4A - Wednesday, April 13, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 4A - Wednesday, April 13, 2011 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@michigandaily.com SIMON BORST E-MAIL SIMON AT SIMKAL@UMICH.EDU STEPHANIE STEINBERG EDITOR IN CHIEF MICHELLE DEWITT and EMILY ORLEY EDITORIAL PAGE EDITORS Make TED ideas a reality KYLE SWANSON MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. FROM THE DAIY Drive technology forward Toyota's success shows need for green innovation With global climate change arguments still raging in poli- tics and the general public, environmentalism in the United States is in many ways far behind other nations. In the U.S., the question continues to be "does global climate change exist?" instead of "how can the process be slowed or undone?" Our nation lags behind progressive European countries, which have been placing strict energy mandates and lofty, impressive future goals. One fact that liberals and conservatives agree upon, primarily from a financial perspective, is that petroleum is not a viable energy source for the future. It's a limited natural resource that cannot forever fuel the nation's industrial, transportation and personal energy needs. T here are moments that remind me I want to pursue my own crazyideas, my own projects. These moments disarm the voices inside my head that say otherwise. It becomes clear what actions are impor- tant and what actions aren't. It becomes clear whose judg- ment I value and ERIK TORENBERG American and foreign automakers have begun to embrace alternative energy sources. Hybrid and electric vehicles continue to take larger market shares, threatening to eventu- ally overtake their conventional gas-powered counterparts. According to a company press release, Toyota sold its one-millionth Prius hybrid in the U.S. on April 5. Prius vehicles have accounted for almost 60 percent of pas- senger hybrid sales. This sales benchmark clearly demonstrates that hybrid cars and other alternatively powered vehicles have an established market in the U.S. The public's demand for hybrid vehicles like the Prius and its forthcoming variants is an indicator that environmental consciousness is catching on - or people are anxious about the rising cost of gasoline and looking for an alternative. As con- sumers continue to support the hybrid market, automakers can invest more in the research and development of more efficient, next-gener- ation technologies. Several times a year, automakers show off their latest designs and technologies in the form of concept cars at auto shows, including the successful North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Concept cars are gener- ally not intended for production - they draw publicity for a company. In recent years, it has become fashionable for automakers to out- fit concept cars with the latest - and usually unrealistic - hybrid, electric or fuel cell under- pinnings. These innovative technologies rarely become production vehicles. Automakers need to go beyond paying lip service to alternatively powered vehicles. They need to work on get- ting inexpensive and more readily available technologies on the road, and invest profits in research and development, instead of spend- ing money on concepts that are unrealistic to implement. As several failed projects demon- strate, this progressive attitude is risky. Auto- makers, however, must take this risk in order to stay on the path toward a sustainable future. The European Union is moving to ban gas- oline-powered vehicles by 2050. While the political climate in America may not be con- ducive to a similar policy, consumer demand can put automakers on that path. As Prius and other fuel-efficient vehicle sales demonstrate, a growing demographic of the population is ready to embrace environmentally friendly technology. Hybrid and electric cars, such as the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf, cannot remain as mere novelties. The public must fully embrace more efficient transportation options. Consumer habits will reward companies that are environmentally conscious and produce innovative, green products that are affordable for the average American family. whose judgment I don't. I can sepa- rate what I really want from what others want for me or what I think others expect from me. Whether I act on this clarity depends on how frequent these moments occur and how strongly I hold on to them. Human rights lawyer Jared Ger- sner reminded me what real cour- age is. So did blogger Donia Jarrar. Author Chis van Allsberg reminded me that I want to create something. So did the three students who wrote a musical. TEDx was a whole day dedicated to these precious, elusive moments. For those who don't know, TEDx- UofM inspired more than 1,700 people on Friday. I spent more than 12 hours listening and talking to incredibly impressive individuals, all of whom encouraged audience mem- bers to pursue our own projects. I brought my notebook and furiously scribbled ideas down. Reading lists were written. Dreams were etched. What was so great about TEDx was that it reminded me to stand out when other influences pressure me to fit in. There's a precedent for advocating against the herd men- tality. Philosopher John Stuart Mill encouraged society to value eccen- tricity because he believed there isn't only one truth. There are multiple truths, and the more we experiment in lifestyle, the more we can learn from each other. TEDx reminded us - through examples of success - that we, too, can and should