As the first day of class approached, I truly found myself anxious to be in BPA 3010. Having always fancied myself a bit of a bread aficionado, the thought of being a student of Ciril Hitz was frightful to say the least. I'd only ever heard two things about Hitz; number one, he'll work you to the bone, number two, he's the top of he bread food chain at Johnson and Wales. Right off the bat, waking up at 5:30 was quite a change from my other classes, and one day I even woke up a few hours early from the stress of being on time! As I entered the kitchen, there is a palpable air of professionalism amongst the other students. It's as if everyone in the classroom is putting their best foot forward. Soon enough I realized that the class's purpose is to stretch your creative muscles and not so much a test of individual ability. One of the best aspects of the class is that you are encouraged to become the creative mind behind your own showpieces. The entire classroom is your sandbox, and the dead dough is an action figure in your hands, waiting to play out whatever scene you can concoct in your mind.
Research, Research, Research. One of the most important things to bring to class is a well researched idea of what it is you'd like to do for your showpiece, and with that in mind, anything becomes possible. Splitting into groups of two was a wise choice, as it promotes an idea of unity between multiples ideas. My advice would be work to find a theme that you and your partner can both be proud to work towards. On top of that, definitely get excited about seeing your project from its onset, all the way to its completion and have fun while learning something, above all else. A Last word of advice would be to be prepared to work hard and at the end of the day you'll feel fulfilled and satisfied when you look back on what you've accomplished. 
Making a Showpiece was definitely fun, although I'd like to have been a tad more adventurous with my own, and I can't wait to get back at it and have another go at it with my next piece! 
Can't wait to see everyones hard work culminate in some beautiful artwork!