0 -W are hired, there are some great successes, and then it becomes yesterday's news as some other hot topic takes over the inter- est of senior executives. Slow and steady may be successful, but it is not very exciting. Fundamentally, the Big Three do not in their gut believe in the value of developing people. My description of Toyota could apply almost as well to Honda. Nissan is somewhat of a different story and made bad business decisions, running the company into the ground by the 1990s, only to be picked up by Renault. But Carlos Ghosn of Renault was not starting from scratch. Nissan had developed a strong culture of engineering and manufactur- ing excellence before Ghosn, which Ghosn intentionally built on, fixing the broken business systems. Even Mazda had some great engineering and manufacturing systems that have helped it to stay afloat and, with some well placed pushes and nudges -One could argu the cost of retire that none of the B son of Toyota's v comes from deve] the long term. Th is becoming a lea takes, taking calc company. The hu changes in execu destroy any chant become a high pi up for a rollercoas on the downside < Don't get ca with your pants The Halfass, located in East Quad Residence Hall, hosts bands and musical acts every other Friday night. Full blast at the Halfass Local bands get and students get vital education and experience By Kat Bawden / Daily Staff Writer TOMMASO GOMEZ/Daily The Ford Mustang has long been a sign of American preponderance in muscle cars, but success in that market has done little to save domestic companies. Hey, Sophomores and Juniors***F3 in. Cover Reserve Face your favorite IBCS Bowl ga w.~ im.t i ke tre se RCS All Acees your favorite te it to any BCSI a Face Value tii NOChoose a on't be fooled by the persistent smell of fries, the humming and sizzling of kitchen equipment, the clicking of balls on a pool table or the loud chatter of East Quad residents - the Halfass is one of the increasingly popular music venues on cam- pus. It may be a reliable alternative to caf- eteria food during the day, but thanks to the East Quad Music Co-op, the Halfass trans- forms into a haven for local music every other Friday night. Located in the underbelly of East Quad, the walls of the Halfass (officially named the Halfway Inn) are covered in paintings, black and white photographs and obscure vinyl record sleeves, emanating unconven- tionality and eccentricity. Students lounge on weathered couches and dine on burgers, fries, falafel sandwiches and pints of Ben and Jerry's ice cream. And, yes, music is usually blaring. This is the canvas of the EQMC. "We talk to bands who would draw a crowd, who already have a great audience and who deserve to have one," said Brandon Zwa- german, the booking coordinator for the EQMC and a graduate student in Urban Planning. Kathryn Chalmers, president of EQMC and a Residential College senior, explained that the EQMC treasures variety: "We try to have the most quality. Folk, rock - we're not genre-specific. The most random band we've had is probably Wolf Eyes. They're pretty insane." - Though some may find it intimidating to book shows and interact with bands they admire, members of the EQMC have felt great encouragement. Says Chalmers, the bands "really enjoy it and ask us if they can play again." "It's amazing how many agree if we ask," Zwagerman. This gives members of EQMC an intro- duction to the music biz. Said devoted EQMC member Andy Linn, an RC senior: "It's a great organiza- tion because the students can be involved with booking bands, ticket sales and learn- ing about the business. It's educational." The EQMC was established in 1982, when the basement of East Quad Residence Hall had a recording studio where students would help record albums for local bands. The students decided to have shows as well. Chalmers remembers going to shows when she was in high school, and "thought it was so awesome." However, due to neglecting such rules as overcrowding and drinking, the EQMC was shut down. "I wanted to restart it. So me and a coali- tion of friends did in the winter of 2003- 2004. We learned as we went along. Now we're in our third year and doing really well," Chalmers explained. Members of EQMC attribute a great deal of their success to the enthusiasm of the audience. Said Zwagerman, "We tell them a lot of really eager people would love to see them." And with deep respect and grati- tude to the bands, they always treat their performing artists well. "100 percent of the money made at the door goes to the artists," explained Chalmers. "Venues like the Blind Pig only give some of the door money to the artists. That's why we look for funding as much as we can." EQMC treasurer Jocylin Shalom, an RC senior, explained the main source of their funding as "a big, huge, wonderful grant from Arts at Michigan." They also receive funding from Michigan Student Assembly and East Quad Student Government. The money they receive funded new equip- ment, such as brand-new microphones and power amplifiers. "We're nonprofit," said Shalom, "all the money made at the door goes right to the bands. So a lot of the money is also for flyers, posters, and wristbands." Shalom became involved with EQMC during its rejuvenation when she lived in East Quad her freshman year. "As it got more and more organized, there were more positions to fill," she said. Unlike other groups on campus that become swamped with politics, competition and even scan- dal, EQMC keeps it simple. Said Shalom, "There are no elections; whoever puts their time in gets to do it." And EQMC has more to brag about than just strictly following rules such as capacity and alcohol - the shows have truly envi- able admission numbers. "This semester we sold out on our last two shows - we actu- ally had to turn people away," said Shalom. After attending just one EQMC show, it's easy to understand the purpose and success of them. People are packed wall to wall, watching a local band playing their first show, or a not-so-local band playing another stop on their tour. The Halfass has transformed: the kitchen area is blocked off, the tables and chairs stored away, and even the pool table is pushed to the back of the room. Amps, mics, foot pedals and other sound devic- es are plugged in where couches, tables and condiment containers used to be. The vinyl-decorated walls remain and glimmer; fluorescent lights have been replaced by small spotlights aimed at the small stage a couple feet off the ground. Will EQMC continue? Will future gener- ations of University students experience the rustic excitement of EQMC Halfass shows? Shalom is optimistic: "We have lots of new members - some enthusiastic hands to pass it down to." Even with an unfortunate robbery at their last show on Jan. 27, EQMC is still up and running and preparing for their show this Friday, Feb. 10 at 9:30 p.m. At this week's show, the headlining group is the Detroit-based, keyboard-driven experi- See EQMC, page 12B ...is your)b simply not c 0 Select our You've got the business savvy, but things aren't challenging. Well, come join the Business Staff at the Michigan Daily and become an Account Executive. You will sell advertising locally and nationally, manage your own account territory, create ad copy, and earn commission based pay. We're talking big time experience here. So, if you're the ambitious, creative and highly motivated type, then stop by and pick up an application. Deadline is Thursday, February 23rd. The Michigan Daily Student Publications Building 420 Maynard Street, 2"d Floor or call (734) 764-0662 for more info *:If the Teai to any BC get a ticke Ti0TEtR S R 4B - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, February 9, 2006 The Michigan D<