Western University’s student council drew criticism this week for its decision to move The Gazette, Western’s student newspaper, from its offices in favour of campus faith-based groups that say they don’t want to move.
The Gazette, Canada’s only student-run daily paper, announced Wednesday that the University Students’ Council (USC) planned to turn the 40-year-old newspaper office into a multi-faith space. The usc cited concerns about spiritual cleansing stations, noise reduction, and privacy in Western’s current multi-faith space, established in 2010.
Usc’s concerns were not shared by the Muslim Students’ Association, Western Hillel, or Chabad House at Western, all faith-based groups who reported they were satisfied with the current multi-faith space.
In an editorial published Wednesday, Gazette editor-in-chief Gloria Dickie speculated the usc’s decision resulted from long-simmering tensions between the Gazette and the usc. On Friday, The Gazette reported discussions between the usc and the paper about the office space were ongoing.
With files from The Gazette.
