ASU prides itself on being "one university in many places." However, Tempe remains the location of the main campus, which gives students living there a few advantages over the rest, with one being the ability to get in line for tickets earlier. Because of this, seats in the student section, the Inferno, are impossible for non-Tempe-based students to attain.
In order to correct this, I propose that ASU designates a certain portion of the Inferno for students of other campuses.
In late September, the ASU football team was scheduled to play against the UCLA Bruins. The anticipation for this game was so immense that students began camping outside of the Wells Fargo Arena on the prior Sunday. The Inferno seats are coveted in the stadium and generally only available to Tempe students who arrive to receive their football tickets early enough.
Although "Camp Fargo" showed how much school spirit Sun Devils have for football games, it also prevented super-fans from other campuses from acquiring seats with the best view of the field. It wasn't just students from West, Polytechnic and downtown Phoenix who were affected; other Tempe students, who are dedicated to their academics over social life, were also peeved. Camping out in Tempe is simply not a viable option for West, Polytechnic and Downtown students.
There are efforts being made, but Tempe students are still given priority in the Inferno. To prepare for the Blackout game against UCLA, an online reservation system was set up to ensure that students of other campuses could fully experience Sun Devil football; however, the system only provides lower bowl section seating. Students from other campuses can be just as passionate about ASU football, and they deserve a chance to experience it from the Inferno as much as Tempe students do.
There is a lot of talk regarding students having the athletic fee included as one more mandatory fee at ASU. My contribution to the conversation mostly surrounds the fact that the non-Tempe based students are paying this fee but are not able to take full advantage of it. We need to make sure the Inferno has voices from all of ASU, including those from the West, Polytechnic and Downtown campuses.
We can't simply expect non-Tempe based students to be happy with lower bowl seating as their best option. It shouldn't be only Tempe students who look back on their college career with fond memories of their crazy nights in the Inferno. We all deserve that opportunity. If we really are "one university in many places," we need to offer the same school spirit opportunities to all students.
Reach the columnist at Ryan.Santistevan@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @ryanerica18
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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