UF closes Reitz Union tribute to Pulse shooting victims

UF students expressed hope for a safer world at a brief ceremony commemorating the Pulse victims Thursday morning.

At the 10-minute-long closing ceremony of the One Pulse Unity Project, four people shared their thoughts on equality. Speakers included Student Body President Susan Webster, the president of Hispanic Student Association and the director of Multicultural and Diversity Affairs.

Thursday was the last day that more than 300 colored linked bracelets covered the Reitz Union staircase’s rails.

The project, a tribute to the 49 victims of a deadly shooting June 12 at Pulse nightclub in Orlando, has covered the staircase since July 7. It was on display for 49 days.

Mario Ogosto, the president of the Hispanic Student Association, took long pauses as he told those who gathered that he has hope for a future with less tragedy.

“I want a world where one day our children will not have to grieve in the same way that we did,” he said.

As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Sierra McLaughlin, a UF English sophomore, teared up during the ceremony.

“They spoke about how the tragedies of the world continue on around us,” the 19-year-old said. “But the infallible hope we construct when we bind together is the first step in countering the evils of the world."

UF’s Multicultural & Diversity Affairs executive director Lloren Foster speaks on Thursday morning at the closing ceremony for the One Pulse Unity Project, asking the crowd for a moment of silence to honor the victims of the Pulse shooting. Foster concluded everyone present was, "here to show solidarity not only for victims, families and communities… but for each other."