Five freshman stepped onto NYU’s Gould Plaza one warm September morning. Business students—business and political economy majors, actually—eager to learn about the world and ready to make a real impact. Then, a smartphone notification, an email from Professor Wachtel, a challenge to use our skills and our passion to impact a community we had just met.

We wanted to tackle the colossal problem of this nation’s debt. But why is the federal debt such a monumental issue? Yes, $17 trillion is a staggering figure, but why should a student care?

Because the ensuing domino effect could cripple any nation, even a superpower like the United States of America—and all of its citizens, including students like us. If allowed to increase this rapidly, a debt of this magnitude would force increased yields on treasury securities, reducing the amount of tax revenue available to spend, causing rampant inflation, lower standards of living, and an overall poorer nation. Imagine stepping into the world, past the safety of a college campus, only to find your hard work yield nothing. It’s not your fault, the opportunities just aren’t there. The job market is battered. There’s no path to success. Another bright-eyed American turned away from the American Dream because we didn’t stop the disaster hurdling straight to us. Wasted talent and wasted youth.

We are often told to stay in the present and enjoy it, but how can that be possible if a bleaker future is on the horizon? That’s why we decided to participate in Up to Us. It’s time for college students across the country to take charge and stand up for fiscal responsibility.