Introduction

View Arizona State University in a larger map The central hub of student activity lays predominately on College Avenue, spreading around from the Memorial Union to the Student Services Building, heads over to the fountain and includes Hayden Library. All of these places are essential to student success at Arizona State University and are where they spend a majority of their time. These places are designed to satisfy any and all of the students' needs. These range from food and a place to study to a meeting spot and even financial aid assistance. Inside the Memorial Union are places to eat, places to sit and study, an information desk for all questions, plenty of ATMs and bank branches, and a bowling alley complete with an arcade. The Student Services Building is home to offices such as Student Accounts, the Registrar’s office, Tuition and Billing, and even Undergraduate Admissions. The fountain is a landmark upon Arizona State University’s campus. It is in the dead center of the hub of student activity. The fountain is large enough for the use of multiple groups, as well as a place for some people to just sit and appreciate a book by the fountain. The fountain has also been home to many intoxicated midnight swims, many accompanied by videos. A student, Mai, described the water, “as a cool, refreshing, and sobering swim for those hot nights.” Across from the fountain sits the Charles Trumbull Hayden Library. It’s hidden entrance leads you into the vastness that is the Hayden Library. The rooms inside are always filled with studying kids and bustling with activity. The library provides a place for students to find the resources they need, print out anything they desire, and even pick up tickets to go to the local zoo. All four of these places are the absolute hub of student activity at Arizona State University. Each of the places is always buzzing with activity. Even the area between them is always lively. Between the Memorial Union and the fountain, there are always events going on. Sometimes there is music being played to invite students to check out a certain club, or even a fraternity. A couple times a man comes to attempt to change our religious beliefs and behaviors by preaching his beliefs. Every time this man comes a crowd always gathers around and he always performs. Kids are always getting constant opportunities to find new clubs and organizations to join while walking through this hub of activity. The local clubs and bars also try to promote shows outside the Memorial Union; Axe as well has a stand and on occasion gives out free samples. On certain Tuesdays there is a farmers market that crosses in between the Memorial Union and the Hayden Library that brings even more traffic to the area. This area is well known to be bustling with students, especially mid-day when classes are letting out and students are hungry. The Student Services Building is always full of students trying to get everything settled. The financial aid office always has a line down the hall when they open, and student accounts has people manning the front desks at all times. The offices are full of students worried about or determined to fix their future. Students often find themselves in the Student Services Building not quite sure where to go for what they’re looking for, but luckily there is an information desk to ask any and all questions. The area between the Student Services Building and the Memorial Union is also always buzzing with activity. Students find that the nice view, convenient sitting, and friendly atmosphere is a great place to relax in between classes. The purposes of all these different places vary greatly, but come to the same conclusion, attending to students’ needs. These four places all have such importance to students on campus, which is why this area is the hub of student activity.

Criteria:

Resources:

Resources available

Resources used

Are the resources convenient?

Location:

Is the area easily accessible, or well known?

Staff:

Are the people working there exceptional or average?

Are they helpful?

Miscellaneous:

Is the area clean?

Traffic in the area

Memorial Union

The Memorial Union is home to many different options for students. Inside the Memorial Union are multiple places to eat, banks and ATMs, ballrooms, business offices, places to sit, and even a bowling alley complete with an arcade. The Memorial Union is located in the middle of campus, across from the Hayden Library and a few buildings down from the bookstore. The Memorial Union is always buzzing with students catching a meal between classes, meeting up with friends, or just trying to finish some homework for their next class. For students with an appetite, inside the Memorial Union there are multiple places to eat including: Papa Johns, Einstein's Bros, Starbucks, Qdoba, Taco Bell, Pitchforks the dining hall, and the Engrained Cafe-a healthy eating restaurant. These places take the ever-popular M&G that Arizona State University offers with a meal plan, while Pitchforks takes meal swipes for those without M&G. The Memorial Union has many readily available resources, most of which are utilized by students every day at any hour, seeing as the Memorial Union doesn't close. The location and resources are easily accessible and are in the heart of campus. In an interview with Ashleigh, she stated that, "The people who work at the Memorial Union, minus the staff at the dining hall, are all very helpful and very knowledgeable." Downstairs is Sparky’s Den, which includes a fully functioning bowling alley, with an arcade and an area to play pool. Sparky’s Den is very well priced and definitely worth going to at least once. Upstairs are ballrooms for events to occur, such as a comedy show or even student orientation. On the third floor are business offices for student committees that benefit the school’s campus. The area is always bustling with students, which in addition to the multitude of services it offers, makes it a hub of student activity.

