Physics major Taylor Hardges is leading DePaul’s team in Up to Us, a nationwide competition focused on the U.S. national debt. The senior from Chicago's South Side got started in fiscal policy through the Fiscal Leadership Lab, a fellowship that took Hardges to Washington, D.C., last May. In this Q&A, Hardges talks about her path to fiscal policy and why every DePaul student belongs in the conversation.
 

Q&A

Tell us a little about yourself.
I am a senior studying physics with a minor in computer science. I am a Chicago native from the South Side, and my family is from Haiti. I went to Lindblom Math and Science Academy here in Chicago. At DePaul, I work as a student coordinator for the Steans Center. I am also an advocate for my community and do a lot of work in Englewood, connecting community partners to DePaul.
I wanted a career where I could make money but also do something on the side. Fiscal policy is unrelated to my major, but when I got an email about the Fiscal Leadership Lab, I applied.

 

What was the Fiscal Leadership Lab like?
It was an 18-week fellowship where we learned about fiscal policy and why it is important. We took courses and talked with elected officials and with other students from around the country. I represented DePaul. We started with the basics, like what fiscal policy is, because I did not know anything about it.
After that, we flew to Washington, D.C. and learned more about fiscal policy, the national debt and how we can spread awareness to our peers. I also talked with a member of Congress about why it is important to tell young people about the national debt. Policy matters even if you are not in political science.
 

What is the Up to Us challenge?
Up to Us is a competition where we put what we learned in the leadership lab into practice. It focuses on awareness: getting the word out and creating a fun campaign that gets people engaged in the conversation. The goal is to create a nonpartisan space and get young people talking about what we can do about the national debt.

What has it been like leading DePaul’s team?
Campaigning is really hard! I have gotten a lot of help from my teammate, Raney Buist-Holmes, who studies public policy at DePaul.

For this event, we learned how to grow as leaders, use social media and keep a campaign’s momentum going. We also learned how to make our campaign unique to our campus, since DePaul is more intimate than some of the bigger schools.
 

Where can we learn more?
We are hosting our Fiscal Policy Game Night on Friday, Nov. 13 at the Levan Center, Room 403. There, we will talk about what students think when they hear "$39 trillion" and how the debt affects their everyday lives. We will also share resources we learned in the workshop, talk about how we can make demands of our elected officials and why that matters. The event is student-focused and student-led, but faculty and staff are invited too.

What do you want DePaul students to understand about the national debt?
The national debt affects all of us, and it is going to affect future generations too. That’s why it is important to be proactive and about who we elect to office. You do not have to be a certain major or in a certain group to be part of the conversation. 

How else can students, faculty and staff get involved?
Show up to the event, sign our pledge and follow us on social media @uptous_depaul. The biggest way to get involved is to join the conversation. Break bread with someone and ask, "Hey, did you hear about this?" The debt is going to affect our kids, our kids’ kids and the kind of country we have down the line if we do not have these conversations now. Faculty can have these conversations with their students, too.

Join Hardges and Buist-Holmes for their Fiscal Policy Game Night this Friday, Nov. 13 at 3:30 p.m. in the Levan Center, Room 403. Food and goodie bags will be provided while supplies last.