The Michigan Daily -- michigandaily.com
Wednesday, September 24, 2014 -.5A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, September 24, 2014 -
Redefining flattery
ELLA ATKINS I
Quadrotor ban raises serious questions
he University of Michigan is an
undoubtedly unique school. According
to 2014 rankings from U.S. News, the
University is number 29 on
a list of the nation's best
colleges. Recently, it's been
ranked as the 15th-best
party school in the country
(one above Michigan State
University; go blue!). Not
only do we maintain strong
academics, we also dish out
a notable party scene. RENNIE
A few weeks ago, I was PASQUINELLI
immersed in my first Wel-
come Week. It primarily
consisted of aimlessly wandering around sorority
row in attempts to find parties that didn't have-
a line circling the respective fraternity house.
True to its title as the 15th best party school, par-
ties weren't hard to find. I, along with my three
female friends and one male friend, got into each
party we waited in line for, based largely off of
the fact that there were more girls in our group
than guys. "Where are your bitches?" I heard
one member of a fraternity ask a group of guys
that were waiting in line without their expected
female counterparts. Aside from this approach
being particularly misogynistic, it makes these
parties predominantly female-populated with
dispersed groups ofguys who were lucky enough
to have made the cut.
The sense of entitlement of the boys that I
encountered was absolutely astounding; a boy asked
me to dance and subsequent to my rejection of the
request, he forcibly grabbed my waist when a new
song came on and said, "I waited my turn." This
behavior is certainly not reflective of all males at the
University, but there does seem to be a large amount
of these types of guys at large parties. The seeming-
ly permitted behavior partly stems from the alcohol,
I would imagine. Another factor is the general sex-
ism and misogyny that surrounds every female in
all environments, not just festivities.
Most girls have heard something along the
lines of "you should be flattered that men think
of you in that way," implying that unsolicited
sexual advances are something to be wanted
and prideful of. This being said, every time a guy
grabs a girl's waist and pushes it into his crotch
isn't always a reflection of sexual desire, but per-
haps just a desire for a dance partner. But, why
does that make it any better? Frat culture, and
American culture in general, has taught the het-
erosexual male population that if they're dance
partner-less, grabbing whoever is closest is pretty
much acceptable.
Because ofithat, it's difficult for girls at parties
to determine why they were the chosen objects
of a particular male's desire. I sat down with an
anonymous group of three females who regularly
attend parties thrown by fraternities and asked
them basic questions about their treatment at an
average party. When I asked them how they felt
about an unknown man grabbing their waist as a
way to initiate dancing without consent, they all
said that they feel flattered in that kind of situa-
tion, but preferred the dance partner to ask first.
When I asked them the second question, however,
the responses were much different.
"Do you think it's flattering when aboy doesn't
see your face or what you look like, but still danc-
es with you without consent?"
"Not at all flattering! I am not an object. That's
disrespectful and rude."
"No. It's rude. Like I'm a person not a freaking
pole you can grind all up on."
"No, then I feel like I'm just being used so he
can feel good..."
This logic, unintentionally of course, is exem-
plary of ideas that uphold frat culture. We live in
a society where girls believe that it's flattering if
a boy welcomes them because of their looks (who
doesn't want to feel pretty?), but when the lust
stems from general sexual desire, the flattery
often disappears. The latter half of this belief is a
perfectly rational and progressive belief to have,
in my opinion. But the former part is question-
able. Why should girls be flattered by actions that
are rooted ina place of disrespect and misogyny?
The answer: they shouldn't be. A girl shouldn't
be flattered when a man forcibly initiates a form
of dancing that resembles having sex with clothes
on. Even if the man doesn't have any intention of
further sexual contact, the nature of this action is
inherently chauvinistic, and sustains structural
power relations between males and females.
So, for any girl out there reading this: the next
time a guy doesn't ask to dance with you, dances
with you and essentially has intercourse with you
while being clothed, be mindful that your body is
yours, you have the right to say no, and what he is
doing isn't flattering.
Rennie Pasquinelli can be reached
at renpasq@umich.edu.
