

XPRESS: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR ROUTINE?

LS: We had a routine perfected! Wake up in the morning, do our yada yada, go to class for whatever, get City Eats. We’d be in City Eats talking about what we wanted to make and what type of songs we were recently listening to. Then, we go straight back to the dorm and make music for five hours straight. We’d be in there, like I had Black Ops 2 on one side of the room and he [Emmett] had his little set up. We’d just go back and forth. He’d start producing, I’d be playing. Then I’d start rapping, he starts playing. We had the most epic routine for music.

XPRESS: THAT WAS ABOUT THE TIME YOU GUYS PUT OUT YOUR ALBUM “TOO LOADED”. WAS THERE ANYTHING RELEASED PRIOR TO THAT?

LS: The first thing we ever put on all platforms was a three song, little EP. It was called “Mary Park Trap.” We were just trying to get people to listen, you know? It’s not even up anymore. We just put it out. Hella people started reposting it. We were getting a bunch of plays. A bunch of people were listening to it at the time. That was our first realization, like, “oh, we could really take this.” So after that, we got hella motivated, and we made an entire

STORY BY AUTUMN DEGRAZIA AND MICHAEL LANE ARTWORK BY MOLLIE DYER DESIGNED BY NIKITA SEHGAL PHOTOS BY AUTUMN DEGRAZIA

Music duo Pucaloaded sits down with XPress Magazine and discusses their project, time management with college and making songs in their dorm room.

album in two weeks. It ended up being “Too Loaded.”

XPRESS: HOW WAS BALANCING SCHOOL AND MUSIC?

LS: There’d be a lot of times where I would be, like, artist first and student second. Obviously, you know, I want to stay on top of my academics, so I would say it was definitely a lot to learn, balancing out making music and doing school. You ever seen ‘8 Mile’ (2002)? Like, Eminem on the back of the bus writing on a napkin? I would be in econ class, back of the lecture, and then there’d just be some days I’m listening to Emmett’s beats. I’m just in my notes, coming up with flows, writing shit. I just wrote two songs, but I didn’t learn shit. So it is definitely, yeah, you have to know the time and place to do it.

EP: My classes were hella easy, so I didn’t have to do shit!

XPRESS: WHO ARE YOUR MAIN INSPIRATIONS?

EP: Whatever I’m listening to at the time. First semester, I was listening to hella pluggnb, like Summrs and Autumn! Pluggnb beats were hard, so I was just trying to do that because my melodies were ass. Second semester, something clicked, and I was finally able to work it out. I think pluggnb is probably the biggest inspiration, music-wise.

LS: I feel like this is a pretty basic one, but Tyler, the Creator. He has an ear for certain things out of his capabilities. He knows when there’s stuff he can’t produce, and then he finds other artists or other composers that can get that idea in his head onto a song.

XPRESS: WHAT DO YOU GUYS LIKE TO DO OUTSIDE OF MUSIC?

LS: I love boba. I love going out and just getting boba. I get a lot of inspo when I’m off that boba. I get that caffeine rush. I got hella sugar in me and I just start writing hella lyrics. I fuck with fashion, you know? I think that’s another part of the music and whatnot.

XPRESS: IT’S COOL THAT YOU GUYS RECORDED A TON OF MATERIAL IN THE DORMS. WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?

LS: Being in the dorm, you got neighbors. We have big speakers that we mix off of. There’d be times I’d walk out of the dorm, and you could hear us. Our entire floor can hear us making music. The process was definitely interesting.

XPRESS: HOW DOES WORKING TOGETHER STRENGTHEN YOUR MUSIC?

EP: Over the summer, when I’m trying to make beats, they’re all just kind of mid. Luca is in El Cerrito, and I’m in San Jose, so we can’t link up that often. So over the summer, I can’t make anything good or that I’m satisfied with. The second we come back here, we’re together and able to work together – it’s just completely different.

LS: Meeting Emmett last year elevated my music so much. It’s like, the opportunities are for sure endless now, it’s only going to go up from here. It’s really nice to be so versatile with everything because of how good at producing you are. Put it there, bro.

