Celebrating graduates: 2020–24 time capsule
Relive moments and memories from the last four years, curated by Cronkite students
Editor's note: This story originally appeared in the summer 2024 issue of ASU Thrive magazine.
It has been a wild four years, graduates. From cherished campus memories to pop culture trends, here’s a look back on your ASU journey.
2020
Research rally
ASU develops a saliva-based COVID-19 PCR test and, in collaboration with the state, rolls it out to the public.
Playing on our phones
• “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd.
• “Circles” by Post Malone.
• “The Box” by Roddy Ricch.
• “Don’t Start Now” by Dua Lipa.
• “Rockstar” by DaBaby featuring Roddy Ricch.
Hot gaming
Animal Crossing: New Horizons launches on Nintendo Switch, letting players live out their vacation dreams virtually during the pandemic.
Fast-graduation nation
High schools turn to graduation drive-thrus to comply with pandemic policies. For those of you who are graduating from ASU this May, this may be your first in-person convocation. A well-deserved congratulations to you, grads!
2020: A grad odyssey
ASU’s spring commencement goes virtual and amasses over 30,000 views.
Netflix’s ‘Gambit’ pays off
The streaming service releases “Tiger King” and “The Queen’s Gambit.” The latter starts a chess craze.
A return to in‑person classes
After virtual lectures and at-home coursework, ASU students celebrate being back in in-person classrooms in the fall.
2021
In 2020, the world shut down — you could roam the streets and not hear a peep. Not a mouse nor a sheep, as if Earth were in a monthslong sleep. Now, with forks in the air, to celebrate a new year, we head outside to resume our full lives, socialize with IRL friends and get back to what we like.
What’s Poppin’? Oh, Jack Harlow is headlining?
Rapper Jack Harlow headlines at InfernoFest, kicking off the 2021 school year.
Sun Devils learn in the City of Angels
The university continues to expand in the Golden State with classes taking place in the ASU California Center in downtown LA.
TikTok revives ‘Good Soup’
From 2017’s “Girls,” it gets immortalized as a meme on the social network.
Fusion on First opens its doors
The 16-story, tech-driven project gives students the chance to grow with state-of-the-art creative workspaces while living and collaborating in downtown Phoenix.
Thunderbird lands at ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus
ASU unveils the F. Francis and Dionne Najafi Global Headquarters during the 75th anniversary of the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
James Webb Telescope heads into the final frontier
NASA, with the help of ASU researchers, launches the largest, most powerful and complex space telescope ever built.
2022
Research activity increases 6 times over 20 years
The university ranks in the top 5% of universities with research expenditures.
The new frontier
The U.S. Space Force partners with the university to improve research and workforce opportunities in the stars.
A Sun Devil mind
Langston Tillman graduates with five bachelor’s degrees in STEM, social sciences and humanities. Yes, five degrees!
King of Rock ’n’ Roll
The “Elvis” movie roars into theaters and gets people talking — and romping to the famous songs that created the genre.
Miss America’s got a pitchfork
Emma Broyles, a Barrett, The Honors College student and ASU junior studying biomedical sciences, is the first Korean American to be crowned Miss America.
No. 1 in US for global impact
For the U.N. Sustainability Goals, ASU retains No. 1 in the U.S. for the third year in a row, ahead of MIT, New York University, Michigan State University and Penn State University.
Crow: Innovator of innovation
The university celebrates Michael M. Crow’s first 20 years as president. He redefined what it means to be a public-research university and drove ASU to the No. 1 spot in innovation year after year.
2023
Taylor Swift phenomenon
The self-made billionaire continues to make headlines and set records and even helps the NFL win new fans. This time, for the Eras Tour, she kicks it off at State Farm Auditorium in Glendale.
Mom jeans
Gen Z popularizes high-waisted jeans, oversized blazers and hoodies, and chunky sneakers, in an updated look inspired by the late ’80s or maybe “Stranger Things.”
For Arizonans’ health
The university announces a medical school will open in downtown Phoenix along with a new school that focuses on public health technology.
Alumni win golf’s top tournament
Jon Rahm, ’16 BA in communication, wins the Masters, placing him No. 1 in the world. Sun Devil and three-time champion Phil Mickelson, ’92 BA in psychology, ties for second place.
Starbucks’ pilot program
With the help of ASU, a location on the Tempe campus implements “Borrow a cup”; 50,000 beverages are served in reusable cups over the seven-month test.
Super Bowl LVII in the Valley
The Pat Tillman Foundation hosts the coin toss for football’s biggest game.
Fashion expansion in Los Angeles
ASU extends the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts into Los Angeles with new fashion programs in ASU FIDM.
2024
Chart topper
Beyoncé announces a country album at the Super Bowl and it hits the charts.
‘Dune: Part Two’
The long-awaited sequel hits theaters, debuting as the highest-rated sci-fi film on IMDb.
Students get a once-in-a-lifetime experience
The university “hosts” the Final Four in Glendale, involving dozens of ASU community members across professions and majors. The last time ASU hosted was in 2017.
No. 1 ranking on more than a dozen national and international lists
• No. 1 innovation ahead of MIT and Stanford, according to U.S. News & World Report, 2016–24.
• No. 1 sustainability ahead of Stanford and UC Berkeley in the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System.
• No. 1 for the largest pipeline of engineering and tech talent in the U.S., ahead of MIT, Stanford and UCLA, according to the American Society for Engineering Education.
Story by Damian Goacher, a junior majoring in journalism and mass communication; George Headley, a first-year student majoring in journalism and mass communication; and Madison Vega, a graduating senior majoring in journalism and mass communication, with input from communication and digital marketing students in the Cronkite Agency.
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