154 years of sleepless nights...
Lee Iacocca— Where have all the leaders gone? Review
By Dave Clark
Guest Writer
[email protected]
Reading Where Have All the Leaders
Gone? provided more than enough
inspiration to write a great review.
However, the message from the book
started to come through in my composition and this article ended up
becoming a summary. As my high
school football coach used to say,
Lee has succeeded in “lighting a fire
under your butt”—of course, my
team usually heard the more explicit
version. I invite you to skim over a
few of the topics from this book that
really have me going, with a few of
my personal thoughts sprinkled in. I
hope this enthusiasm will at least
open discussion on the important
topics and beyond that, energize
you to take action. But first, Lee
Iacocca‟s background…
Who is Lee Iacocca?
First of all, he has a lecture hall
named after him in the G.G. Brown
Building on North Campus. That
alone should earn your respect. In
If you‟re looking for the perfect lowcost holiday gift, we have the Top
Ten list for you!
Top Ten, page 2
the all-nighter
case that isn‟t enough, he was involved with the design and launch of
the original Ford Mustang. Following
this, he was promoted to Vice President of The Ford Motor Company.
After leaving Ford in 1978, he became the CEO of Chrysler. While
reviving the Chrysler brand in the
1980s, Lee was a driving force behind the concept of the minivan,
which has since turned into an extremely profitable venture. Also,
Iacocca was responsible for Chrysler‟s purchase of the American Motors Corporation and their Jeep division, another very profitable endeavor.
the Biggest C is Crises. When was
the last time there was a major nationwide crisis? I don‟t want to play
down the tragedy of 9/11, but the
national leadership displayed didn‟t
even begin to compare with leadership brought forth by World War II
or the Great Depression. Perhaps
we are all just too satisfied with
what we have. It isn‟t our fault; after
all, we‟re used to living this way.
Why change if you don‟t have to?
This mentality leads to a lack of innovation and a tendency to rest on
past successes. “Whether you’re talking about the fall of Goliath, the fall
of Rome, or the fall of IBM, there are
just too many stories of the ambitious
Throughout the book, Lee sustains a little guy overcoming the fat, sluggish
high level of interest with stories of big guy.” Let‟s work on trimming
smoking cigars with Fidel Castro in ourselves down.
Cuba, being telephoned by President Clinton at 2AM while on vaca- Taxes and the Deficit.
tion in Italy, and his well-stated opin- “Our national debt is a record $8.5
ions on many of today‟s hot topics.
trillion. The interest on that alone is
$406 billion.” Why are we borrowAmerica is Too Content with Success.
ing so much? It is like living off of a
“Leaders are made, not born.” When credit card and expecting the next
Lee details his 9 C‟s of Leadership,
Continued on page 5
Ever wondered
who‟s the brilliant
mind behind
the all-nighter?
Turn to page 3 to
bid her adieu!
volume 5 issue 7
Interested in ALL of the winter holidays? Check out the Winter Traditions Festival pictures on page 4!
november 28, 2007
Top Ten Holiday Gifts for Parents on a College Budget
By Shannon Power
Staff Writer
[email protected]
1. Michigan “Mom” and “Dad” shirts or sweatshirts. You will find hard-to-beat
prices for Michigan attire at Steve and Barry‟s. Approximately $10 each.
2. A framed picture of you! (And siblings.) Just to remind them how much they
miss you while you‟re away. Approximately $9 for the frame, less than a dollar
to print the picture.
3. Gift certificate to the movies! Approximately $20.
4. Michigan ornament for the tree! Approximately
$7.
5. Coffee Mugs! Who doesn‟t love those? Approximately $4.
6. Michigan golf balls for the Father! Approximately $15.
7. One of those nifty coffee cup heaters. Approximately $13.
8. For mom: a little stocking stuffed with hand lotion and/or candies!
Approximately $15.
9. A memorable Michigan blanket to remind them where
their money is going. Approximately $20.
10. If you are REALLY short on some cash you might dare to make a Coupon book for house chores over break. (But only if you‟re short on cash. Seriously.)
