An unexpected turn of events during a Halloween event in the campus Arboretum
For the annual Raise Your Voice! fundraising drive, campus radio’s CFRU 93.3 FM planned a Halloween event for all ages. Hexing Decibels attracted over 200 people to the Arboretum Centre, featuring DJs and bands, burlesque, spoken word, black-light paintings, and more.
Those in attendance were chatting, dancing, hula hooping, and snacking on pizza, hummus, and other munchies provided. Organizers made every attempt to be as accommodating as possible with gender-neutral washrooms and accessible entrances. The atmosphere was pleasant, upbeat and welcoming, atypical to the usual vibe of this annual celebration.
At about 11:30 p.m., after the fog machine had been puffing full-force, the fire alarm was set off. Partygoers were directed outside through the front and back entrances, leaving many in the cold and rain without coats and shoes. Campus police and Guelph fire fighters arrived to clear the building, letting only two to five people in at a time to collect their belongings. At about midnight, attendees (many of whom were still located outdoors) were informed through word-of-mouth that the event had been canceled, leaving most confused about what had just transpired.
Behind the scenes was a more interesting turn of events. Right before the fire alarm rang, “I was approached by two of my other key organizers saying, ‘There seems to be a problem.’ Hospitality Services says they want to shut down the bar because some people have brought in outside alcohol,” stated Heather Jarvis, a CFRU staff member and organizer of the event. At this moment in time, Hospitality Services’ main concern was shutting down the bar to avoid jeopardizing their liquor license.
But upon the sounding of the fire alarm and the arrival of police and firefighters, moods quickly shifted. “At this point in time, very quickly, Hospitality Services said they were going to shut down the event,” said Jarvis.
Surprised at the seemingly hasty decision, event-organizers made several attempts to discuss other possible solutions, such as removing select “intoxicated” individuals who were sneaking in alcohol. But at that point, “[Hospitality Services] expressed to us that it was no longer a safe space, it was no longer a safe event…ultimately, [the event-organizers] were not the people who had the decision making power at that point,” stated Jarvis. The Arboretum Centre had been rented by CFRU, and the decision was out of their hands.
Cancelling the event so abruptly had left 200-or-so individuals, including those who were intoxicated and had snuck in alcohol, dispersed in a forest, looking for a place to go. Event-organizers made every effort to organize walks home with SafeWalk, call cab companies, and have their volunteers offer rides – but due to the large group of people exiting the building at once, and busy taxi lines due to Halloween festivities, many were left wandering down College Avenue (a street with no sidewalk) in search of a ride home.
“This was a small, small minority of over 150 people who were happy, who were non-aggressive, who were majority in control of their behaviour and their actions,” stated Jarvis. Despite the small minority who broke the rules by sneaking in outside alcohol, shutting down the event was the final decision that affected everyone in attendance.
CFRU plans to meet with Hospitality Services to discuss what happened, with the aim that future events will be better coordinated and have safer outcomes for those who attend them.