So today was a pretty major day for us at PrairieView. Since the first day of school, the 36 of us have been divided in to three groups of twelve. It's not like we were al foreign to eachother - we congregate in the same areas during breaks and lunch time. We had a few classes altogether at te beginning of the year when it was still decent enough outside to go on field trips together. And we of course, share the space that is our school. But naturally, though opportunities to co-mingle presented themselves, you really got to know the people within your own group and it seems within each group, a certain comfort level was achieved - right before school broke for Christmas holidays, I heard several different students at various times trumpeting their group. Brawls broke our within these shared spaces to ascertain which one was the "best". So today fell pretty hard on some peoples shoulders as the shuffling was announced. I can't say I wasn't one of them either. I really don't even remember which students from the other groups I am going to now be working with, I was so focused on listening for the familiar names of people from my OWN group to be in my new one. But ultimately, I'm looking forward to the change. I think it will challenge us. The folks I kept company with in my previous group knew my strengths and weaknesses (both in character and technique), and now, with fresh faces to impress (because isn't that what we're all trying to do?), I don't want my new fellow students to know the extent of my darkroom ineptitude, for example. That I'm still entirely confused as to when you take away contrast to improve an image, or when to take away time, or when to add either of the two. Completely lost. And if I don't want them to know that, I'll just have to work harder to learn it. And hope they don't read this blog.