The Memorial Union

            The memorial union is a three level building in the heart of Arizona State University’s Tempe campus. It has two above ground floors and a basement. The MU, as it is commonly called, is truly the heart of the campus in many ways. Its location is physically in the center of campus, and most students walk by it almost every day going to class. The MU is where new students meet for orientation, welcoming them to the ASU campus, and showing new students the importance of this particular location. It is a meeting place for many student and faculty organizations and groups. It is the meeting place for events such as job fairs and student organization fairs. Most performers or speakers that visit the campus have their performance in one of the many large rooms on the top floor of the building.
            The MU offers numerous other resources. It houses twelve different dining establishments, such as Taco Bell, Burger King, Subway, and more. The most popular of these dining options is Pitchforks. Pitchforks accepts meal plans and is an all you can eat style restaurant. Numerous other businesses are in the building. Some of these are Ink and Toner Refill Center, Verizon Wireless, Serenity Salon, the Sun Card Office, Midfirst Bank and Wells Fargo Bank. Family resources such as child care and special needs assistance are offered by the MU. The family resources office in the MU works with off campus student services to provide students families with important resources and assistance. The adult learning office also works with off campus student services to assist adults who have come to ASU later in their life. Many opportunities for employment are available here. Students may find jobs for the university itself or with one of the many businesses on and near campus. Student jobs offer flexible hours and will schedule around classes easily.

The MU has been open since 1956. ASU named it the memorial union as a memorial to our nation’s heroic military service men. There is a sign close to the northern entrance that lists those who donated to its initial construction. Its original size was 109,000 square feet. Over the years, the MU has undergone many renovations and add-ons. Right now the building is 254,000 square feet in area. The increase in size is necessary because ASU’s student population is now ten times what it was in 1956.