#ThesisIt

While wondering what to title this post commemorating the submission of my thesis (March 8th, the fake date of this post too), I remembered a catchy hashtag I had been seeing on Facebook. The thing is, I would only see my peers still living in the Philippines post it, so I couldn't really post it on Facebook because my American university audience would not appreciate it as much. ("Thesis It" just works better with the Filipino accent.) But I can do whatever I want on this blog since nobody really reads it anyway, so that's what I'm titling this entry!

At Harvard it is a tradition to take pictures with your thesis on the steps of Widener Library. Though I never spent any time in Widener Library working on the thesis, I decided to take a picture there anyway. (I've seen pictures where people don't receive binding for their thesis and don't even have to print it, and they take pictures holding their laptops open at the steps–so yeah, it's a big thing here.) And even if it was rainy the day I decided to take pictures (the day before it was due because I'm extra and the actual day it was due was housing day), my lovely photographer-friend Danica and I made do. Then we also went to this library that houses a map collection and has a cool underground hallway to take pictures there. Here is a selection:

I'm on the top of the steps so you can't really see them in the background oh well

Me opening to the title page all dramatically with an old globe in the background

My natural state

Candid?

And yes, I did deliberately wear the llama sweater I got my first time in Bolivia.

I can honestly say that the thesis writing process was not as insufferable to me as it was for other people. I might even say that I enjoyed it, when it comes down to it. Of course there were difficult moments (such as my advisor's feedback making me question how well I write in the English language) (not to mention all those trying times on the field), but seeing as I had been wanting to realize this project for years, it was so satisfying to finally hold that piece of work in my hands. And even when I'm not sure I can write in academic English properly, I really did love writing something anthropological. While it does kind of bother me that the people I wrote about will never get to read it, I will content myself with the fact that at least somewhere, their stories have been written, and people will know of who they are and what they have accomplished. 

Also as per tradition, I made a commemorative post on Facebook (gotta put those Widener pics somewhere). Here's what I said and the picture I posted along with it (drama!!). 

What started as a nagging curiosity the summer after my freshman year during my first visit to Bolivia has officially been submitted as a senior thesis to the Department of Anthropology.

On this International Women's Day and thesis submission day, I particularly hope to have honored the voices of women living in the poor and marginalized barrios of Cochabamba. Throughout the 99 pages of my work, I hope to have adequately recounted their struggles and triumphs, ultimately doing their story justice.

I believe that every individual has a story worth being told and listened to, no matter how suppressed or neglected her (or his) voice is. Now that I have written this thesis, I hope to continue this work, and thank the discipline of anthropology for enabling me to do it in thoughtful, empowering ways.

So what's next? I still have a thesis defense to go through at the end of the semester so stay tuned, I guess. I'm kind of nervous. But at the same time, I fancy myself a good public speaker, so maybe I won't question my English language skills then. 

Would I do it again? As much as it pains me to say it, I think I would. Strangely enough I think I even know what I would want to write about. If I were to write another lengthy anthropological paper, I would want to do my fieldwork in the Philippines, and I would write about issues of access to justice among impoverished populations just like I did in Rwanda and Bolivia. But I'll not get too ahead of myself, and I'll just continue basking in the glory of my finally-completed Harvard senior honors thesis!!