Victorious, sort of.

[TEA]

Well, I passed my dissertation defense today. I don't think I've ever taken such a beating before in my life. It was a 5 round goring, and if it was the UFC, Big John would have called it in the 3rd. by TKO. I thought for sure it was going to be thumbs down afterwards. My committee savaged me like a pack of lions on a wounded gazel, but despite all that, they desided to pass me. Of course, my final passage is contingent on me making revisions to address the concerns that they raised. I have three weeks. So, while I feel immence relief at having passed my defense, I still feel aprehension over whether or not I'll be able to meet the committee's demands in time.

[Prince Loeffler]

Well, I passed my dissertation defense today. I don't think I've ever taken such a beating before in my life. It was a 5 round goring, and if it was the UFC, Big John would have called it in the 3rd. by TKO. I thought for sure it was going to be thumbs down afterwards. My committee savaged me like a pack of lions on a wounded gazel, but despite all that, they desided to pass me. Of course, my final passage is contingent on me making revisions to address the concerns that they raised. I have three weeks. So, while I feel immence relief at having passed my defense, I still feel aprehension over whether or not I'll be able to meet the committee's demands in time.

Congrat Joe ! Loved the analogy !

[DDATFUS]

From everything that I've ever been told, they go hardest on the ones that they think are the best. It gives them a chance to bring more out of the paper, make sure that it realizes its full potential. That savage beating might just be a sign that you did extremely well.

[elder999]

From everything that I've ever been told, they go hardest on the ones that they think are the best. It gives them a chance to bring more out of the paper, make sure that it realizes its full potential. That savage beating might just be a sign that you did extremely well.

That's what I've experienced, though in my case one of them just didn't quite understand, and had it explained to him (repeatedly) by the others.........congratulations!

[Joseph Svinth]

I told ya, bring croissants, not Krispy Kremes.

[TEA]

I just heard through the grapevine that it was a very close call for my committee. I think Choe Young-ho was probably the swing vote. I think Pat Steinhoff was probably the one most in favor of giving me thumbs down. We get on really well, but haven't worked all that closely since I joined the PhD program (she was my MA advisor) and I don't think she has any Confucian sense of benevolence that would outway her sense of duty. Steinhoff and Choe were the ones that blasted me the most, but I have a closer relationship with Choe and I think he may have felt that the work was fixable and a bit of Confucian benovelence. Ned Shultz didn't blast me as hard as Choe or Steinhoff, but I don't have as close a relationship with him as with most of the rest of the committee, so I don't think he would have felt any hesitation at flunking me. Paul Varley blasted me the least and I have had a great relationship with him over the years, so I think he may have been the one most inclined to pass me, perhaps even more than my advisor. My advisor, Sharon Minichiello, opened up her comments by saying that normally she wouldn't let a dissertation that still needed so much work go to defense if it wasn't for the fact that I was facing my final deadline, so I don't know how strong a vote she would have been.

For a better idea of who my committee members are, do a Google search for their works. Choe and Minichiello haven't published a whole lot, but Steinhoff and Varley are giants in the field.

Joe, thanks for all your help with regards to the MA of the Late Choson period. I forgot to bring food, but since Dr. Shultz was in Korea participating via conference call, he might have felt a bit left out, especially since he made a remark at one point about wanting to get some breakfast (we started at 6:30 AM Korea time).