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
ENGINEERING COUNCIL
the all-nighter staff
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Editor-in-Chief
News Editor
Copy Editor
Sports Editor
Entertainment Editor
Contributing Editor
Staff Writers
page 2
Courtenay Holscher
Dara Fisher
Michael Friedman
Dan Krinsky
Eric Congdon
Jordan Raetz
Aristo Chang
Rob Karamon
Andrew Martin
Shivang Naik
Shannon Power
Suraj Raheja
Randy Tin
Jacqueline Vitta
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www.umeconline.com
If you have any questions or comments regarding the all-nighter, please contact Courtenay Holscher at [email protected].
Express yourself before
you wreck yourself!
Submit articles to
the all-nighter
[email protected]
by Thursday, December 6 for publication on
Wednesday, December 12.
the all-nighter
Editor Focus
Courtenay Holscher
Yo CoE,
This will be the last time I say those words as
Editor-in-Chief of the all-nighter. I think it‟s
time; I‟ve been writing you awkward e-mails
for a year now. But what a year it‟s been…
I‟ll never forget that article I published about
that event hosted by that club, you know
which one, right? Don‟t get me started on
those Sudokus either! Oh, CoE, we‟ve just
had so many good times together.
There were the failures too. That article
about that guy who did the thing didn‟t go
over as well as I‟d hoped. Still, let‟s just remember the happy moments we had.
What will I do now? I‟m not leaving you for
someone else, CoE. I‟d never do that. I‟ll
never get over you either. Honestly, I don‟t
know what I‟ll do, but I have a feeling, deep
down inside near my spleen, that it‟ll be
alright in the end. My spleen knows, CoE,
that you have a lot of great things in your
future.
So when you see me on the street, CoE, don‟t
look away. Just smile, and remember that
once, we had some fun together. You‟ll love
the new Staff just like I love the new Staff.
It‟s just time, CoE. It‟s time for all of us to
grow up and move on.
But if you ever need me, just call.
Love,
Courtenay Holscher
Editor-in-Chief, Winter and Fall „07
News Editor, Fall „06
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the all-nighter
page 3
University of Michigan Winter Traditions Festival
Photos by Courtenay Holscher, Text by Dara Fisher
(1)
(2)
On Monday, November 26, 2007, EGL, Ingenieros, and SHPE
co-sponsored a Winter Traditions Festival held in the lobby of
the Chrysler Auditorium. The purpose of this event was to explore all of the different traditions observed by University of
Michigan students—the celebrations of Ramadan, Kwanzaa,
Hanukkah, Diwali, Christmas, and the Lunar New Year were
all represented at the festival. Students could mingle in between exhibits and food stations set up by the participating
groups.
Photos, counterclockwise from top: (1) Students sample multicultural food in the Chrysler lobby. (2) Sakib Elahi, the founder of The All-Nighter, making an appearance at the event.
(3) A display about different Santa Claus traditions throughout the globe. (4) A member of SHPE distributes food to hungry guests. (5) Attendees sample different world cuisines.
(3)
(4)
page 4
(5)
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Lee Iacocca Review
Continued from page 1
generation to pick up the tab. On
top of this, politicians are borrowing
money for pet-projects designed
primarily to gain votes. Lee‟s reply
to the last set of tax cuts, which primarily benefitted the rich: “Thanks,
but I don’t need it.” I‟m ready to
vote for a candidate who has the
guts to stand up and bluntly tell us
what is wrong with America and how
we can fix it, even if that means giving up some of my hard-earned
cash.
The Energy Policy.
What Energy Policy? OPEC has way
too much control over the price of oil.
Why don‟t we invest in alternative
energy so we can leverage some of
that control away from them? Better
yet, let‟s elect a leader who will
make this a priority, rather than put
an ex-Halliburton CEO in charge of
our energy initiative. While we‟re
giving so much money to the oil cartel, why don‟t we raise taxes on gas
and put some of that money into
alternative energy research? Sure,
we‟ll all have to give something up,
but it is in our best interests. Down
the road when we don‟t need oil to
survive, we’ll become the benefactors. While President, Ronald Regan
ignored Lee‟s proposal to raise the
gas tax. The reply, “… my pollster
tells me I’d commit political suicide if I
raised the gas tax.” Let‟s change
that, I‟ll support the candidate who
promises to raise the gas tax.
The Big Three, Fair Trade, and the
Government.
Ok, so the Big Three aren‟t really the
big three anymore. You can surely
attribute their downfall to some poor
decision-making, but don‟t count out
the other factors. Did you know that
the Japanese government manipulates the value of the Yen to give
their corporations an advantage?