EP: Boom.

LS: Boom.

XPRESS: IS THERE ANY NEW PUCALOADED MATERIAL ON THE HORIZON?

LS: Totally. We got a bunch of stuff in the files that we’ve been cooking. We’ve probably made five songs just ready at any point. We’re not planning on stopping anytime soon.

EP: It’s a cool dream to think that one day it could go somewhere. There’s no point in not trying, we might as well try for something.

Luca Stiehm and Emmett Penney were paired as roommates in 2023. Now, the duo collaborate as friends to produce music in the comfort of their home. (Autumn DeGrazia/ Xpress Magazine)

Go green or go home

Uniquely Healthy Finds At The

Stonestown Farmers Market

STORY BY SERRAE BELL

BY SHEI BERNAL

BY BRAELYN FURSE

It was a rare sunny Sunday in San Francisco. The temperature was above 70 degrees, the wind traveled at only 5 mph and people gathered in an empty parking lot behind Stonestown Galleria to indulge in the simple pleasures of the weekly farmers market.

Even if it had been cloudy and gray, people still would have carried bags of late-summer produce and trays of steaming food – a typical sight at any farmers market. But between the tents of standard fruits and vegetables and stands serving hot meals lay humble vendors with unique products that had much to offer in terms of both flavor and health. Only by slowing down and taking the time to visit the stations that weren’t as crowded and bustling with people eager to get their groceries and get on with their day could they be found. Only then could one find versatility.

As college students, it’s easy to become accustomed to a diet of frozen food and microwaveable meals. Not everyone has the funds to buy clean, natural ingredients or the skills to transform those ingredients into a delicious meal. Not to mention that extra moments to cook are often few and far between.

According to a study published by the National Library of Medicine in 2018, “Social and university environmental factors” contribute to a student’s eating patterns once they leave the house and get to college, and this can often impact their diet in a negative way. More time is spent thinking about homework and assignments than about what we put in our bodies and where our food comes from. Luckily, the Stonestown Farmers Market is just a short walk away from campus and is held every Sunday, rain or shine, and it simplifies

DESIGN

PHOTOS

A customer looks at a jar of honey at the Marshall’s Farm Honey stand at the Stonestown Farmers Market in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Braelyn Furse / Xpress Magazine)

shopping locally and health-consciously.

LifeFood Gardens

A health-conscious attitude is what 44-year-old Katy Pomelov, the owner of LifeFood Gardens, has built her business around. The Kelseyville, California native previously worked a tech job, but found it unfulfilling. She started growing produce in the backyard of her San Francisco apartment. When her family came into possession of some property in Lake County, she jumped at the opportunity to

“My life purpose is around health. Physical health, mental health and embodying health and well-being and sharing it with others,” said Pomelov.

focus on what she was truly passionate about and started her own farm.

LifeFood Gardens specializes in microgreens; immature plants that are more nutrient-dense than the fullgrown version. According to Pomelov, the nutrients in a young broccoli or red cabbage sprout are 40 times more concentrated than in the mature plants. In addition to the pre-existing benefits, the company waters their produce with a sea-salt solution containing trace minerals. Pomelov said this method adds carbon to them, which makes them organic and the healthiest they can be. It also gives the greens a slight salty flavor if taste is what deters you from getting your daily dose of veggies.

Microgreens can be used in sandwiches, salads and even as garnish, though Pomelov’s favorite way to eat them is in nori wraps. However, she’s not just in it for the food. LifeFood Gardens participates in about 15 farmers markets per week and recently celebrated its 12th anniversary on Aug. 24, but what makes the work worth it for Pomelov is the people. She recalled a customer with cancer whose condition improved after regularly eating her greens and beamed with pride.

“This is why I do this,” she said. “Even, like, working seven days a week and not getting much sleep is totally worth it when I hear these stories.”

