THE ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF TAU KAPPA EPSILON, OMEGA CHAPTER
THE OMEGA OMEN
Albion College, Albion, Michigan -- Spring 2016
Published By the Omega Chapter of TKE Alumni Association Since 1931
“The House” Turns Fifty
Omega Tekes Mark Half!Century of Fraternity Life at 1004 East Porter Stree"
It’s o!cial "" Albion’s fraternity row has reached the half"
century mark. Prior to the construction of the current six
residential buildings, the original fraternity houses were
scattered around di#erent locations near the campus.
During the World War II era, as many male students served
in the armed forces, several of the houses $including TKE%
became women’s dormitories. The original fraternity
houses dated back to the 19th century, and by the early
1960s each one had endured $and survived!% its fair share of
“fraternity living.” In 1965, all six fraternity houses were
condemned and torn down. A new era for Greek housing
was about to begin at Albion College.
1965: Fraternity Row Construction Site
During the 1965 school year, Albion’s new “fraternity
row” was a massive construction site. The six new
fraternity houses were designed in a similar
architectural footprint with 24 dormitory rooms, six
suites per floor. The first"floor “P"Suite” was originally
built as an apartment for the fraternity “House
Mother.” All six houses opened for residency in 1966.
Photos below taken during the construction phase,
include the Delta Sigma Phi house $below le#% and Tau
Kappa Epsilon $righ"%, with Alpha Tau Omega in the
$Photos courtesy of Albion Co$ege Archives%
background.
1965: Future TKE House
New Alumni Task Force To Focus on Chapter House Improvements
When you look at our current Omega Chapter scroll, we
can easily estimate that over 1,500 Fraters have resided in
the current chapter house since 1966! With that said,
interior renovation and upgrades are the focus of a new
alumni task force. Currently, the task force is
investigating costs for basement renovations, including
new electrical wiring and lighting upgrades.
Contractor meetings are taking place and bids will be
reviewed by the task force, to confirm what the house
improvement budget can accommodate this year.
If you are interested in getting involved on the house
improvement task force, please contact Frater
Troy Ferrio ‘12 at [email protected]
!
THE ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF TAU KAPPA EPSILON, OMEGA CHAPTER
TKE alumni and friends
from around the world
visited the Omega Chapter
house during the annual
Homecoming Open House,
including:
John Huber ‘67
Jim McDonald ‘67
Justin DeHondt ‘12
Joshua Engel ‘15
Zach Kribs ‘15
Anthony
Marchello ‘15
Kurt Tech ‘80
Jim Gaus ‘81
Bruce Tobin ‘70
Bob Thompson ‘85
Paul Kinkel ‘85
Rene Burger ‘85
Scott Nelson ‘85
Dennis Bell ‘09
Lucas Martin ‘14
Scott Kenney ‘92
Ahmed Chaudhry ‘09
The annual TKE Homecoming Open House held on October 17,
2015 was once again a huge success. Alumni and friends enjoyed a superb
luncheon bu#et prepared by chapter house cook, Dawn Morgan $thank
you, Dawn!%. Collegiate Fraters of Omega Chapter enjoyed meeting
TKE alums and hearing stories of fraternity experiences over the years.
Frater Jim McDonald
‘67 &le'% studies a TKE
group photo from the 1965
Albionian. Special thanks
to the collegiate Fraters
who assembled a display of
yearbooks, TKE photos
and composites from the
Omega Chapter archives
that were enjoyed by the
visiting alumni.
"
THE ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF TAU KAPPA EPSILON, OMEGA CHAPTER
Several Albion alums from
the Class of 1985 visited
the TKE house at
Homecoming. Pictured at
right are $Back Row%:
Fraters Tom Jenkins,
Rene Burger, Scott
Nelson, Paul Kinkel
and Bob Thompson.
$Front Row%: Connie
Zacks Ahee $AXO),
Ellen West Jenkins
$KAo% and 1985 TKE
Sweetheart, Cae Madian
$AXO). Frater Burger
traveled from his home in
Manila, Philippines to
attend the Class of ‘85
reunion.
Alumni guests at the
Homecoming Open House
included &le'%: Fraters Jim
McDonald ‘67, Bruce Tobin
‘70 and John Huber ‘67.
“Thank you for the hospitality
shown to us old guys,” said
Frater Tobin. “For a short
while, I was back in the
moments of 1966"1970 at the
TKE house, which opened my
freshman year.”
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THE ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF TAU KAPPA EPSILON, OMEGA CHAPTER
My Dad, Omega #339
A Daughter’s Remembrance of Her
Father and His Lifelong Loyalty to
Tau Kappa Epsilon & Albion Co$eg(
My father, James G. Inglis,
was born in 1928 in Van,
Emmet County, Michigan,
about 10"miles south of
Mackinaw City, at the "tip of
the mitt." His parents were a
potato farmer/ag inspector
and homemaker.
Unbeknownst to anyone, the
Great Depression was right
around the corner. When my
dad was just four years old,
my grandfather came down
with a kidney infection.
