
Kiera Wilmot is going to Space Camp - narag
http://abcnews.go.com/US/cleared-charges-honor-student-space-camp/story?id=19236561
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dopamean
As a black guy raised by his mother and who has a sister who works in tech
this whole ordeal really bugged me. I like to hear stories of girls getting
involved in science and technology and Kiera's story was the exact opposite.
Like another commenter here said, I dont know if she will be the next
brilliant scientist. However, I do know that she is a curious kid and her
curiosity should be encouraged and developed even if she makes some minor
mistakes along the way.

Hopefully more people in a position to do something will reach out to more
girls to get them involved in science. They shouldn't have to be wronged
horribly by the adults in the community to deserve some attention.

~~~
hkmurakami
Like Kiera Wilmot, like Zach Sobiech [1], like Aaron Swartz, we collectively
tend to "wait until it's too late" before recognizing and appreciating special
things about people around us.

I think we can do better to recognize, encourage, and support those around us
who go beyond what they're told to do or what may seem prudent. I'll be doing
my best to combat that urge to scoff at things at first glance -- that bad
habit that gets even the best of us at times.

[1] This has been making the rounds on SNS sites but in case you haven't seen
it: [http://www.upworthy.com/this-kid-just-died-what-he-left-
behi...](http://www.upworthy.com/this-kid-just-died-what-he-left-behind-is-
wondtacular-rip)

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homosaur
That's nice of Space Camp to reach out to her like that. I don't know if Kiera
Wilmot is going to be the next brilliant scientist or not but I do know she
seemed like a bright, interested student who was unfairly targeted by our
schools' protofascist zero tolerance policies. I could imagine it would put a
distaste for involvement in science in your mouth if you were persecuted for
what's an obvious nothing story, so I hope Space Camp's nice gesture does
something to counteract that.

Also Space Camp is sweet, I spent a week there as a kid. I didn't go through
the official program but I saw and experienced a lot of it and it's one of the
most unique and fun youth programs in the world.

~~~
smky80
I did Space Camp a couple years after the movie came out. I'm still mad about
getting stuck with being the Public Relations Officer in Ground Control on the
shuttle mission at the end.

~~~
ejreynolds
I went with my cousin about 10 years ago. I was a Mission Specialist and got
to do the EVA. He was stuck in ground control. It was a tense plane ride home
:-)

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nsxwolf
I'm glad the charges were dropped. No one was hurt and that fact needs to be
considered before ruining a kid's life.

But in all likelihood she built a Drano bomb, probably after watching one of
the millions of YouTube videos on the subject, and blew it up on school
property. She's not a martyr for science, nor a role model for girls in STEM,
and frankly it is a little offensive that's the line people are sticking with.

~~~
dmix
> No one was hurt and that fact needs to be considered before ruining a kid's
> life.

Victimless crimes are 86% of the federal prison population. There is a bigger
problem of what types of crimes the state is spending it's time enforcing.

[http://www.policymic.com/articles/8558/why-we-need-prison-
re...](http://www.policymic.com/articles/8558/why-we-need-prison-reform-
victimless-crimes-are-86-of-the-federal-prison-population)

~~~
dfc
Victimless crimes including drunk driving, weapons charges, immigration and
liquor law violations. Moreover the statistics are listed for the most serious
offense that the individual was incarcerated for. So it is very likely that
the someone is serving time under a draconian drug law that also committed a
lesser violent crime.

<http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/p11.pdf>

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ck2
I thought what happened to her was outrageous when it first came to light.

Now I am not so sure. If she purposely made a drano bomb (google it) it's not
exactly a "science experiment".

Still, she had good grades supposedly and had never been in trouble before, so
expulsion was extreme until proven otherwise I guess.

So maybe she can make something good happen from this offer.

~~~
logical42
Why doesn't being curious about a Drano bomb count as a valid intellectual or
scientific curiosity?

