This past Friday I presented my thesis idea to my seminar group for the first time. Essentially, this was the first time that anyone has seen my thesis work that I completed over winter break.
For a bit of background, at the beginning of the year I had determined that I wanted to write my thesis on the USA Patriot Act (what I call UPA for short). This is a piece of legislation that, in my opinion, is quite invasive. Therefore, I wanted to use my thesis to prove my theory and inform others about the dangers of it. Before leaving school, I had presented my idea to a few students and faculty and determined that I wanted to focus my thesis on not just the dangers of UPA, but the dangers of quickly implemented policies as well. I think that part of the problem of the UPA is not just the fact that it’s invasive, but also that it was implemented so quickly, after such a disaster, that many did not question its purpose/capabilities. Prior to break, I had complete a little research but definitely not enough so I determined that a good portion of my break I was going to spend on thesis work.
However, after my presentation on Friday, I discovered that during my research over break, I had started to create a different focus. Now, my thesis has shifted from a general analysis of policy-making to an in-depth analysis of the revisions that have been made to UPA. Although I do like this focus better, it is more specific and the work that I have completed I find to be more insightful; I am also worried, however, about the fact that I have to completely re-organize my paper.
The best thing about re-working my thesis is that I am not doing it alone. While this is my thesis, those on my Honors Thesis Committee as well as students in my honors seminar are all helping me to make the paper better than it previously was. Without their help, my thesis would be following a general path that others have probably been down. Now, I feel like I am working on something new and fresh that I’m not sure I would have came up with on my own.