Penicillin, which would have
cured him, had not yet been
invented, and so this young
man died, leaving my
grandmother with four
children on a remote farm in
northern Michigan during
the Depression. You would
be proud to know that I
never, ever heard my dad or
any of his siblings complain
about growing up in a single
parent household or being
poor. Hard work was just
everyone's lot and a fact of
life, and even for such an
isolated community,
education was paramount.
Long before the expression
became politicized, the fact
is that life in small town
Michigan during the
Depression meant everyone
knew everyone and it truly
was a community $or village%
that raised its hometown
kids. And such was the life
for these fatherless children,
now living a few miles further
south on Hwy. 31 in the
lumbering town of Pellston
$today, population around
800%. My grandmother got a
Frater James G. Inglis ‘50, # !!"
job as an English teacher at
the local school $grades K"12
in one building% and had a
acquainted with the College, as
colleague, Mr. Walter
both entities are a!liated with
MacMillan $the physical
the Methodist Church.&
education teacher% who
"Mac" lobbied to get my dad a
would incredibly be one of
scholarship to Albion, and a
those adults who invested in
job to help earn his room and
community kids throughout
board. One of my dad's jobs on
his lifetime. "Mac" changed
campus was to shovel coal into
my father's life, for he was
the furnace so the TKE house
the instigator/founder/
would be warm when the
director of Camp Daggett on
Fraters arose each morning.
the shores of Walloon Lake,
My grandmother and aunt used
outside Petoskey, where today
to laugh, because this same job
thousands of kids from
had been my dad's chore at
Emmet, Charlevoix and
home after his older brothers
Cheboygan Counties have
went to college, which he had
come to learn life skills,
not very done well.& They
appreciate nature, and gain
hoped the Tekes would be
self"confidence though a
warmer than they were when
variety of physical activities.
the alarm went o# every
In those days, Albion College
morning! My dad never did
used to host summer school
become mechanically inclined,
sessions at Bay View/Petoskey
even after all those years of
and I believe that may be
tinkering when the furnace
how "Mac" became
wouldn't work!
!Continued on next page"
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THE ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF TAU KAPPA EPSILON, OMEGA CHAPTER
In May 1985, after my Grandmother passed
away, all her children, and some of her
grandchildren, came to Ann Arbor to attend
my sister's graduation from the University of
Michigan and "unpack" the house to prepare
it for sale. It was a huge task, since it had
been in the family for generations, and
everyone in the family $being thrifty Scots!%
was taught, "Save it "" you never know when
we might need it!" One day, as we cleaned out
the house, we needed a break so my dad, my
husband and I decided to drive over to Albion
to visit Dad's alma mater. Our first stop was
the TKE house, which had been rebuilt in a
new location after my father's graduation in
1950. All my life, I had heard my father speak
so proudly of his time at Albion and his
loyalty to the Tekes. His best friends were his
fraternity brothers and that never wavered,
even as his banking career took us from coast
to coast.
As it so happened, it was also graduation day
at Albion College, and luckily for us, one lone
Frater was still at the house, moving out. We
explained why we were there, hoping for a
look around, and he inquired of my father,
"What's your scroll number?" Dad responded
immediately, "339!" The student Teke was
momentarily stunned and repeated back,
"339??!!" Like, whoa, does the numbering
system even BEGIN that early? We have
NEVER forgotten Dad's scroll number, based
on this young man's reaction, and in fact,
laughed so hard about it over the years, that
we never thought to ask the student Teke,
"What scroll number in the 1,000's are you
on now?"
In August 2015, my son and I rendezvoused
for a weekend together in Detroit and part of
our vacation plan was for me to show him his
grandfather's alma mater, Albion College,
home of the Brits. I also was hoping to meet a
TKE who could tell me what the current
batch of scroll numbers were, as I'd always
wondered just how "ancient" #339 was.& &
!Top Photo": A 1948 photo of TKE Fraters, including Frater
Inglis &back row, sixth )om right%; !Bottom Photo": The old
TKE house on Erie Street as Frater Inglis knew it, and where his
daily job was to shovel coal into the furnace during the winter
months.
Sixty"five years later, I had my answer "" the scroll
of Omega Chapter of TKE is now in the 1800's!
Serendipity intervened and we had the honor and
pleasure of meeting Frater Jim Anderson '83,
President of the TKE, Omega Chapter Alumni
Association, who was visiting the house that day.
He led us to a memorabilia case inside main
entrance to the fraternity house. Lo and behold, but
there was a photo from 1948, Dad's junior year, and
my son instantly spotted him and said, "There's
Grampy!"
!Continued on page 6"
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THE ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF TAU KAPPA EPSILON, OMEGA CHAPTER
My Dad, Omega #339
!Continued $om Page 5 "
Over the years, my mother, sister and I enjoyed
meeting Dad's fraternity brothers at various class
reunions "" they remained his closest, most
trusted friends. Through life's journey of
successes, and yes, tough times, they supported
one another with unflagging encouragement,
unwavering commitment to the decency and
dignity of each brother, and good"natured teasing
and reminiscences of times when they all lived
together in a house in Albion, Michigan. For a
fatherless boy from what, at that time, was an
exceptionally remote part of the Michigan, to
have such bonding experiences with wonderful
men like Bill $and his wife, Lois% West of
Kalamazoo, and so many others, and the quality
education that Dad received from Albion, would
propel him onto a career that he could never have
imagined.&
Regrettably, my dad, the farm boy turned
banker, passed away in 2004 from melanoma,
and is buried near his hometown of Van,
Michigan. He never forgot his humble roots,
his faith, or his loyalty to all that Albion meant
to change his life.