I personally think its a rather easy topic to be scientifically curious about.

~~~
nsxwolf
You can be curious about a Drano bomb while simultaneously not building and
detonating one on school property.

We should value things besides curiosity in our scientists. Responsibility and
safety matter too.

~~~
logical42
Yeah but for chrissakes she's just a kid.

~~~
munchbunny
Kids will do stupid things, but you have to instruct them on not doing stupid
things, which is going to include negative consequences for doing stupid
things. That's part of growing up.

~~~
JoeKM
Except in my day it was detention and a call to your parents. Today it's
expulsion and felony charges? Sorry, that's not part of growing up. That's
ruining the rest of your life for a stupid mistake (that caused no one harm).

~~~
munchbunny
Agreed, expulsion and felony charges are excessive. A girl like this one can
understand the stupidity of her actions without career-killing consequences.

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ruswick
The issues is that, for every Kiera Wilmot, there are a dozen kids, many of
them with substantial potential, who adhere to the rules and elect not to
detonate draino bombs in the school bathroom, but no one makes an effort to
aid them.

This story is just indicative of the perverse nature of publicity: those that
break the rules are the ones who reap the rewards and publicity.

~~~
aptwebapps
The publicity came from the draconian treatment of her, not from the
explosion.

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fmstephe
Thank god. That was a heart breaking affair. I just hope she is able to
progress through the rest of her life now.

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ajaymehta
Because it wasn't linked in the article, here's the fundraiser Homer Hickam
started for Kiera and Kayla's Space Camp trip:
[https://www.crowdtilt.com/campaigns/kayla-wilmot-space-
acade...](https://www.crowdtilt.com/campaigns/kayla-wilmot-space-academy-
scholarship)

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peteretep
What kind of example does this set? Now we're encouraging more kids to blow
stuff up at school, great! </sarcasm>

~~~
kstenerud
If only we really were... Blowing up stuff is one of the best introductions to
science a kid can get!

If a kid today were to do now what I did as a kid, they'd have a criminal
record a mile long, destined to be nothing more than a drain on society since
they'd be permanently branded and unemployable in most places. That's not a
good way to build up your future economy and industry, not to mention
international competitiveness!

Punishing a child by permanently destroying their hopes and dreams shows some
badly misplaced priorities.

~~~
ruswick
People argue as though there is some sort of dichotomy; that either she ought
to be prosecuted or exonerated entirely. Both are absurd. What she did was
dangerous and clearly impermissible, and the school should take action. I
don't think that this warranted legal action, but I've learned not to assert
things about the law, which is a complex and unintuitive beast. There is a
possibility of reasonable middle ground in which we don't permanently impede
someone's ability to live their life while also deterring them from detonating
explosives in school.

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Diamons
Have any of the rumors that she used this to attack someone been confirmed or
denied?

Source:
[http://www.reddit.com/r/JusticePorn/comments/1ewpyc/kiera_wi...](http://www.reddit.com/r/JusticePorn/comments/1ewpyc/kiera_wilmot_the_16yearold_florida_student/ca4nn8g)

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cstavish
"I'd like to be careful with the science I do, always remember to follow
directions, and be aware of peer pressure." - Kiera

How uncomfortably scripted is that?! It's a really bizarre nod to the
allegations that she was being reckless.

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raverbashing
That's great!

Just let's hope this doesn't happen:
<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091993/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1>

~~~
matt_brushlabs
Since none of us really need to be productive today...

this youtube user was kind enough to upload the entire film. Enjoy Lea
Thompson at her finest. <http://www.youtube.com/user/lopm2435?feature=watch>

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IvyMike
I want to comment on these threads, but I always wonder "What's the statute of
limitations on these things, anyways?"

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bane
This is the scientific community making sure to say "we _want_ you in Science,
don't give up!"

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walshemj
I hope some one has sent her a copy of rocket boys Homer Hickam :-)

~~~
septerr
Yea :D

I read Rocket Boys recently so it was kind of cool finding Homer Hickam in
news.

