The Student Senate unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday to honor the deaths of two UF students killed in a rappelling accident over the weekend.
Grant Lockenbach and Michael Pirie died of hypothermia on Feb. 12 while rappelling in Ellison’s Cave in Walker County, Ga.
Senators held a moment of silence in their honor after the resolution was read by Senate President Ben Meyers.
Sen. Cecelia Hardwick, a member of the Unite Party, spoke in favor of soft closing for bars in Gainesville, a platform item for the party for next week’s Student Government election.
Soft closing would mean that bars stop serving food and drinks at 2 a.m., which is the current closing time, but would make customers leave at 3 a.m.
She said Student Body President Ashton Charles, a member of the Unite Party, has brought the issue to the attention of the Gainesville City Commission.
Charles said she thought soft closing would be beneficial to students in the future. Soft closing would allow more time for people to arrange for rides home.
“It’s a bigger issue than just soft closing,” she said. “It affects student safety.”
