New residence hall nearing completion

By Thomas Huitt-Johnson

]By now students at Missouri Western must be used to construction on campus. Starting more than two years ago, most of the development appears finished with the new dorm rooms perhaps the last of it, for now.

Griffon Hall, the name of the new housing department, is just now getting the metal roof tops on, putting the schedule right on track for the process to be finished by the last week of July.

"If everything goes right with the weather, it will be ready by the end of July," Vice President of Financial Planning and Administration Mel Klinkner said. Rain could be the real issue because the windows are just starting to be put in Klinkner added. If it were to rain much the next few weeks, water could get inside the construction and cause delay.

"Let's just hope for no rain," Klinkner said.

Griffon Hall will cost students wishing to live there $3,100 a semester. All of the rooms on campus will see a three percent increase in room and board rates, as the recommendations proposed were passed two weeks ago by the Board of Governors. Juniors and Seniors will be the students living there, with the rest of Western students living in the one of the other residence halls.

Logan, Juda and Beshears will be available to Sophomores, Juniors and Seniors while Leaverton and Vaselakos will be available for Freshman, Sophomores and Juniors. Scanlon Hall will continue to be for first year students.

The new rooms were proposed as an idea in late 2008, hoping to give upperclassmen a chance at better living conditions. The new rooms have advantages over apartment buildings on and off campus many believe.

To start, it is on campus. Students have access to computers, labs, tutoring and food. Also, students won't have to pay for electricity, cable or internet, making this a great opportunity for them.

Esther Peralez, vice president for student affairs, added more reasons for students to live in the new additions.

"It will be a safe and secure environment," Peralez said. "Students may also choose different meal plans. Aramark has promised to keep the lowest rate possible."

Aside from security and lounging, Griffon Hall was built to add more rooms available at Western. Throughout the increase in students, Western began to have a waiting list. By adding Griffon Hall Western will be able to accommodate more students and incoming freshman will choose Western over other campuses because of the availability and space.

"The intent was it gives (students) the opportunity to stay here, live on campus," Klinkner said. "But in the past we began to have a waiting list so we're exciting for it to be complete because we're growing."

Students have already told Peralez and Sean O'Reilly, assistant director of Residential Life, that they express interest in living there. The main reason: a single room apartment. Peralez said that rooms of such are not always offered on other campuses, so by Western able to have this, students are thrilled. Klinkner also mentioned the rooms as a plus.

"(Griffon Hall) is a single room; very much like an apartment feel," Klinkner said.

Griffon Hall will house close to 250 students, helping Western house the most students on campus of all time next semester, where they will be able to have roughly 1,340 students living on campus.