Jacob Laros and Jenna Swetland met by accident during their first week on campus, when Laros was visiting a friend in Sadler Hall. After getting to know each other, they realized they had something in common: a passion for preventing gun violence. 

Before coming to Syracuse University, Swetland direct messaged Sarah Chadwick on Instagram after learning that she also planned to attend SU in the fall. Chadwick, a freshman, is a Parkland shooting survivor and March for Our Lives activist.  

The message that Chadwick received from Swetland said that she was involved in a gun violence prevention organization, Students Demand Action. Swetland also said that they should meet up t0 talk about what they want to do, on campus, for gun violence prevention.  

After meeting in person on one of their first days on campus, Swetland and Chadwick decided to start a chapter of Students Demand Action at SU. Soon after, Swetland asked Laros to join her and Chadwick. 

Swetland is a national adviser for Everytown for Gun Safety, a gun violence prevention organization that includes Students Demand Action, Moms Demand Action and Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Prior to coming to Syracuse, she worked from her home in Chesapeake, Virginia, and has been a national adviser with the group for a year.  

Laros said that many SU students are passionate about gun violence prevention, but they may have lacked either the opportunity or initiative to start an organization like the chapter of Students Demand Action at Syracuse. He hopes these students will turn to the SDA chapter at Syracuse to get involved in activism.  

“There was kind of like a hole in the university where we needed to fill that with some sort of gun violence prevention,” Laros said, “especially because there’s a lot of people here that are passionate about it and want to get active.” 

The chapter at SU is a registered student organization, and the three student leaders are in the process of laying the groundwork for the club. Chadwick said they hope to hold the first meeting by next semester. 

The three students have been using word of mouth and social media to recruit new members. They also plan on hanging up flyers. Many students have already expressed interest in joining the club, Laros said.  

Laros is from Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 students died in a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012. He was one grade above the elementary school at the time of the shooting, a tragedy that deeply affected his town, he said.  

Laros said there were many organizations aimed at passing gun legislation, adding that he worked with some of these organizations back home, but he’s excited to transfer his activism to SU. 

Chadwick said that being personally affected by gun violence drives her activism. It’s one of the main reasons she is starting a chapter of SDA at SU. But, she said, other people who have not been directly affected by gun violence are just as passionate about prevention.  

Gun violence happens everywhere, Chadwick said, and it’s important to acknowledge this. 

“It’s showing that we are paying attention, and we do see these problems and we see what’s happening,” Chadwick said, “and we care and we sympathize, and we want to do something about it.”  

Swetland said SDA aims to educate people about this and provide a way to create both legislative and cultural change. She said this involves teaching students how to submit legislative policy at the local level and addressing the cultural significance of gun violence. 

Gun violence, in the form of city gun violence and intimate partner violence, is a daily problem for many people, Swetland said. She noted the high rate of gun violence in the city of Syracuse. 

“There’s definitely a disconnect between the school and the city itself,” Swetland said. “And I would really love for this club to be a way for our students to help contribute to the actual culture going on in the city.” 

Gun violence disproportionately affects marginalized groups of people, including minorities, women and LGBTQ people, Swetland said. She hopes that the chapter of SDA at Syracuse will bring attention to this and will be inclusive of all members of the community. 

SDA is a nonpartisan group, Swetland said, and the only endorsements it makes are for candidates who show support for legislation that prevents gun violence. The chapter plans to hold voter registration events on campus, as well as town halls and events with speakers.  

“The purpose of SDA is to inform kids our age that we do have a voice and that we do have the power to make change when we need it,” Laros said. “And we do need it right now.” 

Published on October 29, 2019 at 11:05 pm

Contact Mandy: ackrayna@syr.edu | @MandyKraynak