Marshall’s Farm

Chances are you’ve had honey before, but you probably aren’t getting all the possible benefits from it. That is something one family business is trying to change. Founded in 1990 and run by octogenarian beekeeper Spencer Marshall, Marshall’s Farm sells natural and local honey around the Bay Area and is helping rebuild the bee population while providing people with a healthy alternative to store-bought sweeteners.

Alison Trotta-Marshall is a SF State graduate and the majority owner of Marshall’s Farm. The 58-year-old is the daughter-in-law of Spencer Marshall and has kept the business afloat since Marshall’s wife, Helene Marshall, who previously managed the farm, passed away in 2016. Trotta-Marshall went from being the beekeeper’s assistant to being the executive director to doing the work of CEO and CFO of a now-thriving company that provides a delicious healthy product to the local community.

“We’re expanding the number of hives, and so we’re expanding the number of bees in the world, and we’re doing it without chemicals,” said Trotta-Marshall.

According to Trotta-Marshall, it is best to eat honey that was created and sourced closest to where you live in order to get the most benefits, which can include anti-allergy properties, blood sugar regulation and immune system boosts. These rewards can only be reaped if the honey is the most pure it can be. For Marshall’s Farm, that means not overheating or over-filtering it and never including additives such as sugar water or food coloring.

42-year-old Josh Halpern has worked for Marshall’s Farm for just over a decade, and he explained that something else the farm never does is move their beehives around, which can be very harmful to the bees and affect the quality of the honey. Instead, Marshall travels between beehive locations. Each environment produces honey with diverse textures, flavors and even colors. Each variation of honey can carry different immune-supporting properties.

Honey is a versatile ingredient and can be used in everything from tea to toast, and if bought from natural companies like Marshall’s Farm, it can even have positive impacts on the environment.

“The more that we feel like we’re in mutually beneficial relationships with even something as tiny as a little bee, a little insect, the more we can be in support of each other,” Halpern said.

Mushrooms lay in a basket at the Mushroom Adventures stand at the Stonestown Farmers Market in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024.

Mushroom Adventures

Mushrooms are an easy way to incorporate healthy protein into your diet, but if you only look for them on the shelves of your local Target or Trader Joes, you likely will find just one or two varieties. Luckily, at the Stonestown Farmers Market under a white tent printed with cartoon mushrooms, Mushroom Adventures can be found. From the funky-looking maitake, which omits an earthy smell, to the chestnut, which turns crunchy when cooked, they have it all.

75-year-old Nina Lysenko started picking mushrooms as a hobby from a very young age, inspired by her mother’s knowledge of the fungus. She met the owner of Mushroom Adventures, Donald Simoni, picking mushrooms with the Mycological Society of San Francisco, and they quickly became friends. Lysenko graduated from SF State and has been working the farmers markets for Simoni’s business for about 20 years, where she provides answers for every patron’s mushroomrelated question.

“A lot of them are medicinal,” Lysenko said. “They have a lot of ingredients that are good for you.”

According to a 2022 article by UCLA Health, mushrooms, like microgreens, have cancer-preventative qualities and, like honey, they provide immune support. This is something that college students can always benefit from, especially as colder weather rapidly approaches.

Mushrooms are also versatile when it comes to cooking. While she didn’t have a favorite way of preparing them or even a favorite kind, Lysenko suggested frying the lion’s mane in egg and flour for a tempura-like effect. The Mushroom Adventures website has easily accessible cooking tips and recipes to aid with clean eating. The farm also sells kits so their customers can grow mushrooms out of their own homes or dorms.

Cooking with Serrae

Quick and Easy Shiitake

Mushroom Stir Fry Ingredients:

●Shiitake mushrooms

●Green onion

●Broccoli

●Trader Joe’s Soyaki sauce

●Brown rice (cooked)

●Vegetable oil

Adjust amounts to taste and for desired portion .

1. Heat a large skillet to medium heat.

2.Pour vegetable oil onto the skillet. It should cover most of the surface.

Wise Goat Organics

Gut health is an aspect of overall health that might often go overlooked, but it is what Wise Goat Organics specializes in. Acupuncturist and owner Mary Risavi was previously a horse trainer and named her business after witnessing goats be very discerning in where and upon what they were grazing. The premise of the business, according to 30-year-old Claire Koerschen, who has dedicated her weekends for the past year to working farmers markets for Wise Goat, takes after that concept.

