Throughout history, social change in the U.S. has often originated on college campuses. Students have put together visual assemblies to make a statement on issues of civil rights, wars and matters of social injustice. For decades, the youth in America have loudly invoked their voices to create change in this country.

At Grand Valley State University, Lakers have the unique opportunity to reach out to more than 25,000 students on our campus alone. We have the opportunity to hear many different voices talk about a wide range of different issues and the potential to work together to ensure that those voices are heard.

We have seen many specific examples of this in years past. In 1960, students at the University of Atlanta were joined by prominent civil rights leaders including Martin Luther King Jr. as they marched to protest segregation throughout Atlanta. In 1968, students at Columbia University staged a non-violent occupation of a campus building in protest of the Vietnam War.

In more recent memory, a student at Columbia who carried a mattress around with her for an entire semester to make a statement after the university refused to expel her sexual assault attacker. Last year, there were prolonged protests at the University of Missouri in response to racial incidents on campus.

All of these instances sparked a national conversation about social justice issues. While many students feel an inability to make their voices heard, university students have a much louder megaphone than they realize. Participating in peaceful and productive protests or demonstrations allows students to make a lasting impact on their communities.

The Lanthorn commends those Lakers who participated in Friday’s demonstration with the GVSU NAACP, advocating for equal rights for people of color.

However, this change won’t start by sitting on couches retweeting things we agree with. The kind of change that we want to see and the change we need to enact happens when we get up and push, using positive actions. Now, that doesn’t mean we should turn to violence. It means if we want to see something happen, we can’t wait for other people to do something about it.

Make signs, gather a group of people who have the same stance on an issue as you and hold a rally. Participate in a silent march. Organize a peaceful protest. Hold a civilized discussion about the issue. In all cases, change begins with action.

We can write 100 papers on social justice issues and suggest 50 ways to solve the problems around us, but these things cannot replace the simple action of pushing for change and sparking dialogue among our peers and across the nation in a visual and involved way.