Being Proactive About Paper Airplanes on Einstein

[EricH]

Originally Posted by Chris_Ely

I am seeing planes already during opening ceremonies, from the webcast. Remember this is being broadcast all over the world. Mentors, please keep your students from throwing planes.

And they're already piling up.

NOT a good thing.

[TheModMaster8]

you people are sticks in the mud, lighten up a little, and let kids be kids. it has happened every year and it will most likely happen every year until FIRST bans it. telling students off only make it worse, so if you want to stop your team from doing it then just do that, but you don't have a right to tell those of us who are not on your team to stop because you find it disrespectful or immature.

[EricH]

If "letting kids be kids" results in someone losing an eye, are those kids going to take responsibility?

Or are the mentors who are allowing the kids to do so going to feel the heat?



Correct answer: Yes.


I don't know about you, but I'd rather not have to deal with all the paperwork. I plan to have a sudoku book on me before Einstein...whether or not I happen to work a puzzle or two remains to be seen. I've seen (at one time long ago) somebody watching Monty Python. While those aren't the greatest things to do, they sure beat paper airplanes for cleanup and non-disruption of speeches.

As far as it happening every year, I can vouch that that's NOT the case. Seems to have started only after FIRST moved the CMP to St. Louis. It leaves a lot of extra trash for somebody to clean up (and I would hope that the throwers do try to clean some up...)


By the way, you're right that we don't have a right to tell those on not on our teams what to do. But... Did you just tell a bunch of folks who aren't on your team what to do? And bear in mind one other thing: Some of those folks you just told that to (and some of the folks down on the floor that might be getting hit by the airplanes) happen to be in positions to hire folks like you--young FIRSTers just getting out of high school and/or college. Would you believe that acting immature and disrespectful can impact your chances of being hired? I think I would.

[Jonny_Jee]

The issue isn't isolated to just the dome, in past years I've seen paper airplanes falling from hotels rooms and ending up in the streets of St. Louis. This type of behavior, while sparse, is an extension of what goes on in the dome.

[orangemoore]

The planes have already touched down.

http://i.imgur.com/kJm8jqw.jpg

They actually distracted me from the ceremony. Not cool.

[Whippet]

This was my first time at champs. The first paper plane I've seen thrown at a FIRST event, ever, hit a kid in the side of the face, narrowly missing his eye today. Seriously, this kind of thing is not representative of FIRST. They audibly distracted from ceremony speakers, and nearly caused at least one injury. Potentially dangerous litter like this should not be seen as normal or acceptable in the FIRST community.

[Richard Wallace]

Originally Posted by TheModMaster8

you people are sticks in the mud, lighten up a little, and let kids be kids.

This is just plane wrong.

[gblake]

Originally Posted by TheModMaster8

you people are sticks in the mud, lighten up a little, and let kids be kids. it has happened every year and it will most likely happen every year until FIRST bans it. telling students off only make it worse, so if you want to stop your team from doing it then just do that, but you don't have a right to tell those of us who are not on your team to stop because you find it disrespectful or immature.

Some people only get the first marshmallow. Some use a little impulse control, and wait to get two.

[Anupam Goli]

Originally Posted by orangemoore

The planes have already touched down.

http://i.imgur.com/kJm8jqw.jpg

They actually distracted me from the ceremony. Not cool.

It's completely unacceptable. The guest speakers' companies generously donate more money and resources than some may see in a lifetime. The least we can do to thank them is listen attentively for a few minutes...

[marshall]

Originally Posted by TheModMaster8

you people are sticks in the mud

Not really. I'm quite rowdy and fun.

Originally Posted by TheModMaster8

lighten up a little, and let kids be kids.

No.

Originally Posted by TheModMaster8

it has happened every year and it will most likely happen every year until FIRST bans it.

That doesn't make it right and let us all hope that this is that year.

Originally Posted by TheModMaster8

telling students off only make it worse

Not really, most of them are scared of authority. It's pretty effective and personally I feel that appealing to their rational side should make a difference. Please stop throwing the planes?

Originally Posted by TheModMaster8

so if you want to stop your team from doing it then just do that

I did and my team isn't competing this year. I'm here representing my company and trying to drag them into this as a corporate sponsor at an international level. My goals are made more difficult by hormone-riddled teenagers having conniption fits about throwing paper airplanes though.

Originally Posted by TheModMaster8

but you don't have a right to tell those of us who are not on your team to stop because you find it disrespectful or immature.

