by Carolyn Carpenter
Hannibal-LaGrange University’s Kleckner Hall, a women’s dormitory, has been scheduled to undergo upgrades. Built in 1962, Kleckner Hall was the second women’s dormitory built on the Hannibal campus and is named in honor of Dr. William A. “Dad” Kleckner, who served on the faculty for over 30 years.
Even though Kleckner has received minor repairs in the past, the school believes the dorm needs some upgrading in order to better serve its students. Over the next few months, the main projects will include painting the interior, and servicing the heating and air conditioning system. There will also be a general sprucing up of the entire building. While the dorm will be closed during the spring semester to allow the work to be done, the student life staff has put together a plan to ensure housing will be available for all residential students. “As an ongoing effort to provide quality housing for our students, we have created a master plan to remodel and upgrade where needed. Due to the building’s heating system not functioning properly, we have chosen to move Kleckner to the top of the list,” stated Dr. Anthony Allen. Other buildings that have received remodeling over the past few years include the cafeteria, Burt Administration Building, and men’s dormitory, Nunn-Cook.
HLGU’s campus features a variety of housing options for both men and women. In addition to suite and community style living, the campus also features apartments. Kleckner Hall falls in the category of community style living. The dorm houses 52 women on two floors. A resident assistant oversees each floor and a resident director, oversees the entire dorm. “I chose Kleckner as my home-away-from-home because of its traditional housing style. I liked the fact I would have a roommate and the traditional community style living. I made my first friends at Kleckner. We had a wonderful group of girls who I was able to bond with as sisters,” stated Michaela Crawford, ’15.
Hannibal-LaGrange University is a four-year Christian university fully accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools and prides itself in its traditional and nontraditional educational experience in a distinctively Christian environment.