Last week, students at Southwestern Michigan College proved that the young can have a voice.

Wednesday evening, Domestic and Sexual Abuse Services hosted a Take Back the Night rally on SMC’s campus. Initially started in the 1970s, Take Back the Night is a nationwide movement to raise awareness, stories and resources about sexual violence.

Our editorial board was happy to see Wednesday’s event well attended by students who want to make a difference and end sexual assault on college campuses, where 11.2 percent of all students will experience some form of sexual violence, according to a report released by the Association of American Universities.

The students we talked to at Take Back the Night were passionate, educated and had a deep desire to help. Many said they attended because they have friends or family who have been raped or sexually violated. Others said that while they do not personally know anyone who has been sexually assaulted, they wanted to arm themselves with information to help prevent future assaults and provide support to any survivors they meet.

One thing all the students had in common is that they acknowledged that sexual assault is a problem on all college campuses, including SMC, and said that they do not want anyone to be hurt by sexual violence.

At the newspaper, we were heartened to see this kind of response from students, especially when the world at large can often seem apathetic to issues such as sexual assault. The students at SMC are the next generation of leaders, and we are excited to see passion and a desire to create change in them.

Often college students can be overlooked, or their ideas can be brushed aside due to their age. However, young people have the perspective, energy and drive to make significant changes in our society. We hope to continue to see those qualities in SMC’s students and want to thank them for taking an interest in ending sexual assault on college campuses.

Opinions expressed are those of general manager Ambrosia Neldon, managing editor Sarah Culton and sports editor Scott Novak.