Un-Gracious & Professional Behavior at AZ Team Social

[Adam Y.]

I am one of the team parents and a mentor for our team. I have a severe illness which is called Chemical Sensitivity. I get extremely ill from chemicals and something that makes me very ill happens to be perfume and cologne. I choose to mentor because I love kids and love to work in my community- despite the fact that I am very ill.

Wow. That is just one bad joke that went out of control.

[sirbleedsalot]

Now I don't know if this was a closed event or not but we have to realize there may have been people outside of FIRST there; however this does not excuse their actions in the least bit.

[Justin]

I'd like to start out by saying that I don't usually make posts like this. Also I think that this prank was stupid and it does serve to demonstrate how not thinking before you act can have potentially devastating consequences. Those responsible should be punished.

I would just like to make a few other observations, keep in mind that I am not a team member or a mentor on any team...just a FIRST member at large. It seems to me that there is an increase in the number of posts about incidents like this. There was another post about some behavior that was occurring at a regional and arena security had to step in to insure the safety of those involved. I think that to often there is a sense of isolation within the FIRST community. That some how anyone who would ever come into contact with FIRST is "better than that." I know we would all like to believe this is the case but it defys human nature. What is the appropriate response? I'm not sure. It is something that deserves some consideration. Everyone who participates in FIRST has the right to have a fun and enjoyable experience free of incidents like these, equally everyone in FIRST students and mentors a like to insure that that is the case.

Justin

[KTorak]

That's pretty bad, there are just some people who shouldn't be involved with the type of stuff becuase they can't handle themselves Maturely and Professionally. On that note, at GLR, the MC said people were stomping on "containers" of lubricant. (I'm thinking it was grease for robots)

[Weightmn]

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post about the perfume incident at the AZ Team Social.

As we can all see there is a wide variety in opinions and view points- that's what makes this world pretty awesome.
Honestly, I would love to know that the person who did it read the post and thought "Oh wow, I had no idea what I did could have been so bad!" and possibly would apologize. That would be the best that I could hope for, that they have learned something very, very important.

I understand others opinions that said to seek them out and get them off the team. Others of us that work very hard to be gracious and professional at all times would hate to have something special for their team ruined by someone’s behavior such as this. And I am sure we all would feel horrible had something more devastating happened. I am sure it would send ripples through F.I.R.S.T. This is a great program and I would hate to see it get a black eye from something like that.

I really think pranks against someone you don't know are a HUGELY bad idea.
I never really mind a prank from someone that I know as I have a very good sense of humor. But in this case there really is no humor in any of it.

As a few of you mentioned- you understand the illness. Thank you also for writing. It is a very, very difficult illness, I am sorry that it touches anyone’s life that you know or love. I can say that your efforts to wear or not wear as the case may be certain things for your friend or loved one goes beyond measure. It helps us that are ill tremendously when others are careful about certain things that are around us. You should give yourselves a HUGE pat on the back as you are doing a wonderfully kind and loving gesture for another person's well-being--- GREAT JOB!

Thank you all that wrote and wished me well and hoped I would get better. I appreciate your kind words very much.

Please take care and thanks for listening on this subject

[thoughtful]

This is a little late, but i just read this now.

First of all i want to let you know that FIRST students really care about their mentors, hence i want to thankyou for putting your heart and soul into us although you are sick. I dont know you, but i respect you like i do my own mentors. This incident is unacceptable; however, i am not sure how this could be prevented. I guess some people think that idiotic pranks like these are funny. I do hope deep down in my heart that this wasnt someone involved in FIRST, because i would like to think that we are better than this.
I am glad that you are fine and nothing serious happened to your health.

I think as a FIRST community we should be on a lookout for such incidents and stop them. We can start at our team and make sure that everyone realises their behavioral responsibility. And when we go to a regional we should all look out for someone trying to pull silly pranks.