“Just being really particular about what we’re putting in our bodies, and it all starts with gut health,” said Koerschen, “So everything we do is very fermentation forward.”

3. Slice mushrooms into ¼ inch pieces and add to the skillet.

4. Chop green onions. Add white pieces to the skillet, save green pieces for garnish.

5. Chop broccoli into ½ inch florets and add to the skillet.

6. Let ingredients sit for about one minute, then add rice.

7. Add the desired amount of Trader Joe’s Soyaki sauce. Let it simmer for about two minutes, stirring frequently.

8. Remove from heat, garnish with remaining green onions and serve!

Products range from spicy garlic or green garden flavored sauerkraut to organic herbal teas, nut butters and probiotic gut tonics. Wise Goat makes boosting your overall health delicious and achievable, and they do it in a sustainable way. All of their goods come in glass jars, and they employ a zero-waste philosophy in methods such as creating tonics out of the brine from the sauerkraut.

“Being able to repurpose and find other avenues for the stuff that we’re already making has been really cool,” said Koerschen.

Alongside farmers markets, the Wise Goat label can be found in grocery stores across California, and they will even deliver to your front door. Eating enough of that good bacteria has never been easier and if we adopt the mindset of the wise goats, we too can change the way we think about food.

Where our food comes from matters. In choosing to shop at the weekly Stonestown Farmers Market, you are choosing not only to support small businesses, but to support your own health and wellbeing as well. As college students, there isn’t often time to slow down, but if you do, you just might find something nutritious and delicious that you wouldn’t mind adding to your plate.

A sign for free samples is displayed at the Wise Goat Organics stand at the Stonestown Farmers Market in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024.

(Braelyn Furse / Xpress Magazine)

Mining a Hidden Gem:

The Video Game Studies Minor

STORY BY ISAIAH CASILLAS DESIGN BY SHEI BERNAL PHOTOS BY GABRIEL CARVER

Diego Camargo stands next to his Level Next hoodie. Level Next is the team he played competitive video games for. Photo by Gabriel Carver. (Gabriel Carver/ Xpress Magazine)

In a world where the lines of entertainment, culture and technology blur, SF State’s video games studies minor offers students the ability to dive into the booming industry of interactive storytelling. From understanding the psychology of gameplay to exploring the art of esports and livestreaming, this program is much like a hidden gem, empowering students to unlock achievements.

Video games have become much more than just a hobby or pastime. Esports and livestreaming have become a rapidly growing community, and their popularity is projected to only go up from here. SF State has put together the video game studies minor (VGS) for people who are passionate about video games and would like to build a career in this field. The video games studies minor is an interdisciplinary approach to the study of video games, providing a unique look into how the video game industry is about more than just playing games.

According to Statista Market Insights, the United States has the highest shared revenue in esports. It is currently estimated at reaching $4.3 billion by the end of 2024. It’s no surprise that many companies are transitioning toward a more digital form of media within the competitive video game and content creation scene.

Christopher Weinberger is the coordinator of the video game studies minor. Through his experience teaching comparative moral literature, Weinberger realized the untapped potential of teaching about video games. “I thought I knew a lot about video games, but I've realized that there's so much more that I can get out of thinking about them,” Weinberger said.

“In order to really understand and grasp what's going on in video games, we need so many different points of view,” said Weinberger. “We need to understand the psychology. We need to understand issues of race, identity and representation. But at the same time, we need to understand business, marketing and distribution. We need to know how the communication works within the game, but also about the communities that form around the games.”

Professor Weinberger is one of the creators of the minor, which was formed in 2015 through joint efforts with some faculty members from the music department.

“I began asking around, saying, ‘Hey, is anyone else at [SF] State working on games?’” Weinberger said. “Well, it turns out, at the same time, a couple folks at music were thinking about audio. Turns out, video games are one of the biggest employers of musicians and people who work in music for the sound, sound design and implementation in video games.”