pursue our crazy ideas, even if the only ben- efit, as van Allsberg said in his talk, is to say that we did. A completely student run event is a crazy idea. Their phenomenal per- formances show what can happen when you put talented students from diverse backgrounds together for a common goal. There are more peo- ple who would like to make amaz- ing things happen. Some were in the audience, some weren't. At the reception following the lectures, I realized I wasn't the only one who was inspired. Some friends and I talked about exciting things we could do within our organiza- tions and on our own. We kept build- ing off each other's ideas, offering enthusiastic support and feedback. The energy was palpable. But what will happen next week when exams and papers consume our minds? What will happen when people tell us to be practical, and playit safe? Will this rekindledbelief in our abilities to make something great happen fade? My friends and I spoke about this with some of the speakers and organizers of the event for more than an hour. How can we maintain this community of students, profes- sors and alumni who want to make a big difference? Should it be orga- nized formallyor should it continue organically? How will we look back at TEDx in a few months? Will we see it as a genuine, perhaps revolu- tionary, call to action? Or merely a one-day performance? TED is an institution that brought all these people together so organic thinking and innovation can be illuminated. It didn't force creativ- ity; it incentivized it. In his call to action, Thomas Zurbuchen, noticed the power of incentives. He asked, "What idea will you pursue, right now, that will lead you to speak at next year's conference?" Event should inspire students to take action. other nudges can help. TEDx acknowledged this by forcing appli- cants to write down their crazy ideas. This allowed them to select the type of people they wanted and encouraged students to have at least one ambitious project in their head. My friends and I spoke to the head of TEDx San Diego who told us that the audience organized follow-up meetings so people could present the projects they started after the conference. People may be more motivated to pursue something when they know they will present it to their peers, or they know other people will work on something too. These opportunities can, but don't have to be, organized through the TED name. other organizations can also create spaces that offer these moments and incentives. The TEDxUofM team set up nothing short of a spectacular show. It gave us the moments. It's now our turn totake advantage of them. -Erik Torenberg can be reached at erikto@umich.edu. 0 EDITORIAL BOARD MEMBERS: Aida Ali Will Butler, Ellie Chessen, Michelle DeWitt, Ashley Griesshammer, Melanie Kruvelis, Patrick Maillet, Erika Mayer, Harsha Nahata, Emily Orley, Harsha Panduranga, Teddy Papes, Timothy Rabb, Asa Smith, Seth Soderborg, Andrew Weiner ASHLEY GRIESSHAMMER I Use your summer wisely - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor. Letters should be fewer than 300 words and must include the writer's full name and University affiliation. We do not print anonymous letters. Send letters to tothedaily@michigandaily.com ANDREW WEINER | Shaping our automotive future Every summer, students at universities across the nation search for the perfect sum- mer internship. They use it as a way to break into their desired industry and gain career experience. A summer internship can add a lot of value to a student's resume, which helps when applying for jobs their senior year. But many students aren't lucky enough to snag an internship in Chicago or New York, and they're left wondering what to do with their summer. So, how important is an internship? The point of an internship is to gain expe- rience in your desired field of work, but there are other ways to do that aside from a summer internship. There are many community ser- vice jobs or programs held during the sum- mer that can add value to your resume. When employers look at a resume, they want to see that a potential employee used their downtime in the summer in an effective manner. Wheth- er that includes a summer internship, a mis- sion trip or another creative way to improve your skills, that's what employers are looking for. If you can talk about it in an interview and make yourself stand out from the rest of the crowd, then you've spent your time wisely. But ifyour heart is set on interning at the top fashion magazine or the biggest investment bank on Wall Street, that's a very real possibil- ity. There are a lucky few every year who land paid internships at these companies and are able to turn them into full-time job offers. But these companies are increasingly using stu- dents' desire to work for them as a way to gain free labor. Many more internships are becom- ing unpaid, yet students are still willing to take them, even if it means going into debt to pay for housing and food while interning. Is this fair to the students who just want to better themselves and learn more? Not neces- sarily. We have a minimum wage in this coun- try for a reason, but large corporations have found a way around that. College interns are being used as free labor. An April 2 article in The New York Times states that 75 percent of students enrolled in four-year colleges or uni- versities in the U.S. willwork as interns at least once before graduating. And of that 75 percent, between 33 and 50 percent will go unpaid. It's clear that many students are willing to