Works Cited

Memorial Union Web Team, ASU Memorial Union, Arizona State University, 1 Nov. 2012. < http://www.asu.edu/studentaffairs/mu/>

McCarthy, William. Personal interview. 17 Oct. 2012.

Businesses

            There are a number of businesses and services that are located in the Memorial Union. There are multiple banks and credit unions. Wells Fargo has a branch on the ground level, as well as an ATM. Midfirst, which is the bank most students use and have linked to their sun card. This feature gives students their own bank account, meal plan, and ID card all in one. The Midfirst branch in the basement of the MU is right next to Sun card services because they often give students similar services. There is an Arizona State Savings and Credit Union in the basement as well as an ATM upstairs. Right next to the Midfirst bank there is a Canon shop, and Verizon Wireless. Students with Verizon service can get help with their plan and phone. Some students have just left home for the first time and need to get their own cell phone and plan. This is a convenient place for them to do that. There is a salon and a place to get a hair-cut right around the corner, and Sparky’s Den right across the hall. Sparky’s Den is a place where students can use air hockey tables, pool tables and even a bowling alley. It is a great place for students to go and relax after their classes. With so many food options nearby, someone could stay there all day.

Dining

            The Memorial Union has twelve different establishments for dining. These restaurants are mostly on the ground level. There is a Subway, a Burger King, and a Jamba Juice in the underground level. All of the restaurants here accept maroon and gold dollars. These are just like regular dollars but they come with students’ meal plans. It is beneficial for students to spend these instead of their money, because they are not charged tax when they spend M&G. The only restaurant that accepts the meals from students’ meal plans is Pitchforks. Pitchforks is a buffet style restaurant with a wide variety of food. They have the standard burgers, pizza, and salads served all day. From opening at seven in the morning, until eleven AM, they serve breakfast foods such as waffles, eggs, and sausage. In addition to the regular foods available, they have a different special every day of the week. A few years ago the MU got a convenient store added to it. This was the first of multiple P.O.D. markets now on campus. Produce on demand is a convenient store that stocks products specifically for college students. They have all of the junk food you might find at a gas station, as well as some canned and packaged food. They also stock the basic household products such as paper towels, trash bags, and cleaners. They are not a pharmacy of any kind, but they do stock the basic pain and cold medications sold at most stores.

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.