Did you know that the U.S. government allows this to happen by not
demanding fair trade policies be
introduced in other countries? Why
are we allowing other countries to
have better access to our own markets? This trade imbalance isn‟t only
hurting a specific industry, but it is
taking money out of the struggling
U.S. economy. We should be rewarding the companies that give so
much back to the country through
healthcare. Chrysler pays a premium of $1,400 per vehicle to cover
legacy costs; Toyota pays $250.
Why are we letting this money go
overseas instead of back into our
own infrastructure?
No Child Left Behind.
“That’s the problem with No Child Left
Behind. It promotes desperation.” As
noted in Leaders, NCLB has led to
widespread test rigging so schools
could meet the stringent demands.
When schools fall below a certain
threshold, the two options available
are to be taken over to by the state
or to contract management to an
outside firm. Even as these thresholds are approached, climbing back
up the mountain becomes nearly
impossible due to financial penalties.
Even the most conservative estimates
from several states (including Michigan) show that by 2014, less than
5% of schools will meet the academic goals set forth. With Michigan‟s current economic status, it is
likely that privatized businesses will
be in charge. Do you really want a
company to turn a profit through
cutting costs on our future?
Personally, I‟ve never known fear
and desperation to be a positive
motivator. Don‟t you work better
when you‟re interested in the idea
and have the support to follow
through? From my vantage point,
NCLB is not aimed at creating cultivating environments where educators
can enjoy and excel in teaching. I
see NCLB as very discouraging, and
don‟t understand how it will create a
more effective teacher base. Why
don‟t we spend this money in a positive way, rather than throw it down
the toilet on ineffective testing?
Which candidate will stand up
against this? No one wants to be
seen as “weak on educational reform.”
My Conclusions.
As eloquently stated by Lee,
“America doesn’t build walls. It tears
them down.” So why is America only
staring at the walls that stand in our
way? Let‟s do what is best for our
country, not ourselves. Look toward
the future; don‟t act on what looks
like a good decision at the moment.
Lastly, don‟t wait around for good
things, go out and make them happen!
In conclusion, I‟d like to leave you
with one more quote from the book,
“The point is very simple. There’s no
free lunch. For everything you get,
you have to give something back.”
Editor‟s Note: This article was previously published in the Tau Beta Pi
newsletter. Thanks TBP!
Just a reminder…
Elections for the University of Michigan Engineering Council
will take place this Thursday and Friday, November 29-30!
Go to vote.www.umich.edu to participate in democracy!
the all-nighter
page 5
Is It Really Snowing Already?
Photos by Courtenay Holscher
Guess Who…?
By Andrew Martin
Staff Writer
[email protected]
Okay…I know there wasn‟t a Guess
Who article in the last issue. I apologize to all you die hard the allnighter enthusiasts out there. So to
make up for that little mishap, and
since I‟m feeling rather generous, I
will give 13 hints this time. Sound
good?
The rules are the same: there will be
random facts pertaining to an
anonymous instructor and it‟s your
job to figure out who it is. I believe
many of you have had this professor
in your intro to engineering course so
this shouldn‟t be too bad.
Remember to send your guesses to
[email protected]. Good luck!
page 6
Ready? Set?….Go!
1.) Born in Peru
2.) Enjoys ballroom and Latin dancing
3.) Does online crossword puzzles as
a hobby
4.) Was an officer in UMEC as an
undergraduate
5.) Is an amateur photographer
6.) Is double-jointed
7.) Has hiked on a glacier
8.) Met hero Justice Sandra Day
O'Connor when she was a graduation speaker
9.) Watches chick-flicks on a laptop
while working out on the elliptical
machine
10.) Went to Pioneer High School
11.) Listens primarily to country music
12.) Lived in Nicaragua
13.) Is a big fan of the Michigan
Marching Band
OUR PREVIOUS PROFESSOR...he
was none other than your very own
Professor Kenneth Alfano of the Materials Science Engineering department.
the all-nighter
Entertainment
Thoughts on the Writers’ Strike
By Michael Friedman
Copy Editor
[email protected]
By now you have probably heard
that the Writers Guild of America
(WGA) is on strike. The WGA is
made up of writers who make scripts
for movies and TV series as well as
writing jokes for talk shows and late
night comedy. They are demanding
an increase in residuals from DVD
sales and compensation from Internet
media such as streaming video and
sales on iTunes. It‟s a basic disagreement over how to share profits.