work for free, but this also means they lose some governmental protection from laws that prohibit racial discrimination and sexual harassment. So, are unpaid internships worth it? Many students don't even have the option to work in an internship for free. They wouldn't be able to afford the expenses they would incur over the summer. But many others can afford to freely spend money while gaining valuable work experience. These students are lucky. They have the flexibility to take an unpaid job and not worry about their personal finances. But not everyone is in that situation. It's unrealistic for me to ask every corpo- ration to change its unpaid internships to paid positions. However, companies need to realize the work students are doing is valu- able, and they're doing it in an effort to better themselves. To students, it's always valuable to gain real-world experience, but it shouldn't be at the price of putting yourself in debt. Students should look at their own situation to decide if they can take on an unpaid internship. But they should also realize there are other expe- riences out there that are just as valuable on a resume, and they should explore alternative options. Ashley Griesshammer is a senior editorial page editor. Several weeks ago, my jaw dropped. It wasn't because University President Mary Sue Coleman finally returned my calls - she still hasn't. It wasn't because I walked into my dorm room to find its dankness hadsubsided - it still smells like sweat, feet and sweaty feet (girls are into that, right?). And it wasn't because I inexplicably lost control of my jaw muscles - that was yesterday. No, it was because of a post on an automotive blog. Mid-March, Autoblog posted pictures of a BMW M3 pickup lapping the Ntrburgring, the infamous German track. For auto industry junkies, this was nothing less than epic. It's not every day that you see a 414-horsepow- er mini-pickup. General Motors nearly got there with the Pontiac G8 ST and an inevitable high-powered GXP variant. Unfortunately for the six Americans who would have purchased such an awesome - and awesomely pointless - toy, Pontiac couldn't make the case for the niche model in the face of bankruptcy and restructuring. In my nerdy excited state, I didn't see the M3 pickup for what it was: a weirdly early and expensive April Fools prank pulled by the apparently jolly Bavarians at BMW. At first I was embarrassed I fell for it, but then I ratio- nalized my gullibility and decided to write a viewpoint about it. The automotive landscape is changing, even apart from alternative power sources and fuels. Automakers are increasingly taking design risks and exploring new shapes that defy categorization. So even though it dif- fered greatly from anything BMW has produced, an M3 pickup - or any new model for that matter - isn't off the table, just like Ross and Rachel hooking up in that one episode in which they realize it's never off the table. BMW and Audi, especially, have had a recent pen- chant for filling every niche possible, so much so that they're running out of nomenclature. Along with sedans and crossovers in every market segment, BMW attempt- ed to create a new segment with the 5 Series Gran Tur- ismo, an innovative sedan/crossover hybrid. Though it's uglier, more expensive and less spacious than a 5 Series station wagon, it demonstrates BMW's awareness that consumers have diverse needs and aren't tied to stan- dards. It appears to be working. While BMW works on smaller variations of the Gran Turismo, other German automakers are readying their rivals. BMW also recently announced a new environmental- ly friendly sub-brand, i. The company is already receiv- ing criticism for it's decidedly "un-BMW" designs. A break from the norm, however, is exactly what BMW needs to adapt to an increasingly changing consumer base. It's exploring, and even if it fails, isn't an effort to innovate better than standingstill? A surprising leader in the unconventional auto trend is Nissan, which appears to be taking cues from Renault, its radical French partner. This is most apparent in the Murano CrossCabriolet, which recently went on sale. Nissan took its Murano CUV, got rid of two doors and chopped off the roof. The result: the first-ever produc- tion convertible crossover. The CrossCabriolet is too heavy, underpowered and expensive and certainly can't be described as beautiful - but it's nonetheless awesome. These Nissans and BMWs are not models that are intended to fly out of dealerships at record pace. They are successful attempts to humanize automakers. They demonstrate that there is still a sense of whim in the auto industry - after all, cars are supposed to be fun. BMW made the M3 pickup to prove it had a sense of humor. In the 80s and 90s, automotive designs became boring. With new machinery to produce and revenue to invest, automakers are starting to manufacture cars that excite people and change their perception of what a car is. So far, it's mostly foreign automakers challenging conven- tions - Honda, Kia and even Ferrari come to mind. The Big Three, especially Chrysler, must begin to take more design risks: Most importantly, this newfound exploratory attitude is a signthat automakers aren't settling to build machines that take us from point A to point B. They are reasserting that cars are sculptures that we live our lives in, and art is never finished. They're keeping me glued to my com- puter, anxiously watching to see what's coming next. Andrew Weiner is an assistant editorial page editor. 0 0