MidMichigan college students get an up-close look at the Toyota senate hearings in Washington D.C.
It was part of a economics of public policy course at Northwood University and an experience the students will take with them into their future.
While Toyota executives were testifying in front of a senate panel, Northwood University students out of Midland were watching in person.
Senior Andrew Parr says, "I think they realized they made a mistake, however they're trying to get it right."
They met privately with the North American CEO of Toyota as well as Congressman Ron Paul.
They also witnessed the stagecraft of senators grilling Toyota executives.
Adam Matzke, a Northwood sophomore says, "They have I'm sure constituents that have written them letters that said 'Toyota did this, did that, I know someone that died.' So they're giving that 20-second soundbite of them being hard on the Toyota executives. I think the Toyota executives didn't respond as quickly as they should have to the criticisms, or as truthfully perhaps as the should have. Overall, I think it's becoming more of a deal than it should have been."
The students focused on constitutional issues regarding the automotive industry and the current regulation of it.
Northwood officials say, they're using this experience to encourage others to really study the issues of the day.
Dr. Tim Nash from Northwood says, "I would simply encourage people to become more active in their local, their state, and national government because that's the only way we're going to solve a lot of these issues we're dealing with now and into the future."
Northwood President Dr. Keith Pretty says "It's great to have all the theory. It's great to have all the concepts, and understands what the processes may be, but to actually see it in motion and to think of the ramifications is what we challenge our students to do."
The students also examined how the global economy is changing the automotive industry.
They discovered how sales are shrinking in the U.S. and growing overseas.
A J.D. Power and Associates study shows vehicle sales in China have gone up 600% in the last ten years, 48% in 2009 alone.
However, U.S. vehicle sales are down 7-million units since 2000.
