To my extreme disappointment (also terror, horror, nightmare, whatever you can think of that is very very bad), I was unable to completely finish the cabinet. However, I did make it fully functional and interactive so that the cabinet could be explored and the collection accessed. This is what I presented to the thesis committee.
Two of the doors still need letters — “B” and “C.” The gray drawers have yet to be covered with fabric. All drawers will have numbers affixed to their fronts. All drawers will be faced with marbled paper. It’s probably about 12 hours more work, I’m estimating. These changes will be completed for the exhibit on May 22nd. I think I will focus on that instead of a super fancy installation wall treatment or something.
Though it wasn’t completely finished, the piece was strong enough conceptually and functionally that I wasn’t cast out from PNCA or anything like that. I was docked for it, for sure, but I passed (whether you passed or failed is the only thing you are told at the time) and received points for ambition. 
Loose ends aside, the thesis panel seemed to get a kick out of it and I greatly enjoyed watching them poke through the drawers, look at the stuff and wonder about their owners. I garnered praise for creating the accompanying catalog, as that made the project richer on many levels. I was particularly pleased when one of the panel members read out loud from the catalog a bit that he found particularly intriguing. All things considered, I was pretty proud.
So, yeah. I expected the whole thesis presentation thing to be much worse. I worked on the thing round the clock for the last three weeks and I’m still trying to figure out how it could have taken me less time. I don’t know. It’s a really complex, labor intensive piece!
Bravo! I think it looks wonderful. Hoping to see it in person on the 22nd — I’ll be in town.