Restarting

I spent my time in tech today teaching people how to flush up the various pieces of a platform.  One person stand here, one person stand there, hold the wood in place like this, push down so that the under side aligns.  I haven't done that in more than a year.  We built lots of platforms last year, but I was not the one to do it.  My seniors constructed most of it, with the assistance of the new people.  Those new people can now build platforms themselves.  It was nice when I was not the only source of knowledge in the shop. 

I'm attempting a huge build this year, the largest I've ever done.  We have two shows going up at once: our one act for District Competition and the fall show.  The fall show has ten platforms, the one act has four.  Everything rolls.  I am confident that I have the ability to do it, but it will take a long time without the student leadership I had last year.  My seniors knew how to do almost everything.  One of them designed, focused and programed the lights by herself.  Another built the complicated bookcases for our one act.  I gave them drawings and said go.  I helped solve the problems that arose.  They bounced ideas off of me.  And I hardly ever picked up a drill or saw.

I have great kids this year.  Some of them are born leaders and will be amazing techs in six months, but I wish they were amazing now.