A reassessment of the Georgetown Voice’s office is long overdue.

In August 2011, three Voice staffers attempting to evade Department of Public Safety officers crashed through the ceiling of a fourth-floor room in Leavey Center, creating several thousands of dollars’ worth of damage. The responsible parties were amply punished, and the Voice was forced to suspend one of its weekly issues.

While this alone would have been an adequate response, the Voice was then forced in October to trade offices with the Georgetown Debate Team. As predicted, the smaller workplace has proven to be a significant imposition on the Voice, with nearly a dozen of their 40-plus active staffers overflowing onto the hallway floors each production night.

Two years have passed, and plans to lift the punishment are nowhere to be seen. The university owes the current Voice staff immediate reconsideration of their office situation.

Of course, difficulties arise when locating a larger space where the Voice could operate. Simply reversing the office swap would victimize Georgetown Debate, which, due in part to its office expansion, has recently seen considerable growth and success. Only a year after they moved down the hall, the debate team went on to clinch the title of national debate champions.

Decisions surrounding student space are complex, involving many moving parts and many legitimate interests vying for limited resources. On Georgetown’s campus, which faces severe space limitations to begin with, there is likely no quick fix here to restore what has been taken. And yet a punishment cannot justifiably be left in place simply because it is inconvenient for the imposer to reverse.

The Voice provides a valuable service to the campus community, powered by dedicated staffers in what are already demanding positions. When new contributors continue to suffer the consequences of a now-distant memory, it is time for the university to recognize that enough is enough.