On Wed., Mar. 14, at 10:00 a.m., there will be a nationwide school walkout remembering the 17 victims of the Parkland Florida school shooting aimed at bringing attention to gun violence in schools.

   At Sycamore, there will be 17 speakers, one for each victim, who will read a short bio on each individual. T-shirts saying “#ENOUGH,” which were created by senior Emma Sulfsted, were sold at school for the past two days.

   After the walkout, a group of over 30 SHS students will be traveling with L.A.S.T. to the Columbus statehouse to lobby their local senators and representatives about gun reform.

   “L.A.S.T stands for Lobbying for A Safer Tomorrow. It is a new organization created by a few of my friends at Walnut Hills High School with the intent of bussing to Columbus, OH after the school walkout and directly and personally lobbying Ohio state legislators,” said Max Snyder, 12.

   ”We are a HUGE group of passionate high schoolers, which gives us incredible influence and power,” according to L.A.S.T.

   The organization is helping students from all over the state of Ohio lobby on Wed., Mar. 14. Each student will have the opportunity to lobby one senator and one representative.

   L.A.S.T wants to make several things clear about the organization and what it stands for.

   “We are NON-partisan. We are here because we care about the safety of ourselves and others.We are seeking to clearly let our legislators know what our stances on these bills and issues are,” according to L.A.S.T.

  Appointments range from 1:00 – 3:00 p.m., during which there will be over 100 high school students sitting down with their district groups to discuss bills and legislation they feel is vital to their safety.

  “We want to have a conversation with legislators, not simply list our demands.We are NOT there to chastise legislators who have not stood for gun reform but to hear their views, share ours, and discuss what measures they can take to protect our SAFETY.

   “We are exercising our constitutional rights,” according to L.A.S.T.

   If you missed the opportunity to attend this trip, there is still a way to get involved and make a difference.

   Call your local representatives to state how you feel about this issue. Writing or email a letter is just as beneficial in the sense that they are hearing the opinions of the people they are supposed to be representing.

   ‘To leave a telephone message for any representative or senator, call the Ohio Legislative Information Hotline at 1-800-282-0253. Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.,” according to the Ohio House of Representatives.

   For more contact information, visit the House of Representative Directory.