Alcohol and sunscreen were topics of discussion at Student Senate on Tuesday night.
Two resolutions passed unanimously: One will place a referendum question on the ballot about UF’s open-container policy, and the other supports free sunscreen dispensers for two campus recreation areas.
The referendum question, which will appear on the Student Government elections ballot Feb. 18 and 19, is designed to gauge student opinion about whether UF should implement “an open container policy allowing those of the legal drinking age to carry an open container containing alcohol on campus during home football game days,” according to the language of the bill.
Abby Whiddon, chairwoman of the Senate External Affairs Committee and the bill’s author, said it was inspired by student inquiries about UF’s alcohol-on-campus policy, which she said is vague.
“External affairs did receive a lot of concerns from students questioning what the policy was,” Whiddon said. “As we started digging deeper, we realized that we are one of the few schools in the Southeast that didn’t really have a policy on it. We’re really just interested in getting student feedback on how they feel about the issue.”
According to a gameday code of conduct guide on the University Police website, having open containers of alcohol on public streets, sidewalks and thoroughfares violates a city ordinance.
The ordinance is enforced throughout campus.
The University of Georgia, the University of Missouri, Florida State University and the University of Central Florida have implemented some form of open-container policies for home football games, according to the background section of the bill.
Referendums are nonbinding and are only meant to provide feedback to SG and administration.
“We’re really excited to see how students respond to it,” Whiddon said.
Another resolution passed Tuesday supports the Department of Recreational Sports’ plan to put free sunscreen dispensers at Broward Outdoor Recreation Complex and the University Village South volleyball courts, next to Southwest Recreation Center.
Senate President Pro-Tempore Elliot Grasso, who was one of the bill’s authors, said he spearheaded the program by proposing it to the RecSports board of directors, of which he is a member.
The resolution “commends” RecSports for launching the sunscreen program and for “providing students with proper resources to live a healthier lifestyle,” according to the text.
Grasso said RecSports is going to fund the pilot program, which means purchasing two 10-liter cases of sunscreen. Grasso said he doesn’t know how much the project would cost or if it will be broadened later.
“We’re not sure how the project is going to be … expanded right now,” he said. “We’re just focusing on the pilot program.”
The dispensers will be installed during Spring Break.
A version of this story ran on page 1 on 1/22/2014 under the headline "Alcohol question added to SG ballot"
