College rivalries can get intense. The intensity is even more magnified when those rivalries stay within state borders. I know the feeling as the ASU vs. U of A rivalry is one of the most historic in college football. I came from a high school graduation class of roughly 470. With very confident certainty, around 400 of my classmates stayed in Tucson to attend the school down south. However, only 15-20 of my classmates followed me along to Tempe to attend ASU. While I hear a lot of accolades and success stories from "the school down south," it cannot compare to the indescribable experience that is Arizona State University.
A trait that is very noticeable within the Tempe campus is that Greek life is back on the rise. Yes, we as a whole community have had our ups and downs. The university was at one point plagued by numerous scandals that threatened to extinguish the ASU Greek community as a whole. In recent years, we have worked to truly clean up our image as well as to showcase ourselves as outstanding citizens of the community. We foresee Greek housing in our near future. We have welcomed the expansion of numerous fraternities and sororities into the mix. The movement is growing and it's time for the rest to take notice.
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Another distinguishing factor of ASU dominance is the location of the university. Yeah, it's very hot and humid here compared to the bit windier Tucson area. However, ASU is spread across four campuses covering four different cities. This allows for students of all majors and aspirations to utilize the handful of internships that available to them. As a Sports and Media Studies major myself, I have constantly been putting my name into the mix within a diverse group of professional teams such as The Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Rattlers, and The Arizona United Soccer Club. These internships are based on real-world, hands-on experience that are at the fingertips of ASU students that the University of Arizona is simply unable to match.
The final factor that makes ASU the perfect Arizona paradise is the commitment to technology and innovation. ASU was recently ranked #1 in the "Most Innovative" category for colleges by U.S. News and World Report. This, coupled with President Michael Crow's preach to continue to expand and adapt the research sector of the university, ensures that students will never face a lack of resources or a lack of commitment to excellence.
There are numerous reasons why ASU is the superior college to attend with the state of Arizona. Hopefully, these academic and social aspects will highlight the strides that ASU has been making in recent years in order to produce high qualified graduates who are ready to take over the job market.
Oh, I almost forgot. We are also much, much better at football than them too.
(Too soon?)