The efforts further moved into planning how courses would

also be taught. Weinberger slowly integrated this within his own courses he was teaching at the time. In addition, the course material gathered interest from other departments.

“How can we robustly involve students in the fascinating ways that video games sprawl beyond disciplinary and academic borders?” Weinberger said.

“We had someone from computer science and someone from philosophy, a few people from design, cinema,” Weinberger said. “People began to sort of trickle in as they heard it, but it was mostly faculty at the time. At the same time, though, I was teaching video games just a little bit more in my classes, and students were starting to get involved.”

As the video game studies minor started to take shape, student interest grew. However, most of the effort toward creating the minor’s courses was solely the volunteer work of Professor Weinberger and the

other faculty members.

“Creating this brand new program and advising students, none of that was like, ‘Here, have a little bit extra to do this stuff.’ It was all just because this is what the faculty were excited about,” Weinberger said.

Minh Truong, a third-year international student at SF State, was someone who didn’t know about the video game studies minor until receiving a recommendation from his friend. Truong, originally from Vietnam, had a background in video games. He had competed in underground esports tournaments for League of Legends, a popular multiplayer online battle arena game.

Truong had trouble finding sponsors for his esports team back home in order to compete in a national championship in Vietnam, which ended his campaigning for an esports team. However, Truong still plays Tekken, a popular fighting game, competitively at SF State.

“Not this semester, because this semester we don't have a Tekken tournament,” Truong said. “But the previous one [semester], I competed about five or six times in a row. I really enjoy the community in SF State.”

This enjoyment of video games goes beyond just playing the games. Truong’s experience emphasizes the connections made through the video game studies minor. He hopes to work in the international video game market for companies such as Capcom.

Students aiming to work for companies like Capcom often lack the platforms necessary to build their personal brands. Dina Ibrahim, a professor in the Broadcast and Electronic Communications Art program at SF State, hopes to change this within her Live Streaming and Content Creation for Esports (BECA 454) course.

This semester, Ibrahim has full access to a production studio located in Marcus Hall, where BECA 454 is held every Thursday morning. The space resembles something out of Warner Bros.’ Studios, containing many different costumes, production cameras, microphones and other equipment used in a professional studio setting.

Ibrahim wants creativity within the class and has had some interesting ideas through her history of teaching. She explained how one of these came through the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was a space where students could get credit for being creative and doing stuff that they were passionate about,” Ibrahim said. “I had another guy who loves to build model airplanes. I had another group — they were hilarious — they did a cannabis cooking show. They would do this thing where all three of them would try the same recipe, and they would cook with the pot, and then they would get totally high off their asses and just start giggling. It was great.”

Ibrahim makes it a focal point to build the students’ brand or ideas for monetization. “Students are required to start their own channel if they don't already have one,” she said. “And if they have one, they need to figure out a way to monetize that channel that they're putting content on.”

Ibrahim wants students to build connections with people who are taking classes within the minor, as well as alums involved with whatever career path students may choose.

“I also want them to be able to put on their resumes that they were part of organizing esports tournaments,” Ibrahim said. “That

means that you [have] got to coordinate with teams. You have to sign players up…host it, and you have to make it happen.”

An important assignment that Ibrahim assigns is for students to seek out the sponsors. Ibrahim stressed the importance of the sponsors to help form their tournaments.

“I'm going to make them go to Stonestown mall and just…go to local businesses and say, ‘hey, I'm a San Francisco State student. Would your local business be interested in sponsoring our tournament or our channel?’”

Ena Murphy, a junior at SF State, is a frequent player in the competitive gaming scene.

“Yeah, it's just been incredible,” Murphy said. “I need to take an extra class for credit; why not make it a video game class?”

The esports industry is an established way to build a career, but it has to happen sustainably with some proper guidance and direction. Diego Camargo, a third-year student who has represented SF State as a member of competitive gaming teams, spoke on the issue of sponsors in esports.“They're kind of just putting money to commercialize it – because this is a big profitable thing – without actually doing the proper research,” Camargo said.

