[JaneYoung]

Dean said at Kick Off that members of the entertainment industry can shine a spotlight on FIRST. That's great if used wisely. Light can be reflected and that is the part that I'm concerned about.

There are several languages involved in communicating about FIRST:
1. the FIRST lingo/speak
2. the technical language that plays a key role
3. the language of the rules for the game and the awards

Those are 3 that I can think of quickly and those are enough to make a visitor's eye glaze over without trying to interpret the light that is being shone on the program by the entertainment industry or the politicians.

There has to be a filter of some sort and I don't want to be it. There's enough to filter without having to explain what dope means in this trend. If FIRST has decided to use this entertainer as a face of the program, then help us out with how that is going to impact and what we are supposed to do with it. It's easy to make a connection to Mythbusters and to President Obama's commentary about recognizing science and technology. This one is a little harder. If FIRST wants to highlight entertainers so they can spotlight FIRST - that's FIRST's job. Find a way for the teams to work around that or with it in a positive manner without creating a mess or a breakdown in communication.

Jane