Unfortunately, the producers‟ alliance has refused to meet their demands, and there are problems with
the WGA‟s tactics used to resolve
this strike. The writers knew of the
strike well before it happened, but
they wrote many extra scripts in advance, giving the producers more
time to prolong the strike without
running out of scripts. Also, the diverse backgrounds of the writers
make it difficult for the WGA to be
unified in its efforts. The WGA
should have used the media to better
explain their side and gain more
support like the producers have.
of a third of a percent of DVD sales.
That‟s only a 5-cent increase in pay
for a typical $15 DVD. And profits
from Internet media will depend
heavily on the success of the show
which is due in large part to the
quality of writing. Writers are the
backbone of every scripted TV show.
Without them, we will be forced to
endure an extra serving of reality
shows such as Beauty & the Geek,
American Gladiators, The Bachelor,
My Dad's Better Than Your Dad and
Farmer Needs a Wife. Seriously, My
Dad's Better Than Your Dad is a show,
and it will be airing in place of a
scripted show that runs out of fresh
episodes. You can help put an end
The increase in compensation the to the strike. Go to the support the
writers are asking for is not unrea- writers‟ MySpace page or sign the
sonable. They only want an increase online petition.
You-Tube Clip of the Week
By Eric Congdon
Entertainment Editor
[email protected]
SUDOKU
Daft Hands!
Watch this Hands-On rendition of Daft Funk‟s
“Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2cYWfq--Nw
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page 7
Sports
Going Bowling
By Dan Krinsky
Sports Editor
[email protected]
Ever since the first two losses of the season against Appalachian State and Oregon, it has been long speculated which bowl the Michigan Wolverines would play in,
if any. Now that the season has unfolded, the picture is
much clearer, but still not 20/20. A lot is still up in the
air, especially in terms of the BCS National Championship. Missouri and West Virginia are sitting pretty atop
the BCS standings right now. However, Missouri has a
tough task ahead of them in the Big 12 championship
game against Oklahoma, a team they already lost to
early in the season. West Virginia has a cakewalk
against lowly Pittsburgh. So what does this mean for
Michigan? If either West Virginia (or more likely) Missouri loses, Ohio State will probably play in the National
Championship game. This would leave a hole in the Rose
Bowl, which would prefer a Big Ten vs. Pac-10 matchup.
However, it is unrealistic that the Rose Bowl would pick a
4 loss team in Michigan. So, this leaves the Capital One
Bowl, the Outback Bowl, the Alamo Bowl, and the
Champs Sports Bowl for the rest of the Big Ten, regardless of whether Ohio State is in the National Championship. Until the bowl bids are received, a lot of speculation will occur on which team should go where based on
which team has the better following (in terms of fans and
alumni), storyline, tradition, and many other factors that
will contribute to the Bowls‟ decisions. With no more
games left, all the Big Ten can do is sit back and watch it
all unfold, hoping for the best.
Editor‟s Note: Sure, I would like to see Michigan in the
Rose Bowl again, but let‟s get real. My Prediction: Michigan will play in the Outback Bowl, with Illinois in the
Capital One, Wisconsin in the Alamo, and Penn State in
the Champs Sports Bowl.
Let‟s hope Lloyd Carr (right)
gets one more big win for his
Michigan Wolverines.
page 8
Mike Hart and the Wolverines will hope to close out
their 2007 campaign and Lloyd Carr‟s career with a
bang.
Alaskan Bust
By Dan Krinsky
Sports Editor
[email protected]
After two impressive wins over Radford and Brown to
start the season, the old Michigan Men's Basketball
Team resurfaced after getting whooped by Butler and
embarrassed by Western Kentucky in the Great Alaskan
Shootout over Thanksgiving.
This came
after #5 Georgetown
completely dominated
the Wolverines in
Washington, D.C. The
team is young and
still learning from new
coach John Beilein, so
there is hope. The
team is starting two
freshman, two sophomores and one senior: the team will only get better. This
week, the Wolverines host Boston College in the annual
Big Ten/ACC Challenge on ESPN. With more experience, Michigan should have a good shot against the Eagles. Tickets are free, so come out and support the team!
the all-nighter