“It’s like a punch in the stomach.”

That’s how members of the Central Student Association at the University of Guelph felt after walking into their offices Sunday morning.

During the night someone went in and vandalized three rooms that had been left open for students who were studying for exams.

Paint was thrown on the walls, the floor and the furniture.

Art was destroyed and profanity written on the walls.

“We kind of felt like people were disrespecting the space that we were giving them,” says Ryan Shoot, one of the CSA’s commissioners.

Even though the offices were set to be renovated, the CSA says those plans will have to be put on hold while they clean up the mess.

“I think there was a sense that someone was really irritated and wanted to do some damage,” says Brenda Whiteside, the associate vice-president of student affairs. “I don’t really understand where that’s coming from.”

Students say there has been tension between some of the student groups. The main issue, they say, is limited club space.

One of the messages scrawled on the wall reads: “I am the resistance. RIP Clubs.”

The CSA said on its Facebook page that the name of one of its commissioners was also written on several walls. They’re calling it bullying, but gave no further explanation.

The university says that while there are cameras outside the student centre building there aren’t any near the CSA offices.

With reporting by Leena Latafat