According to the Washington Post, there have been a total of 389 school shootings since the infamous Columbine massacre, which took place in 1999. And in 2023 alone, more than 25,000 people have been killed in gun violence across America. HSDA (Huron Students Demand Action) founded by Junior Selene Koremenos-Tsebelis and former Huron student Katy Winkler, has the goals of educating others about the issue of gun violence, providing a safe space for students to discuss the topic, and organizing events so that students and members of the community can come together to make a difference.
“At the end of my freshman year, I led a walkout at Huron with Katy Winkler (class of ‘23), and that was the moment things changed for me.”
Junior Selene Koremenos-Tsebelis has always cared about gun-violence, but that day was what changed everything for her.
“Taking a stand with so many of my friends, classmates, and even teachers inspired me more than I can say,” Koremenos-Tsebelis said. “After that walkout, many students came up to me and asked if there was a group for gun violence prevention at Huron.”
When Koremenos-Tsebelis answered with a no, every person responded saying that one should be made, and HSDA was born.
“I saw that I wasn’t the only student who wanted to fight this fight, and I wanted Huron students to be able to fight against gun violence together,” Koremenos-Tsebelis said.
However, starting HSDA was a challenge. It took a while for the club to be approved and Huron, and for the word to spread. Eventually, being partnered with Everytown and Students Demand Action greatly helped Koremenos-Tsebelis and Winkler, as they were able to connect them with useful resources and contacts.
“Our goal is to educate others about the issue of gun violence, provide a safe space for students to discuss the topic, and organize events so that students and members of the community can come together to make a difference,” Koremenos-Tsebelis said. “We lead demonstrations, speak at events, create spaces to lift other people’s voices, work with other groups in the community, get involved in political campaigns, and are always looking to work with new groups and people.”
Being around people who are passionate as she is about this issue is what keeps Koremenos-Tsebelis going.
“Working with and hearing from other activist leaders of all ages inspires me, too. A very important part of the work that I do involves meeting, speaking with, and hearing from elected officials on both the state and federal level,” she said. “We’re often told politicians care about issues like gun violence, but it’s hard to believe that because of the lack of action and new legislation to combat the epidemic that gun violence is in this country. With the elected officials that I have met through this experience, I have come to understand that these concerns and promises to create solutions are true. There are so many elected officials who genuinely care about gun violence and prioritize it. Knowing that they are fighting and that they want people in my generation to keep fighting is one of my biggest inspirations.”
Anyone who knows Koremenos-Tsebelis knows that the activism she does is a huge part of who she is and hopes to become.
“As president of HSDA, I am a person that people can count on to fight with them and for them,” Koremenos-Tsebelis said. “It is such a huge honor to see that people trust me when they come to me with their ideas, hopes, or plans to work on this issue together. So many conversations start because people know about me through my leadership in HSDA, and the fact that HSDA is something people know me for and associate with me means a lot.”
