(*) I have no idea if that's the term in english. Can someone help? How do you plan a thesis defence? What is the stuff you consider? Well, you read the about 200 pages over and over again trying to find those details on which you think the jury might have doubts on. You write possible questions they might ask you and prepare the answers. You look up over and over again on the theory and the results and the explanations you gave to see if everything matches. You go to the faculty over and over again to see if your defence has been scheduled. You are sure that your defence is probably going to be held at February 11th. You are planning to call the jury the night before to make sure they won’t forget your defence – yep, it happens, I have heard some cases…You invite some friends and family to come over to your place at night after the defence, to celebrate; if everything goes right.You talk to the few students you know they are active at the student movement about the possibility of making activities or not on that day. You know you can’t say anything about it but you are begging inside that they don’t block the university entrance that day. You know they must protest, you know you would do the same if you were still on classes and not as busy with the thesis as you are now. You talk to your tutor and your thesis partner about using the subway instead of a car because usually the subway entrance is not blocked when the students protest, so they are better chance that we can get in to the university.
You know the elections that will decide if Chavez has legal possibilities of staying in power for as long as he wishes or not; are just days after your thesis defence. You try to think that the results of that event won’t make a difference because you are planning to leave the country for a while anyway. But you still care, you care a lot. You might feel overly happy when you finally defend your thesis (after all you have been expecting that moment for the last couple of years) but you know that if the Amendment passes; the relief you feel about finishing your career will switch into a certain sadness and anger you are used to, and you will feel the emergency –now more than ever – to get our of here.