I think we are well within our rights. You can ignore us but we can still think of you as immature and disrespectful and ask you to stop in an authoritative voice.

[Koko Ed]

Originally Posted by TheModMaster8

you people are sticks in the mud, lighten up a little, and let kids be kids. it has happened every year and it will most likely happen every year until FIRST bans it. telling students off only make it worse, so if you want to stop your team from doing it then just do that, but you don't have a right to tell those of us who are not on your team to stop because you find it disrespectful or immature.

Then you can get off your butt and help clean up the mess they made. I'm not doing it this year!

[protoserge]

That spread of planes is class act. Exactly the image we want. Let's put fun and games ahead of values we are trying to impress on the students as role models.

Is it OK to toss your bag of fast food out the window of your car while driving? Seems like we are endorsing it by letting it happen. Don't worry though, those adopted highways have trash cleaning groups twice a year. But what about the hawk that was hit by a car while swooping down in traffic to kill its prey that was consuming the leftovers? Don't pick up that plastic bottle you walked by on the trail - discard yours along side it. There is a biweekly trail club that picks it up.

Maybe those of us against this simple act are trying to influence a generation to think about how their actions have consequences.

I don't see how this is still an argument that needs to continue.

[IronicDeadBird]

Originally Posted by TheModMaster8

but you don't have a right to tell those of us who are not on your team to stop because you find it disrespectful or immature.

Yeah but people that sponsor your team have the right to pull funding because they think that you represent them poorly.
Schools have the right to say "you know we sent you there to compete at a robotics competition not to make a mess of a place" and stop you from going.
Teams have the right to pick alliances based not only on the robot but if running with a certain team will make them look bad.
Actions have consequences. Ignoring those consequences does not make them go away.

[ns3517]

I would agree throw them when/if you are told, I would advise anyone reading this thread to not throw balls of paper at any time and planes should only be thrown when you are told. It is very annoying when you are trying to concentrate on a match and you get hit by trash.

[TheModMaster8]

Originally Posted by EricH

If "letting kids be kids" results in someone losing an eye, are those kids going to take responsibility?

Or are the mentors who are allowing the kids to do so going to feel the heat?



Correct answer: Yes.


I don't know about you, but I'd rather not have to deal with all the paperwork. I plan to have a sudoku book on me before Einstein...whether or not I happen to work a puzzle or two remains to be seen. I've seen (at one time long ago) somebody watching Monty Python. While those aren't the greatest things to do, they sure beat paper airplanes for cleanup and non-disruption of speeches.

As far as it happening every year, I can vouch that that's NOT the case. Seems to have started only after FIRST moved the CMP to St. Louis. It leaves a lot of extra trash for somebody to clean up (and I would hope that the throwers do try to clean some up...)


By the way, you're right that we don't have a right to tell those on not on our teams what to do. But... Did you just tell a bunch of folks who aren't on your team what to do? And bear in mind one other thing: Some of those folks you just told that to (and some of the folks down on the floor that might be getting hit by the airplanes) happen to be in positions to hire folks like you--young FIRSTers just getting out of high school and/or college. Would you believe that acting immature and disrespectful can impact your chances of being hired? I think I would.

The thing about text is that you can't take the writers tone at which they mean it by, For example, if you read it in a snarky or mal-intent tone, then yes it would be disrespectful, however if you read it in a semi-serious and slap-happy way, the results are about as night is to day. (I also thought it was quite evident that you would be able to see the typical stereotypes here, young people thinking adults are boring parents telling other parents to "let kids be kids" and ext. However I can see that this was lost on many if not all of you. read it)

"telling students off only make it worse" was me informing you of the kind of mindset you will be going up against.

"so if you want to stop your team from doing it then just do that," Was me giving you advice on how to minimize it (if every mentor did this for there own team then no one would be throwing airplanes!)

"but you don't have a right to tell those of us who are not on your team to stop because you find it disrespectful or immature." Was me giving you a fact which can also be taken as telling you.

I do agree with you all on the disrespect on doing this during speeches and awards, however I do not see doing this during dull moments immature, as long as the (throwers of the planes) pick up as many planes as they made and thrown before leaving,

and other then this you and everyone else who has posted on here, and I will not see eye to eye on this matter, as this was the most memorable and inspiring thing i got to witness and partake in during my first year going to worlds. so forgive me for being defensive over something i see as important (for real... not being smart A or anything)