You dreamed of going to Arizona State University. You applied, were accepted, and now you’ve arrived. You’re a Sun Devil!
You’re also a member of the digital generation, which means you’re going to want to post a picture of yourself somewhere on campus.
ASU Now has put together a list of places that provide a perfect backdrop to proclaim you now bleed maroon and gold. Forks up, Devils!
Tempe campus
The mothership of the ASU empire has a scenic spot for every taste: vintage, contemporary, natural or Southwestern.
Old Main Steps
On a campus packed with state-of-the-art buildings, students flock to have their picture taken in front of the oldest building in the entire university.
Old Main was constructed before Arizona became a state. It was the first building built at ASU (then called the Tempe Normal School). It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. President Teddy Roosevelt dedicated the Roosevelt Dam from the front stairway in 1911.
Anywhere on the steps will work, but some people like to pose beside the “Normal School 1894” engraving at the top of the steps.
University Monument Sign at University Drive and Cady Mall
At the other end of the spectrum from a Victorian building built from sandstone is the monument sign at the north end of Cady Mall. Sleek, contemporary and built from granite, marble and steel, it has the full university name and logo as well. During graduation week there’s practically a line there.
The Pitchfork
The 6-foot, 3-inch-tall bronze pitchfork sits at the southeast entrance of the newly renovated Sun Devil Stadium. A symbol of school spirit and the perfect place for fan photos, the statue was installed just last August.
Palm Walk
Connecting the north and south ends of the Tempe campus, Palm Walk is the most beloved corridor on campus. It is lined on both sides with date palms, which provide shade and an annual date harvest.
Saguaros
Nothing says, “I’m in Arizona,” like standing next to a saguaro. (No — literally. They don’t grow anywhere else.) The Arizona state flower can be found on the west end of Orange Mall or in the Desert Arboretum Park, a 2.5-acre botanical park located north of Wells Fargo Arena.
West campus
ASU’s arm in the West Valley, this Oxford-inspired campus is quieter than Tempe, but no less lovely and with traditions of its own.
Paley Gates
Touching the Paley Gates links the beginning and end of a Sun Devil’s experience at the West campus. The gates, designed by modernist sculptor Albert Paley, are touched by incoming freshmen and by graduates each year before their commencement ceremonies. Anticipating the impact of the university on incoming students and looking back on life lessons learned by graduating students, the tradition pays respect to how ASU has touched the hearts and minds of tomorrow’s leaders.
The Bool Bell
Sandwiched between the University Center Building and Faculty/Administration Building sits the Bool Bell. Named after donors Herb and Betty Bool, the bell’s silver and copper clapper is sounded to mark the beginning of convocation twice annually. It also calls high school student marchers to gather each year for the Jan. 15 Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. Seniors traditionally ring the bell after completing their last final exam.
Statue of a Woman Looking Into the Future
This spectral statue in front of Fletcher Library may not spark recognition outside the ASU community, but posing beside her indelibly stamps you as a Westy.
Polytechnic campus
The “Maker Campus" with an airport right outside its classroom doors, a bee lab, an algae farm and wildlife aplenty definitely marches to the beat of a different drummer. So do its students and faculty. Show your Poly pride at these spots.
The Water Tower
The water tower is to Poly what Old Main is to Tempe. Head out to the flagpole or the parade grounds to catch the tower over your shoulder in the back of the shots.
The Iron ASU on Backus Mall
This icon seems to resonate with everyone.
Downtown Phoenix campus
ASU’s pitchfork point in the heart of Phoenix, the downtown campus produces lawyers, journalists, nurses, businesspeople and public servants — many of whom will spend the rest of their lives in cities. If this is your campus, you’re going to want something that says “big city” as well as ASU.
'Her Secret Is Patience'
Actually her "secret" is this large-scale art piece's proper name, which almost no one knows. The floating sculpture across the street from the Cronkite School building was called “Sky Bloom” during construction. Names aside, "Her Secret is Patience" makes for a great backdrop. Head over to Civic Space Park, get the Cronkite building with its ASU logo and recognizable floating nets behind you, and strike a pose. You’re a Downtown Devil now.
Photos by Marcus Chormicle/ASU Now; top video by Deanna Dent/ASU Now
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