On March 14, the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) held the 4 Floors event to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. Three floors in the University Centre Building, along with Gerts Bar in the basement of the building, were reserved for the event starting at 5 p.m., providing dancefloors, coat check service, and festive beverages until midnight. However, some McGill students expressed frustration with 4 Floors, specifically concerning the logistics and the turnout of the event.
University Centre Building Manager Wallace Sealy confirmed that SSMU sold 1,400 tickets at the price of $10 CAD each.
Nora Lannert, U4 Arts, was a student volunteer at the event. She explained that attendees were each sent a QR code ticket to enter the University Centre, but that a technical complication prevented many students from making it through the doors.
“There was an issue with the QR code where if they had downloaded or screenshotted their ticket, [it would show] that they had already been scanned before,” Lannert said. “[As a result,] people were turned away.”
Additionally, Lannert recounted the long line of people waiting to enter Gerts as a result of the QR code issues.
Karina Allagh, U3 Management, explained that the Four Floors event did not match her expectations due to the long line and overall ambiance.
“I had to line up to get a bracelet, which I did not expect,” she told The Tribune. “I also expected to enjoy the Gerts atmosphere, but by the time I got in [….] all the floors besides Gerts were heavily lacking.”
The organization of the event fell under SSMU VP Internal Zeena Zahidah’s portfolio. She did not respond to The Tribune’s request for comment on the situation in time for publication.
A SSMU member, who wished to remain anonymous, helped organize the event closely. They acknowledged the logistical issues and disorganization with the 4 Floors event planning.
“The event was disorganized when it came to who was in charge, what volunteers were supposed to be doing, communication between floors, drink tickets and how they worked, food for those working and volunteers, coat check, […] training, amongst other things,” they said.
Anirudh Ram-Mohanram, U3 Arts, was an attendee at the event. He told The Tribune that he perceived that many staff were under pressure.
“The bars were really understaffed,” he said. “It seemed like the security guards were really stressed about the number of people there.”
SSMU President Dymetri Taylor explained how the organization of large-scale events like this one can be improved in a written statement to The Tribune.
“For events like these, you usually want a plan that’s well established 1-2 months in advance. Everyone has a clear role and knows who to go to if there’s an issue and nothing is added last minute,” he said. “Furthermore, there’d be clear training for volunteers, and if things go wrong, a clear hierarchy of what gets escalated and to who.”
Regardless, Taylor maintained that large-scale SSMU events will still be held in the future.
“We certainly have plans to host similar events in the following years, as that should be the bread and butter of the SSMU,” they said. “Next year, it will likely be on Halloween, with double the capacity of around 2,800.”
Despite the disorder of this year’s 4 Floors event, Lannert, Allagh, and Ram-Mohanram all emphasized that on-campus events cultivate McGill’s character on campus.
“It’s nice to have somewhere that everyone can get in, [where] everyone comes together,” Lannert said. “I think it builds campus identity.”