Eric Perez, who also goes by the pseudonym NRG

Wheats, is the head coach of SF State’s Overwatch team. He thinks that esports has hit a rough patch.

“I think we're getting past it now, though,” Perez said. “I think this year is a hard year, yet it should start going up from here.”

Perez feels that the main companies, such as Blizzard Entertainment, are looking for a quick profit instead of investing fully into esports. “We’ve given similar feedback for a long time about the developers not really talking to professional players or coaches.”

In the future, the video games studies minor hopes to expand into a major, given the student feedback. “I think the story of most of the students in the minor is of glee,” said Weinberger. “That there's faculty who are taking this really seriously.”

Diego Camargo queues up for an online game in Madden 25 at his house in San Francisco, CA on Tuesday, Sept.17, 2024. (Gabriel Carver/ Xpress Magazine)

Peace, Love, and Happiness Found in San Francisco

Haight Street is infamous for its unique energy, musicians, food and clothing. The intricate history of the Haight has been a tourist attraction in San Francisco for years. The one day a year that brings the history of the street in unison has happened: The Haight-Ashbury Street Fair.

By the 1960s, the neighborhood of Haight-Ashbury became the epicenter for hippie counterculture. Thousands of young adults came to the Haight mostly in protest of the Vietnam War and because those who moved to San Francisco deemed the rest of America as “materialistic.” Haight Street was the place to expand their minds.

A boom of young adults that came to Haight-Ashbury in the 1960s looking for a new world found it through the use of psychedelic music, hallucinogenic drugs, expression with art and free love. This era was also known as the Summer of Love. After years passed by, the energy that was honed in the Haight eventually mellowed out, but the Haight-Ashbury Street Fair is the event that lets San Franciscans know that the energy brought by the people in the 1960s never left, and was passed on throughout generations.

The Haight-Ashbury Street Fair (HASF) was first introduced on April 29, 1978. The goal of the fair was to bring the energy back to the neighborhood and to “draw an awareness and appreciation to the cultural, political and social contributions this

neighborhood provided to the American landscape during the 1960s” (Haight Ashbury Street Fair). The reemergence of this energy was based on a lot more than just this. It was also used to prove that the citizens of San Francisco could make it possible to house a community of peace, love and happiness.

The HASF is a non-profit organization that makes it possible for art and music to flow throughout the street in the name of community service. It also gives vendors the opportunity to interact with those who are in attendance at the fair.

“This city is a rough and tough place, but the love put in is always returned, and above all, the magic is there,” said Andrea Fuenzalida, one of the few participants that makes up the HASF. They direct the local art walk that takes place during the fair and have been housing all sorts of intricate and unique art from local artists in San Francisco for several years.

“It’s just like this whole feeling of manifestation where everybody comes together with a similar dream. Everyone’s got their own version. We all come out with what we got and we make it happen,” Fuenzalida said in regards to the local vendors and those who make the HASF function.

The artwork that’s found on Haight Street varies beyond normality in the best way, from the original psychedelic artwork that became the staple of the Haight to an array of other artwork pieces. During the HASF, many genres of artwork, such as poetry, abstract, modern and the psychedelic staple of the Haight, are on full display.

One local vendor who is a familiar face to many who

San Francisco’s energy and history is shown throughout Haight Street, but especially on this one day a year

STORY BY JAIDEN FOREY ARTWORK BY AUDREY RIORIDAN DESIGNED BY NIKITA SEHGAL PHOTOS BY BRAELYN FURSE

Andrea Fuenzalida stands at her table at the Haight Street Fair Art Walk in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Photo by Braelyn Furse)

regularly spend their time passing through Haight Street is Tony B. Conscious. He is a local artist that has his own unique style of artwork. He paints on anything: canvases, clothing items, skateboards, guitars and street signs.

Conscious’ artwork includes messages that tackle misogyny and that include inspirational quotes from musicians and public figures that provide views of self love. These messages, according to Conscious, also promote creating a beautiful personal aura, which is what Conscious himself is all about.