A Federal Aviation Administration ruling recent-
ly halted a historic event and violated a U.S. Supreme
Court ruling in doing so. The University's aerospace
engineering department, the first such department
in the United States, celebrated its centennial anni-
versary this past week. More than 200 alumni and
distinguished members of the aerospace community
attended the three-day event consisting of tours,
presentations, panel discussions and celebratory
dinners. As is tradition at, Michigan, the celebra-
tion ended with a football game at the Big House. To
commemorate the centennial, a number of vintage
airplaneswere approved to fly over the stadium, and
a small quadrotor would carry the game ball down
the field as part of a pregame ceremony organized
by a model aircraft hobbyistand a local startup com-
pany. This quadrotor flightwas initially approvedby
the University.
I am director of the University's Autonomous
Aerospace Systems Lab, where Iconduct research in
autonomy, aviation safety and novel unmanned air-
craft. I also advise the Michigan Autonomous Aer-
ial Vehicles student team. This past week, visitors
toured my lab, and we engaged in lively discussions
mostly centered on the future ratherthan the past of
aerospace. The game would include elements of past
and future - really cool airplanes from our history
and a "drone" that just happened to also be able to
safely carry a football downthe field. Unfortunately,
what Ihad hoped would be an awesomely fun event
turned into a nightmare for me courtesy of the FAA.
University of Michigan cancels quadrotor flight
due to FAA lawsuit threats:
Centennial organizers worked closely with the
FAA to gain approval for a variety of historic air-
craft to fly over the stadium before and during the
game. These airplanes would fly low enough to be
clearly visible to the crowd but certainly not so low
that they might risk impacting the stadium struc-
ture. A TFR, or temporary flight restriction, was
issued as is conventional for major stadium events;
the TFR prevents other aircraft from flying over or
near the stadium. An avid hobbyist, Peter Baumeler
from Traverse City, Michigan, asked the University
to be part of the event by operating the quadrotor
carrying the game ball down the field. He engaged
local Ann Arbor startup SkySpecs, whose employees
are primarily University alumni and former MAAV
team members who had dreamed as undergradu-
ates of somehow connecting their quadrotor to the
famed football venue. Peter, SkySpecs and the Uni-
versity worked arduously to ensure the flight would
be safe in the presence of so many spectators. The
team rehearsed, analyzed the impact of spectator
cell phones on communication links and carefully
addressed each problem.
In the ideal case, the football would success-
fully be flown across the field. In the worst case,
the flight would be terminated over an empty field,
falling ingloriously but safely to the ground. There
would have been no danger to aircraft flying above
he stadium or to the crowd. The quadrotor in ques-
tion would have emerged from the tunnel and flown
a maximum of 23 feet above the stadium floor. This
maximum height was below the bleachers, lower
than most of the stadium structure and well below
overhead Skycams on wires. In fact, because the
Big House is built into a depression in the ground,
the quadrotor would have actually remained below
ground level throughout its flight. SkySpecs engi-
neers volunteered their time and equipment, hob-
byist Peter Baumeler trekked from Traverse City to
Ann Arbor several times to plan and practice, and
the aerospace department thought this would be a
great wayto celebrate our centennial atthe game.
The day before the game, the FAA threatened to
bring a lawsuit against the University if the flight
was conducted. Despite an offer to deliver the ball
with the quadrotor continuously tethered by strong
ropes to handlers on the ground, the FAA stood its
ground in banning the flight. There was no indica-
tion of which (if any) of the code from 14 CFR - in
the code of Federal Regulations - would have been
violated, and there was no response to the Univer-
sity's offer to fly with a tether.
The question of "Who owns the sky?"
The FAA's decision to threaten suit against the
University for a small football-carrying quadrotor
flown 23 feet above the Big House turf makes it clear
the FAA has firmly staked a claim to the air inside
the Big House. The University might secure approval
from the FAA for a future Big House quadrotor flight
through a Certification of Authorization, exemption
or waiver. However, none of these mechanisms will
improve safety of flight as the University is expected
to "self-certify" its aircraft in the end. Furthermore,
these steps don't resolve the larger question of who
owns the air or sky inside the Big House.
The Ann Arbor Municipal Airport is within a few
miles of the Big House. Except for times when TFRs
are issued due to stadium events, general aviation
aircraft are able to fly over the stadium. When Fin-
lay Beaton, Michigan Flyers chief flight instructor
and long-time certified flight instructor - instru-
ment (CFII) - was told about the FAA's ban of the
quadrotor flight, he offered the following: "I am
completely confused as to how a quadcopter deliv-
ering a football would impact safety at the U of M
game. Bottom line is there is no impact to safety."
