It was October 9th when I last posted something on my blog. Has it really been that long?

Yesterday was the day of my thesis proposal defense. Many peopl have looked at me with surprise when I tell them I must defend not only my thesis but als the proposal. "Why?" they ask. How should I know? All I know is, if I want to graduate, I must do this. I discovered yesterday exactly how appropriate the word 'defense' is in this situation.

I had been told not to worry since I would simply be sharing about my work. I sat at the table in the seminar room, Jesup Hall room 107 - a room i have grown to know so well, having taken four of my graduate courses there over the past year and a half.

On my left sat my thesis advisor (maybe one day I will be as confident in this subject as he). The other two members of my thesis committee sat on my right. I presented my experiment with a little bit of theoretical background within 15 minutes, using MS PowerPoint. And then, I picked up my sword and shield. I sat through 45 minutes of grueling questions, albeit significant and necessary, and delivered in the most polite manner. Then I waited outside for another 50 minutes, while the committee discussed my proposal. (I think it was more a case of my advisor giving an additional tutorial on Self-Categorization Theory, levels of inclusiveness of identity, and F. Traboulsi's expertise in Lebanese history).

50 minutes later, when I felt that my stomach had fallen to my toes, I was called back into the interrogation room. I don't think I realized the momentous words when my advisor said, "First of all, we would like to congratulate you on the success of your proposal defense..." Twenty minutes later, I was done. Save for a few amendments and clarifications, including an improved design - moving from a repeated measures design to a mixed model experiment, so exciting - I have defended and been approved.

Now if only the Institutional Review Board of Ethics could be so quick...