A blend of hypnotic drum beats, full-bodied bass and shouts from the crowd in secondhand clothing store, Roommates Vintage, spilled out onto Haight Street, giving the ever-expanding line a preview of the frenzy that would greet them inside. 

by Elina Graham

The party, hosted on Aug. 31, celebrated the release of the student run Sutro Magazine, founded by sophomore advertising major May-Ya Nguyen. 

“My first year at school, I felt like I didn’t really fit into any of the clubs and organizations, and…even though there’s a bunch of creatives at our school, there isn’t a lot of community centered [around] it,” shared Nguyen on how Sutro came to be. “I actually got inspired [by] student magazines at universities that my friends back home go to. I really liked the idea of USF having a magazine because we have the environment and the people to make a sick platform for students,” she concluded

Leading up to the party, teaser posts from the magazine’s official Instagram circulated throughout the community and stirred up excitement. Handmade zine-style flyers could be found all around campus, and Fizz post advertising the event received upwards of one thousand upvotes. The grassroots marketing approach reflects the magazine’s brand — made by students, for students — and garnered a crowd of over 300 people over the course of the night, as estimated by Sutro Magazine’s Project Manager of Marketing & Events, Chloe Peissner.

“When May-ya and the team and I began planning the launch of Sutro, we knew this would be one of the first student collectives on campus that truly brings together all of our creatives in a way that’s accessible to everyone—whether they want to be part of the team, contribute content to Sutro, or simply enjoy the ride,” said Peissner, of the reasoning behind announcing the magazine launch with a public celebration. “We knew the launch party would be the perfect opportunity to energize and awaken the creative community as we kicked off the school year.”

Attendee Helena Kim plans on frequenting the site. “I’m interested to see what it’s all about! [Sutro] seems super inclusive, funky and most importantly, fun, which adds to the aura of it all,” Kim said. 

Kim, decked out in a monochromatic lace and leather look complete with heeled boots, mentioned how Sutro’s eclectic aesthetic inspired an eye-catching outfit, “It was so much fun to get all cute with my friends before the event and [I] loved how it was less basic than just a regular party. I felt like there aren’t a lot of these types of things these days, especially for college students; it’s a lot of house parties, frat parties and going to the 18-plus clubs which I've never thoroughly enjoyed,” they said.

Kim wasn’t alone in dressing to the nines. Pairing a belted miniskirt with a plain white tank, knee-high thrifted boots and a jaunty sailor hat, Anaya Watkins said “I wanted to be fashion forward because it seems like the kind of event to whip out your coolest indie sleaze ‘90s clothes.” 

Attendees weren’t just there for the outfit opportunities. Throughout the night, various musical acts performed for the crowd to groove to. First up was Natalia Paulik, also known as Leakz, who recently DJed at Campus Activity Board’s “Rolling Loud” event and the Psyched! Fest hosted by local non-profit radio station. Known for her electronic music blends, Paulik faded jungle/breakcore music into classic house during her set with the goal of everyone, even traditionally non-EDM listeners, having a good time. Paulik later shared her hope for continued experimentation, both in her own music and the wider musical community. “There is an infinite amount of genres and subgenres that exist and each has something to offer. I hope it becomes a blend of everything that’s weird and even uncomfortable sometimes, not just about what’s trending at the moment,” she said.

The night continued with Jacaleen Kizo, a junior international business major better known as DJ Jacki, the opener for Donaroo 2024. Riding the wave of “brat summer,” Kizo remixed standouts from Charli XCX’s newest album, ending with a remix of Benny Benassi and The Biz’s “Satisfaction" and Charli XCX’s "Club Classics.”

Kizo said she notices more USF students getting into DJing and branching out with music. “There's a lot of support from students and it's really fun to get to support each other's events,” she stated, noting her involvement with the campus Soundwaves production club.

Photo by Kaleb Martinez

Student band Nembutsu took over the stage next, performing a setlist that allowed the group to take risks while staying true to their original sound. “We’re all multi-instrumentalists and we want to showcase this strength as a band,” explained bassist Julian Bailey of the band’s choice to cover Van Halen’s “On Fire” as it gave them the opportunity to swap instruments.

The quartet formed after meeting on campus in a rock band class. Lead vocalist Joe Woodley said the band hopes to go beyond simply entertaining. “The USF music scene is a pool of really talented and diverse aspiring artists that have inspired us greatly. I feel that there is a shift of attitude in young artists today that really wants to question the dynamics of culture, politics, and spirituality in a meaningful sense…our goal is to wake people up to insights that our original music, as well as our covers, respectively contain.” 

The closing band was one that needed no introduction. Hardcore punk band The Jellyfish Method, hailing from Benicia CA, took the stage to mounting excitement from audience members, some of whom came to the event especially for the band. “Getting to see The Jellyfish Method was amazing, especially getting to introduce them because I’d met the band in May after a show they did with my friend’s band back in Seattle. [Having] fun with the band up close was the highlight of my night,” shares attendee Remi Brandli in a self-described “supportive girlfriend in a Y2K skating game” fit. JFM played a medley of thrash originals that got the audience moshing and headbanging, and the energy could be felt throughout the room.

“We wanted people to feel excited about this new culture we’re building at USF,” said Peissner, a junior marketing major, about the team’s vision for the magazine. “Sutro is an open space for anyone to share their work,” she continued. “The team and I are busy planning our next events for the rest of the year — our goal is to keep things fresh and exciting.” 

Also published in USF’s Foghorn Newspaper