Regardingunmanned aircraft flight more generally,
he indicated, "If they (UA) keep away from airports
and below safe altitudes for (manned) airplanes,
then I've got no problem with that."
In United States v. Causby .(1946), the U.S.
Supreme Court stated, "We have said that the air-
space is a public highway. Yet it is obvious that, if
the landowner is to have full enjoyment of the land,
he must have exclusive control of the immediate
reaches of the enveloping atmosphere ... The land-
owner owns at least as much of the space above the
ground as he can occupy or use in connection with
the land."
The University of Michigan owns the Big House
and the land surrounding it. Clearly the air inside
the stadium is used by the University to allow
the crowd and media cameras to view and enjoy
the game. We must support the FAA, NASA and
other government agencies engaged in developing
unmanned aircraft policy to appropriarely manage
the risks introduced by UA flight through navigable
airspace. We also must be vigilant to ensure this
policy respects the rights of landowners to exclu-
sively control their "immediate reaches" airspace.
Ella Atkins is an associate professor in
the aerospace engineering department.
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Hillary Clinton highlights
gender as 2016 approaches
Cadillac to ditch Detroit for
trendy NYC headquarters
Clinton involved
in fundraising for
female candidates
NEW YORK (AP) - Hillary
Rodham Clinton's 2008 presi-
dential campaign emphasized
her experience, competence and
preparation to become presi-
dent. Her 2016 pitch could be
simpler: She'd be the first female
president.
As Clinton considers a second
White House bid in 2016, she is
making a pronounced case for
female empowerment and the
role of women in the nation's
economy and politics. From the
stage of the annual Clinton Glob-
al Initiative to the campaign
trail, the former secretary of
state has emphasized breaking
barriers and the need for female
leadership - themes that could
resonate in a future campaign
in which women voters will be
critical.
"Don't let anyone dismiss
what you're doing today as
women's work," Clinton told a
women's leadership forum last
week at the Democratic National
Committee. "Don't let anyone
send you back to the sidelines."
Along with her husband,
former President Bill Clinton,
the former first lady spent the
week highlighting the role of
women leaders this week at
their family's annual confer-
ence. The ex-president spoke
to Chilean President Michelle
Bachelet about the challenges
female leaders face. Other panels
featured General Motors CEO
Mary Barra and IBM CEO Ginni
Rometty, the first female heads
at their respective companies.
Mrs. Clinton is raising money
for Democratic women run-
ning in the 2014 elections and is
expected to campaign for Demo-
crats in the coming weeks. In
Iowa, she praised Democratic
congressional candidate Staci
Appel, noting thatthe early pres-
idential state has never elected a
woman to Congress or governor.
During her DNC speech last
week, Clinton rattled off the
names of 10 Democratic women
whom she said gave her hope,
from candidates for governor
like Mary Burke of Wisconsin
and Wendy Davis of Texas to
Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisi-
ana, Kay Hagan of North Caro-
lina and Jeanne Shaheen of New
Hampshire.
The former New York sena-
tor's remarks frequently touch
on a number of policy issues
important to woman. Clinton
called for a "movement" to bring
equal pay, access to child care
and raising the minimum wage,
reminding her audience that
two-thirds of minimum wage
earners are women.
Anytime she is introduced,
speakers invariably mention
Clinton's 1995 United Nations
speech in Beijing, when she
declared that "human rights are
women's rights and women's
rights are human rights."
Her campaign message to
women wasn't always so explic-
it; her advisers were concerned
that being a woman could hurt
her with male voters.
When Clinton sought the
presidency in 2007 and 2008, her
team presented her as a strong
leader - in the mold of the late
British Prime Minister Marga-
ret Thatcher - with the tough-
ness and experience to lead the
nation. One of her most memo-
rable television ads involved a 3
a.m. phone call, which implied
her Democratic primary oppo-
nent, Barack Obama, wasn't
ready to respond to a crisis.
But when she ended her cam-
paign amid praise for her tenaci-
ty, Clintongave what might have
been a preview of her approach
to the gender question, noting
she hadn't shattered the White
House's glass ceiling, but had
left 18 million cracks in it - a
reference to the votes she won in
the primaries.
