diff --git a/api/src/routes/applications.ts b/api/src/routes/applications.ts
index 76c0eca..daf1267 100644
--- a/api/src/routes/applications.ts
+++ b/api/src/routes/applications.ts
@@ -2,11 +2,12 @@ const express = require('express');
 const router = express.Router();
 
 import pool from '../db';
-import { approveApplication, createApplication, getApplicationByID, getApplicationComments, getApplicationList, getMemberApplication } from '../services/applicationService';
+import { approveApplication, createApplication, denyApplication, getApplicationByID, getApplicationComments, getApplicationList, getMemberApplication } from '../services/applicationService';
 import { MemberState, setUserState } from '../services/memberService';
 import { getRankByName, insertMemberRank } from '../services/rankService';
 import { ApplicationFull, CommentRow } from "@app/shared/types/application"
 import { assignUserToStatus } from '../services/statusService';
+import { Request, Response } from 'express';
 
 // POST /application
 router.post('/', async (req, res) => {
@@ -64,7 +65,6 @@ router.get('/me', async (req, res) => {
 // GET /application/:id
 router.get('/:id', async (req, res) => {
   let appID = req.params.id;
-  console.log("HELLO")
   try {
     const application = await getApplicationByID(appID);
     if (application === undefined)
@@ -92,9 +92,6 @@ router.post('/approve/:id', async (req, res) => {
     const app = await getApplicationByID(appID);
     const result = await approveApplication(appID);
 
-    console.log("START");
-    console.log(app, result);
-
     //guard against failures
     if (result.affectedRows != 1) {
       throw new Error("Something went wrong approving the application");
@@ -119,26 +116,11 @@ router.post('/approve/:id', async (req, res) => {
 router.post('/deny/:id', async (req, res) => {
   const appID = req.params.id;
 
-  const sql = `
-      UPDATE applications
-         SET denied_at = NOW()
-       WHERE id = ?
-        AND approved_at IS NULL
-        AND denied_at IS NULL
-      `;
   try {
-    const result = await pool.execute(sql, appID);
-
-    console.log(result);
-
-    if (result.affectedRows === 0) {
-      res.status(400).json('Something went wrong denying the application');
-    }
-
-    if (result.affectedRows == 1) {
-      res.sendStatus(200);
-    }
-
+    const app = await getApplicationByID(appID);
+    await denyApplication(appID);
+    await setUserState(app.member_id, MemberState.Denied);
+    res.sendStatus(200);
   } catch (err) {
     console.error('Approve failed:', err);
     res.status(500).json({ error: 'Failed to deny application' });
@@ -146,10 +128,12 @@ router.post('/deny/:id', async (req, res) => {
 });
 
 // POST /application/:id/comment
-router.post('/:id/comment', async (req, res) => {
+router.post('/:id/comment', async (req: Request, res: Response) => {
   const appID = req.params.id;
   const data = req.body.message;
-  const user = 1;
+  const user = req.user;
+
+  console.log(user)
 
   const sql = `INSERT INTO application_comments(
     application_id,
@@ -161,7 +145,7 @@ VALUES(?, ?, ?);`
   try {
     const conn = await pool.getConnection();
 
-    const result = await conn.query(sql, [appID, user, data])
+    const result = await conn.query(sql, [appID, user.id, data])
     console.log(result)
     if (result.affectedRows !== 1) {
       conn.release();
diff --git a/api/src/services/applicationService.ts b/api/src/services/applicationService.ts
index 8e94a08..1938189 100644
--- a/api/src/services/applicationService.ts
+++ b/api/src/services/applicationService.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { ApplicationListRow, ApplicationRow, CommentRow } from "@app/shared/types/application";
 import pool from "../db";
+import { error } from "console";
 
 export async function createApplication(memberID: number, appVersion: number, app: string) {
   const sql = `INSERT INTO applications (member_id, app_version, app_data) VALUES (?, ?, ?);`;
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ export async function getApplicationList(): Promise<ApplicationListRow[]> {
   return rows;
 }
 
-export async function approveApplication(id) {
+export async function approveApplication(id: number) {
   const sql = `
       UPDATE applications
          SET approved_at = NOW()
@@ -57,6 +58,24 @@ export async function approveApplication(id) {
   return result;
 }
 
+export async function denyApplication(id: number) {
+  const sql = `
+      UPDATE applications
+         SET denied_at = NOW()
+       WHERE id = ?
+        AND approved_at IS NULL
+        AND denied_at IS NULL
+      `;
+
+  const result = await pool.execute(sql, id);
+
+  if (result.affectedRows == 1) {
+    return
+  } else {
+    throw new Error(`"Something went wrong denying application with ID ${id}`);
+  }
+}
+
 export async function getApplicationComments(appID: number): Promise<CommentRow[]> {
   return await pool.query(`SELECT app.id AS comment_id,
           app.post_content,
diff --git a/ui/src/api/application.ts b/ui/src/api/application.ts
index 85a3dc5..4193635 100644
--- a/ui/src/api/application.ts
+++ b/ui/src/api/application.ts
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ export async function postChatMessage(message: any, post_id: number) {
 
   const response = await fetch(`${addr}/application/${post_id}/comment`, {
     method: 'POST',
+    credentials: 'include',
     headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
     body: JSON.stringify(out),
   })
diff --git a/ui/src/pages/Application.vue b/ui/src/pages/Application.vue
index 370bfb3..433f6ca 100644
--- a/ui/src/pages/Application.vue
+++ b/ui/src/pages/Application.vue
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ async function handleDeny(id) {
         </div>
         <ApplicationForm :read-only="readOnly" :data="appData" @submit="(e) => { postApp(e) }" class="mb-7 pb-15">
         </ApplicationForm>
-        <div v-if="!newApp">
+        <div v-if="!newApp" class="pb-15">
             <h3 class="scroll-m-20 text-2xl font-semibold tracking-tight mb-4">Discussion</h3>
             <ApplicationChat :messages="chatData" @post="postComment"></ApplicationChat>
         </div>