If someone told me I had four months to find a new place to house The Queen’s Journal, I’d think they were joking, because that’s ridiculous.

But that’s exactly what happened to The Imprint, the University of Waterloo’s official student newspaper.

Waterloo’s Federation of Students’ (Feds) board of directors — their student government — terminated The Imprint’s lease in the winter term, and then didn’t tell the newspaper until May 1. For 37 years, The Imprint has operated out of the same space in Federation Student Life Centre (SLC).

But wait — the Feds offered The Imprint a new location in the basement of the SLC, where they would have only half of the space they previously required to operate. 

As it stands, the university administration isn’t getting involved. Instead, they expect this to be resolved between the Feds and The Imprint.  

Enough students have negligent landlords.  For other students to treat their peers in such a fashion warrants apologies and reconciliation.

The Feds had every technical right to terminate The Imprint’s lease, and even to give only four months notice. But I couldn’t care less about technicalities.

All in all, their actions were divorced of common courtesy. If you decide to uproot a student group, let them know ahead of time, give them legitimate options and be somewhat supportive.

To be fair to the current Vice President of Operations and Finance at the Feds, she didn’t initiate the lease termination. In a drop-the-mic move, the former VP handed her this mess when he notified The Imprint of the termination in a letter on his last day in office.

Student governments and newspapers tend to have an adversarial relationship. But at the end of the day, we’re student organizations, run by students for students. If we remember this, than we can avoid becoming unsympathetic businesses.

I only hope the Feds realize this and undo the damage that’s been done. 

Anisa is The Journal’s Editor in Chief. She’s a fifth-year English major.