Six years later, one of her
main priorities at the Clinton
Foundation is a project.called,
"No Ceilings," aimed at empow-
ering women around the planet.
"There may be new attention
to these issues, especially as
we've plateaued in some impor-
tant indicators, but she proposed
universal (pre-kindergarten)
and national paid leave in '07
and '08 and those issues have
only gained in importance in
the last few years," said Neera
Tanden, a former Clinton policy
adviser who leads the Center for
American Progress.
In a nod to her past, Clinton's
speeches now often include
anecdotes emblematic of the
barriers many women have
faced in the work force.
General Motors'
division makes move
after 112 years
DETROIT (AP) - Cadillac
wants a jolt from the city that
never sleeps.
General Motors' 112-year-old
luxury car division, founded in
Detroit and named for the city's
founder, is moving its head-
quarters to New York.
Cadillac, which has been
steadily losing sales to its Ger-
man rivals, wants to get closer
to its ideal buyers. Executives
and marketing staffers will set
up shop in a loft office in Man-
hattan's trendy SoHo neighbor-
hood starting next year.
"There is no city in the world
where the inhabitants are more
immersed in a premium life-
style thaninNewYork," Johann
de Nysschen, the brand's new
president, said in a statement
issued Tuesday announcing
the move. "It allows our team
to share experiences with pre-
mium-brand consumers and
develop attitudes in common
with our audience."
Cadillac will become a sepa-
rate business unit, giving it
more freedom to chase global
growth. Most product engi-
neering and design will remain
in Detroit. Cadillacs will con-
tinue to be built at plants in
Michigan, Texas, Canada,
Mexico and China.
The company is still evaluat-
ing which employees go to New
York, but spokesman David
Caldwell said it's likely fewer
than 100 people will move in
the first phase next year.
Allen Adamson, manag-
ing director of branding firm
Landor Associates in New York,
said the advantage of New York
is its proximity to the luxury
market.
"You have to catch trends
closer to potential buyers,"
Adamson said. "There are more
hedge fund billionaires in NYC
than there are in Detroit. The
team will be closer to the lux-
ury market and luxury users."
Adamson said it's also less
important today for car brands
to be linked to manufactur-
ing centers like Detroit. Fiat
Chrysler's new global head-
quarters will be in London, for
example.
"Cars today are less about
the functionality of wheels and
transmission and-more about
total experience: music, com-
puter integration, the experi-
ence driving it. I don't think
the expertise is necessarily
tied to a particular geography,"
he said.
Right now, New York is
Cadillac's fourth-best U.S.
market, behind Texas, Flori-
da and Michigan. That could
change, although analysts say
most consumers won't know
where the brand is headquar-
tered. GM is also the maker of
Chevrolet, Buick and GMC.
Corporate moves are some-
thing of a specialty for de Nys-
schen, who became Cadillac's
chief in August. He was head
of Audi's U.S. division when it
moved its U.S. headquarters
from suburban Detroit to Vir-
ginia in 2007. In 2012, he took
over Nissan's luxury Infiniti
brand, which had just moved
its headquarters from Japan to
Hong Kong. Infiniti struggled
immediately after the move,
but new products helped its
sales jump 30 percent in the
first half of this year.
Cadillac sales are up 10
percent worldwide through
August. Sales are up 70 per-
cent in China, where the newly
revamped CTS sedan just went
on sale.
But in the U.S., Cadillac isn't
performing as well. Sales have
slumped nearly 5 percent this
year despite well-reviewed new
vehicles like the ATS coupe and
XTS sedan.
U.S. luxury car sales have
grown at more than double the
pace of non-luxury car sales
so far this year. But Cadillac
is missing out on those buy-
ers. Audi sales are up nearly
15 percent, BMW is up almost
12 percent and Mercedes-Benz
is up 9 percent, according to
Autodata Corp. Toyota's Lexus
luxury brand posted a 16 per-
cent increase through August.
GM's product development
chief, Mark Reuss, said Tuesday
that Cadillac's sales have been
disappointing. Reuss said Cadil-
lac is making good products but
needs better support from mar-
keting. The move to New York
should help that, he said.
"We need to get some fresh
thinking into that brand," he
said.
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