Security on Short Notice

By Broadside Staff Reporter Robert Dongu

When Bill Clinton spoke to a packed Johnson Center audience on Monday, Feb. 11, a security guard paced the building, telling people that were trying to catch a glimpse of the former president to get off the chairs they were standing on.

The security guard’s orders went mostly unnoticed as crowds of students, supporters and onlookers pressed toward the railings and walls to witness an event that was planned just one day in advance.

The Clinton speech meant an increased workload for the George Mason University Events Management staff, who organized the event. According to their website, events usually require university approval within 48 hours. Due to Clinton’s status as a former president, the school made an exception.

After receiving confirmation of Clinton’s visit, Mason staff members had about 23 hours to prepare for the event, according to Daniel Walsch, Mason Director of Media Relations.

“Everybody had to jump through a lot of hoops to make it happen,” Walsch said.

Although the Events Management staff faced an arduous task, they received a boost from the former president’s security team.

Walsch said that the Secret Service played a major role in planning the logistics of the event. He mentioned that their presence relieved some of the workload for Mason staff members.

“They take over [and] they tell you what they need to satisfy them,” Walsch said. “Our challenge was to try and do our best to meet their guidelines.”

Those guidelines covered everything from crowd management to the specific placement of the stage, a request of the Clinton team. The campaign also requested a favorable spot to enhance security and crowd interaction. In addition, they decided to close the area behind the stage on the second and third floors.

In addition to the Secret Service, some Mason police officers were also present during the speech. The only issue that took place during the event was a person fainting, according to Maj. George Ginovsky, the assistant chief of police for Mason.

Other than the individual that fainted, Ginovsky reported normal activity at the event. “There were no problems; no incidents,” Ginovsky said.

Before the speech, the Clinton camp sent an advance team to Mason to survey the campus. Following approval of the venue by Clinton’s staff, Mason officials received word of the former president’s arrival on Sunday, Feb. 10. Mason Events Management then met with Clinton’s staff to work out the final logistics of the event.

On Monday, university officials and a member of Clinton’s staff met to discuss the plans for that night. The group decided to close the Johnson Center food court during the afternoon to prepare for the speech. In addition, the stage was moved to accommodate Clinton’s staff, who selected the stage to be situated in the food court next to the set of cash registers.

By the time Clinton’s speech began, security had blocked the entrance to one of the stairwells, which also served as a crowd divider. On the second and third floors, crowds gathered around the railings hoping to see the former president. Others sat further away, remaining content on just hearing him speak.

Following the large turnout for the Clinton speech, Walsch hopes that Clinton’s appearance at Mason will motivate presidential candidates to speak at Mason. But he also expressed satisfaction in the outcome of last Monday’s event.

“It was exciting; we were very glad to have him here,” Walsch said. “We were pleased with the whole proceeding.”