Predicting a grim parking situation for this Thursday, March 7, U President Bernie Machen decided to cancel afternoon classes that day.

The Salt Lake Organizing Committee will take more than 47 percent of parking on campus that day in order to accommodate the Paralympic Opening Ceremony later that evening.

As per a statement from Machen’s office, the campus will close at noon to all nonessential personnel, and classes will be held until 1:45 p.m. All classes beginning after 1:45 p.m. are canceled. The statement encourages students, faculty and staff to leave the campus by 2 p.m.

Essential U personnel, including Health Science Center employees, can remain on campus.

Many buildings, such as the Union, will close by 2 p.m. Campus food services will close at different times. Lund Commons will close at 1 p.m., the food court in the Union and the Union Express will close at 2 p.m., but food service from the Crimson Underground will operate with normal business hours: closed at 2 p.m., but open for dinner at 4 p.m.

Although more parking is available now that the Olympics are over, the Paralympics are using just under 30 percent of the U’s parking facilities. The east and west stadium lots are still closed, as well as the Guardsman Way lot. Part of the Annex parking is unavailable to students as well as many parking lots in the Paralympic Village.

The Paralympic Closing Ceremony will take place at the Paralympic Medals Plaza and will not affect the U.

On Friday, business will return to normal on campus.