[Ryan Albright]

This is a sad event and i am sorry to hear that this happen and i hope the person that did it will realize and not do it again. I am thinking this kid was prob someone that is not into FIRST. What i mean is you know how teams sometimes bring students that have never even seen the robot to come cheer at a regional competition so they can have a cheering squad. Most of these kids just come so they can get out of school and mess around all weekend. If this person was a driver, pit crew, or anything having to deal with the robot i think he would understand FIRST core values and prob would not of done this. Thats why I believe teams should not bring anyone that has not participated in the building of the robot or if they do they should have some kind of meeting before they leave laying down strict guidelines and sever consequences for such actions. Pranks are fun to a certain extent and if you know the person you are doing them to. There is a time and a place to do pranks and FIRST is not one of them.

[SURVIVORfan44]

Sorry about the perfume incident Weightmn, but if it makes you feel better, I was one of the VCU Norwalk Victims. But I learned a great lesson out of it and now my HUGE phobia of vomiting is almost gone! (I don't think a great lesson could come out of the perfume incident though?) If someone would have poured perfume on me, I would have found them and poured all my hand sanitizer on them.

[JDFirefox11]

I have very severe allergic reactions to certain chemical preservatives, and though my incident was accidental and not a prank, i can empathize.

Last year on the 17 hour buss ride home from Nationals, one of my team mates accidentally sprayed some Axe Body Spray on the bus when moving his book bag. I've never had a reaction that bad and even though i kept telling people i was ok, thank god the person sitting next to me went to the front and got the bus driver to pull over when my face started to turn red and my breathing was getting ruff. I took my medicine and sat outside on the ground for half an hour before going back on the bus. It was really scary because i could feel my throat getting tighter. Ever sense my entire team cracks jokes about Axe around me... along with jokes about Sprite... but thats a whole norther story.

I am sorry that that happened to you and your daughter. You were right to post this and I'm glad you are ok

[sporkytherobot]

This is horrible and sad event. Having been a team at the AZ regionals and knowing that members of my team attended the team social this year and in previous years I know that the social is usally a teams and family event only. I am deeply sadened to know that a member of F.I.R.S.T. would do such a thing. I thank you so much for posting this incident. I am glad that I know that this happened and I will, being the team president, talk to my team and let them know such a prank can be so harmful. I am sorry for what you had to go through and I hope that the person who did this comes forward. AZ regional is one of the best out there, please other teams don't let this incident influence you perception of AZ teams.

[Wayne Doenges]

It seems that some students leave there brains at the door.

Chris Fox from Team 247 (Da Bears) found this out the hard way.
At the 2002 Cleveland regional the party was at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.
Chris was in the mosh pit listening to the music when some students picked him and started to pass him around. Unfortunately they dropped him on the back of his head/neck. He ended up at the hospital. The doctors say it is an open ended injury and he may have problems down the road. Who among the mentors and parents would like to make the call to someone kids parents to give them this bad news? NOT ME
So students think before you act!

*throws $.02 at the kitty who promptly eats it

Wayne Doenges
Lemmings non sumus

[JVGazeley]

That is disgraceful behaviour. I do hope that the culprit is found and action taken. Actions such as that can not be accepted, and taint the reputation of all teams.

I genuinely hope that whoever did that is found.

Jason
Cambridge, UK

[Weightmn]

Thanks everyone for your overwhelmingly positive response. I wasn't sure how it would go over- but had to take a chance.

I am glad that some of the teams have said they would talk to their students about pranks etc. For me that is a wondeful help and a great way to turn a negative into a positive. Thanks- I couldn't have asked for more!

I am very saddened to hear of other incidents where others have had bad things happen. I am sure, or at least I feel sure- that deep down the people all meant no great harm to anyone in any of these incidents, they just didn't think their actions through or didn't think before they acted.

I don't think that this prank would/should overshadow the Arizona teams or regional because Arizona has some reallty great teams. Also we MUST remember we all have visitors from out of state for these regionals- so it could have been someone from somewhere other than our AZ teams.

Thanks everyone for being so positive- this just reaffirms why I love F.I.R.S.T. and volunteer my time to this program and the awesome students involved!