Hillsdale’s marketing department has taken a whole new angle on recording campus events this year by purchasing an aerial drone with video capabilities.
If you have attended any school-run events in the last few weeks, you have probably noticed a small metal aircraft making its way above the crowds. This contraption, called a quadcopter and nicknamed “Curious George” by its operator, is a little over a foot wide, holds a small camera, and is kept airborne by four propellers.
This new acquisition comes as a part of a larger attempt by the school to expand and develop marketing.
“In the marketing department in general, we’ve been adding more staff, adding more capability,” Bill Gray, director of marketing and external affairs, said. “The quadcopter is just one piece of equipment that we’ve purchased in the last six months so that Sam has the tools he needs to do his job.”
Sam Brown `13, the department’s new video content editor, is responsible for flying the quadcopter. He says that the point of purchasing the device was to have access to inexpensive aerial video. Sam operates the drone from the ground with a remote featuring some controls, a GPS-assist feature to help stabilize the machine in flight, and a small screen which shows live footage from the camera. Using this controller, he is able to navigate the camera in all directions and at different altitudes, as long as it stays below 400 feet. At that height the FAA begins regulating unmanned aircraft.
There was plenty of talk about the drone at the beginning-of-the-year events where it was first seen. Some students disliked being watched by the camera in the sky, especially after seeing footage of themselves they were not aware had been taken.
“Personally, I find the constant usage of the drone somewhat unsettling,” freshman Maria Theisen said. “If I were aware of it beforehand, I may be less wary of it during events.”
“Last week, I was outside of Mac helping the freshman girls movie in,” sophomore Amelia Stieren said, “and I thought it was really creepy because it was just flying over watching us all.”
Some, however, were more positive.
“I think that the drones are a great effort by the college to embrace a new technology,” freshman Noah Weinrich said. “From what I’ve seen of the videos, it certainly seems to be a worthwhile investment.”
“I was worried about the drones because I crashed the freshman dessert thing and was like, ‘Oh no! The drones are looking for upperclassmen who aren’t supposed to be here!’” Junior Devin Creed said. “And then I saw that Sam Brown was flying it, and I realized that he was just taking videos of my beautiful face.”
However students might feel about the quadcopter, they will almost certainly be seeing more of it in the future. Brown said, among other things, the department plans to use the camera at sporting events this year. They will be able to record sports such as volleyball, track, and cross country, and possibly provide live video during football and basketball games.
Aerial video capability provides the marketing department with many new possibilities. Some of the footage taken by the quadcopter has already been made available on Hillsdale’s YouTube page. Students will have to wait and see what uses marketing will find for its new technology in the future.
