[Captain Slacker]

Team Paragon has a strict "electronics-free zone" policy. As a team we realized that students using electronics anywhere in the competition portrays a bad image on the rest of the team. At the build site, electronic devices act as a distraction and can often be a safety hazards. All around the site, we have posters that say "electronics free zone", and even some fake devices posted up saying "don't let this happen to yours". At the competitions, we feel that even talking on a cell phone looks like the student is lacking an interest in what is going on. I know that last year I was safety captain and I was coordinating my schedule with a few other people who were in the pits through texting while I was in the stands. I am also very involved in my team's spirit, so I was standing next to a girl who was screaming, attracting the photographers for the website. Sure enough, I get a call from my mom that night who was watching from home asking why there was a picture of my texting on the BAE website. Needless to say, I was mortified and began fully supporting the rule. I think it just looks better as a team, and a big part of FIRST is imagery.