Tempe residents will soon say goodbye to the Oasis Apartments to make room for more campus housing on Apache Boulevard (see story, page 1.)
While we're sorry to see the demolition of such a classy joint (you can rent by the week there), we're happy to know there will soon be more space for ASU freshman.
Many freshmen get turned away each year because there isn't enough space for them in the dorms, and with this new plan, there will be an additional 1,700 beds to go around.
But our praise comes at a price -- about $5.5 million -- and with that, high expectations for this glamorous new dorm.
We don't want the new Oasis to be like the other dorms around here.
You know which ones we're talking about: San "Alcatraz" Pablo, Palo Verde "Soapscum" Main and Sleazeanita Hall.
Freshmen aren't going to choose to live in a hole when they can pay less and hang up as many signs as they want in their own apartment.
While those dorms might be all cozy and homey in their own right, ASU has a chance to make this new dorm really nice. We're thinking more than two stories high and walls that don't remind us of cell block eight.
We recommend ASU fashion this new Oasis dorm like a Las Vegas hotel (one of the nice ones, not Circus Circus).
The State Press offers the following suggestions for the new Oasis dorm:
Bellhops who take your backpack up to your room.
Free champagne in the study lounge.
Slot machines on every floor (Papa Crow needs a new pair of shoes!).
Pool with wet bar..
ASU cheerleader shows at 6, 8 and 10 p.m., two-drink minimum.
Maid service every morning, complete with mints on the pillows .
$20 in chips at the start of every semester.
It least with the slot machines, students will have a chance to make back some of the money they spent on the meal plan.
All joking aside, if President Crow wants to create a more unified atmosphere and build more campus housing, the dorms should be a nice place to live.
They should be high-rise buildings with lots of beds and a view of the city. They should provide ample parking for residents and maybe a couple guests. They should be safe -- might we suggest a pedestrian bridge over Apache "hit-and-run" Boulevard?
If students want to live on campus, they should be able to. With this new dorm, ASU and the students deserve to get their money's worth.