His artwork reflects how he wants people not only around San Francisco to act, but how he wants the world to operate: with love.

“This city has become so segregated and divided,” Conscious said. “My art comes from experience; I’ve been all over the world. Everywhere I’ve been in the world and everything I’ve learned, I process it and I put it into the paintings.”

Conscious has discovered and sold his artwork in places like Australia, Venice Beach, Berkeley and Seattle, which is where he grew up originally.

Conscious constantly tries to convey messages in his artwork. He also wants to describe himself through his work.

“Society tries to exploit our differences, so we gotta celebrate our similarities,” said Conscious.

Conscious has abbreviations for the way that he projects not only his artwork, but himself as an artist. “A.R.T.: Always resonating truth, and L.O.V.E.: I am living on vibrational energy,” Conscious said.

Conscious can be found on the corner of Shrader and Haight streets where he is constantly selling his artwork and keeping the positive energy of the Haight alive.

The plethora of art is a key factor for spreading love and individuality throughout the Haight, but the music plays a part as well. Iconic musicians who called Haight Street home during the 1960s include Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Bobby McFerrin, and members of the Grateful Dead.

“That one [HASF 2021 Grateful Dead Exhibition] was the one when the Grateful Dead was in town and that was great,” said Kayo Mitsuyama, the owner of an intricate and unique clothing store called Kayo Anime Clothing.

“I think it’s a great annual festival to bring people together and keep some of the nostalgia alive about Haight Street,” said Jethro Jeremiah. “Keeping that is a good connection to the history of the Haight. It’s been going on for a long time. It’s a good timeline to the past.”

Jeremiah is a soul musician that performed with his band at the HASF. He previously opened for artists such as Ray Charles and Ziggy Marley during the time he resided in San Francisco.

“I started out originally performing on Haight Street and just sort of doing harmonies,” Jeremiah said, after he moved from Maryland to San Francisco. “I really liked the diver sity of San Francisco and the Bay Area. I liked the change of scene. It was just a whole bigger world for me.”

After Jeremiah started to make connections through

Pieces of Andrea Fuenzalida’s art are displayed for sale at her stand at the Haight Ashbury Street Fair Art Walk in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (Braelyn Furse/ Xpress Magazine)

those residing in the Haight, he began to flourish. With the inspiration of fellow musicians around him, he was able to produce the music that he wanted to share with the world.

“The guy that I started out with, Todd Folk, used to host an open mic at Sacred Grounds near the Panhandle,” Jeremiah said, explaining how he got inspiration for his music today. “He’s got a really soulful voice, and his style really appealed to me – his voice and guitar playing. He was a big inspiration when I started.”

The feeling of love found within the community throughout the Haight isn’t all just through the music and art, but through the use of hallucinogens.

Marijuana, LSD and mushrooms were some of the popular drugs used to expand one’s mind in the 1960s.

The Higher Consciousness, a vitamin and supplement store on Haight-Ashbury, sells anything from mushrooms to ranges of hemp to THC. The co-founder of the store, Max Leung, has been selling products through the HASF for decades and opened his storefront in 2019 when seeing the prominence of hallucinogens in the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood.

“I used to be a representative for a company called Chronic Candy, and that’s how I first started,” Leung stated.

According to Leung, the HASF has definitely shifted over time. “Back in the days at the Haight Street Fair, I could count on seeing just about everybody I knew who was also a San Francisco native like myself,” said Leung. “I still see familiar faces every year that I don’t see otherwise. Every year I can count on seeing certain people.”

The energy in the Haight-Ashbury has definitely shifted throughout the years since the 1960s, but the constant community effort to uphold one day a year where that energy can be shown throughout the use of art, music, clothing and love is something that San Franciscans can be appreciative of.

“

I thInk It’s a great annual festIval to brIng people together and keep some of the nostalgIa alIve about haIght street.

Jethro Jeremiah performs with his band at the Haight Ashbury Street Fair in San Francisco, Calif., on Sunday, Sept 15, 2024. (Braelyn Furse/ Xpress Magazine)