Cady Fountain

Cady Fountain is easily accessible seeing as it is in between the Hayden Library and the Memorial Union, in the heart of campus at Arizona State University. Cady Fountain is a very calming addition to students’ paths to class here on campus. The fountain serves as a great meeting place for students, as well as a place to sit and relax in between classes. Although there are no staff working the fountain, there are people who maintain it, and there has yet to be any trash or a single piece out of place. Inside Cady Fountain are four almost geysers that keep the water flowing and add to the peacefulness of the atmosphere. These help make it a great place to just sit and take a breather in between classes, or if you just need a minute. There always seems to be a use for the fountain; there are always students around or things happening near the fountain. At the beginning of the year, the Sun Devil Marching Band holds a practice in the fountain as part of a tradition. There have been multiple records of students taking midnight swims through the fountain, as well as multiple tries to dye the fountain water a certain color. During certain times of the day there are people outside the Memorial Union advertising their club or organization and it draws a lot of attention towards the fountain. Most people set up their booths in the shade from the trees surrounding the fountain - adding yet another use to the fountain. These booths bring even more traffic to Cady Fountain. The Cady Fountain is a hub of student activity because it brings traffic through highly popular areas while also providing resources of shade, resting areas, and meeting areas for students.

Charles Trumbull Hayden Library

The Hayden Library is one of the most confusing, yet essential places a student can know about. The Hayden Library has an underground entrance, while the library itself wraps underneath College Avenue and continues on the other side. Upon entering the underground entrance, a student can grab a cup of coffee and continue to the groups of computers and printers before entering rooms for studying. After the tables and tables of studying students, they must walk up the stairs and enter another area. After going through the levels of stairs, each floor holds more and more books. According to the ASU Tempe Campus Online Tour, the Hayden Library, “Houses almost five million books, and provides online access to more than 300,000 ebooks and 78,000 ejournals." (asu.edu)The Hayden Library is essential to every student because it provides computer access to those who don't have it, ready printers, more than enough areas to study, and access to any book they desire or require. No matter what time of day, as the building is open twenty-four hours, there are always hundreds of students in the Hayden Library. The Hayden Library has an infinite amount of resources available to students at all times. Students utilize them constantly; most of them are readily accessible. There are a few hidden treasures that are a little harder to get, but all that is required is asking a staff member. The staff at the Hayden Library are incredibly friendly and have know the ins and outs of the Hayden Library. The Hayden Library is in the heart of campus and takes up quite a bit of space, making it incredibly difficult to miss. Once inside the Hayden Library, it's a little hard to navigate the first time, but it gets easer. It's always extremely clean inside the Library despite its overwhelming popularity. The Library is always buzzing with students, but there is always room for more and always somewhere quiet for students to go to.

Student Services Building

The Student Services Building is located directly across from the Memorial Union. The Student Services Building is always buzzing with student activity, holding offices pertaining to getting careers after graduating, financial aid, student accounts, counseling services, university housing, as well as undergraduate admissions. The building holds three floors with two staircases through it. The second level's floors are ebbed and flowed around the two staircases as well as the two white pillars going through the middle of the building. The walls are white, the carpet a weird brown purple, the staff is hopeless. Most students have found that the staff working the desks in these offices directs them in eight different directions with no end product. There are exceptions to these occurrences, one of which includes the counseling office on the third floor. The counseling office has worked with hundreds, if not thousands, of students and worked to help them with whatever problem they come with. Students across Arizona State's campus will find themselves in the Student Services Building more than a few times in the course of their time at school. There are a never-ending amount of resources in the Student Services Building if you know where to look. That is what makes this building a little stressful, things tend to be in different locations than you suspected. The resources are abailable if you can find them. The staff working are generaly nice, and htey often do want to help you. There are some staff that are completely clueless as how to help you or even who you could talk to to help you. Because of the confusion of where to go or what resources to use, students are constantly coming through, and most end up staying for longer than they planned. It's very convenient that the Student Service Building is just outside the heart of campus.

Conclusion

Due to the vast amount of resources the buildings offer, as well as the accessibility to those resources, the Student Services Building, the Memorial Union, and the Hayden Library help create the hub of student activity at Arizona State University. In the middle of these locations is the Cady Fountain, which adds to the student activity and completes the area of intense student activity. The area surrounding and in between these buildings is always buzzing with students and events, making them the perfect place for students to congregate. All four of these places offer everything from food to a bowling alley to a place to study and even a cool down swim. According to Payne Stetson of the Kappa Sig Fraternity, “Advertising under the shadows of the Cady Fountain has increased [their] turnout for pledges enormously.” The hub of student activity lies in the heart of campus and provides for every student who takes advantage of it.

Works Cited:

"The Memorial Union." Personal interview. 30 Oct. 2012.

"Nights at Arizona State University." Personal interview. 16 Oct. 2012.

"Charles Trumbull Hayden Library." ASU Tempe Campus Tour:. Arizona State University, n.d. Web. 01 Nov. 2012. .

"Student Services Building." ASU Tempe Campus Tour:. Arizona State University, n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2012. .