Daily headlines show reports of new school shootings and names of students that turn into victims of gun violence. Day after day, the cycle continues with more and more students being endangered while trying to get an education. 

For senior Emily Cole, the on-going issue of gun safety influenced her to take action. Cole founded Let’s talk Change, an organization that encourages the conversation of gun education.

“We are a group of high school and middle school students that are advocating for school safety through gun education,” senior and social media director Kennedi Ulman said.

After the shooting last year at Noblesville West Middle School, many students felt like something needed to be done and decided to take action.

“We just wanted to do something for the West kids in general because this is such a big issue across the country,” Ulman said.

Sophomore and social media coordinator Cameron Riley discusses the impact Let’s Talk Change would like to leave on the community.

“We want to educate gun owners so that they can educate our kids,” Riley said. “We are trying to achieve that by doing the social media things to get word out about what we want to do and going to events to try to educate people and give them more advice on how to get to gun education sources.”

This summer, Let’s Talk Change members went to March For Our Lives in Evansville and the Moms Demand Action Wear Orange event also in Evansville. Orange is the color often used to protest gun violence. The group is currently in the process of planning events for the future.

“There’s some stuff coming up in 2019 that we will hopefully go to,” Riley said.                                                       

Owning a gun comes with responsibility, making gun education extremely important to groups like Let’s Talk Change.

“I think the biggest thing is so that this doesn’t happen again and also just so people understand the dangers of having a gun and kids not knowing how powerful they can be,” Ulman said.  

Riley joined the group more recently after showing interest in becoming a part of the organization.

“Emily, the director, had posted on Twitter and said would anyone like to join a project she was trying to make to help educate gun owners,” Riley said. “It was full so a few weeks later she said they had an opening and that’s when I joined.”

Riley felt like she needed to help make a change after the events of May 25th much like other members of the group.

“I joined because I don’t think kids should have to go to school and be scared they’ll get shot or hurt,” Riley said. “I felt like I wanted to do something to help, [so] when Emily tweeted about it I thought it was a really good cause, like a way to help make a difference.”

The organization is currently looking for high schoolers and middle schoolers to join and help encourage gun safety.

“If you would like to join, you can contact Emily and if you would like any info about our organization,” Riley said. “You can look at our Instagram or Twitter which are both @LetsTalkChange_.”

With future events, the group hopes to make improvements in school safety through gun education.