Hi, this is Wayne again with a topic “An Online Defense”.
Jaqueline THOMAS, It felt like an exodus going out., And here I am thinking how am I going to defend my thesis, [ MUSIC PLAYING ]. It felt like months of planning to get a date where all of my members of the committee could come to MIT at the same time and same day and be available for that.. Suddenly, it’s like — INTERVIEWER, 1 Poof. JAQUELINE, THOMAS All that planning is just gone..
Fortunately, I was going to be able to do it through Zoom. INTERVIEWER 2 Virtual PhD thesis, defense of Jackie Thomas., JAQUELINE THOMAS. However, my internet at home is so sketchy..
I was terrified I would have to –. I was like you know. Am I going to have to use my phone if my internet cuts out and I have to defend while holding my phone up or something.? That was the fears I was having.. Not like is my presentation going to be good enough. Interviewer 3 You’re, coming in clear here in California, Jackie. JAQUELINE THOMAS Sounds good..
Eventually, though MIT — they were going to allow me to present on the campus. By myself in a room, a specific room. They assigned.
And that’s where I was actually at during the presentation.. Now, historically, methods for analyzing community noise surrounding airports –, But the weird thing about it was normally. You would see a whole audience and everything.
INTERVIEWER 1 Right. JAQUELINE THOMAS. I couldn’t see anyone who is on the presentation, because zoom will only show the first five people.
So I had no idea who I was talking to. And then the weirdest thing was normally in a defense. When you get told to leave the room, you go out to a room full of people, that you know, and you talk to people and whatnot..
But no, it was just like — turn off the Zoom. And now I’m just sitting here in a room by myself. And there was no one else at MIT. And it was just really a bizarre thing., INTERVIEWER 2, I’m pretty sure, won’t happen. And then Jackie. I will text you when you can come back and join the meeting.
Ok And congratulations. JAQUELINE THOMAS Thank you., INTERVIEWER 2 OK., JAQUELINE, THOMAS Bye., And then when when they called me back and they said congrats, you passed., I’m just like cool. INTERVIEWER, 1 OK. JAQUELINE THOMAS. I was like that’s good. OK..
Normally people would clap or whatnot, but it’s just like all right cool. And then it was like a five minute. Conversation., Here’s what you have to do to finish. And I was like OK, I guess I’ll pack up my bags and go home.
Now. Was a doctor by myself., But it still happened. I guess. INTERVIEWER 1.
Five minutes later, a doctor, appeared. [ MUSIC PLAYING ] .