As part of my parent's gratitude toward Albion
College, they endowed a scholarship for future
accounting majors, and our family has enjoyed
hearing from these students over the years. My
sister also became a CPA and, as I near
retirement, while not a CPA myself, I have
always worked at CPA firms my entire career!
Respectfully,
Susan !Inglis" O'Dwyer
Atlanta, Georgia
&Alumni Note:% Thank you to Susan, and to her son James
O’Dwyer, for taking the time to visit the TKE House las"
August, and for sharing this thoughtful remembrance of
her father.%
New E#orts Being Made to Reconnect “Lost” Alumni
The O!ce of the Grand Chapter and Omega Chapter Alumni Association are seeking assistance to help locate
lost fraternity alumni. If you are in contact with Omega Chapter alumni Fraters $and those from other chapters%,
please encourage them to visit www.tke.org to update their contact information for the fraternity alumni
database. In addition, please forward this copy of The Omega Ome* to alumni Fraters who may have dropped o#
our distribution list. Thank you!
In Remembrance
The following alumni Fraters of
TKE, Omega have entered the
Chapter Eternal:
Frater Paul Aburano, ‘48 on October 18, 2014
Frater Edward Pickell ‘56 on July 8, 2015
Frater Ronald Halstead ‘62 on November 7, 2014
Frater Whitney Ballantine ‘65 on March 31, 2015
Venerable Past Prytanis John McKendry, ‘72 on
December 16, 2015.
Frater Kelly R. Flaherty ‘80 on December 5, 2015
Frater Dale Spa#ord ‘96 on January 18, 2016
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THE ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF TAU KAPPA EPSILON, OMEGA CHAPTER
Omega Chapter Board of Advisors
2016 Planning Meeting:
Focus on Rush, Philanthropy,
Academics and House Improvemen"
At the beginning of each academic semester,
the TKE, Omega Chapter Board of Advisors
$BOA% participates in a planning meeting
with the collegiate Fraters to evaluate the
state of the chapter and determine key focus
areas for the months ahead. The planning
meetings also serve as a transitional platform
for newly appointed Jeweled o!cers for
Omega Chapter.
!Above & right": Frater Jim Gaus ‘81, BOA
Chairman, outlines specific goals for the chapter
for 2016 with current chapter o+cers.
The New Sweetheart of TKE !!
Student Leader & Youth Mentor
Omega Chapter’s new Sweetheart, Olivia Alfano ‘17, is a
member of Kappa Delta. She is currently serving her second
term for the sorority’s executive council as Vice President of
Membership, guiding the Sigma Pi Chapter in an incredibly
successful recruitment season this past year. In addition to
being a leader in her sorority, Olivia is a Psychology major with
a Human Services concentration, and is involved in the
Prentiss M. Brown Honors College and Psi Chi National
Honor Society in Psychology. With her dedication to her
field of choice, she landed an internship at the Calhoun County
Juvenile Home this semester, where she works with the youth
as both a mentor and a group therapy leader "" an excellent step
toward a future in Forensic Psychology. After completing her
degree at Albion, she plans to attend graduate school and
obtain a Psychological Doctorate with a Forensics emphasis.
!Pictured right": Olivia with Venerable Prytanis Maximilian Tech, ‘17 a"
the recent Red Carnation Ba$
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THE ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF TAU KAPPA EPSILON, OMEGA CHAPTER
Meet Omega Chapter’s New
Alumni Association President,
Frater Nate Love ‘13
Dear Fraters of Omega Chapter,
I’m both honored and excited to assume the role of
Omega Chapter Alumni Association President! I
would like to thank Frater Jim Anderson ‘83 for his
five years of service as Omega Chapter Alumni
Association President and wish him the best of luck
in his new position on the Albion College Alumni
Association Board of Directors. I’m looking forward
to building on Frater Anderson’s work, focusing on
expanding the reach of the alumni association and
increasing alumni involvement in the chapter.
I view this position as an opportunity to give back to
an organization that has given me so much. Tau
Kappa Epsilon gave me friendships that will last a
lifetime. Additionally, the Fraternity gave me the
structure and resources I needed to become
successful after graduation. I strive to live the values
of Love, Charity and Esteem in my daily life, whether
it is at work, school, or in my personal relationships.
The majority of my time is split between work and
school. I work at the lobbying firm Kelley
Cawthorne in Lansing, Michigan. When not there, I
am a student at Michigan State University College of
Law, where I am in my second year.
Frater Nate Love ‘13 &le'% with Frater Jake Hunter ‘15
In my free time, I enjoy golfing and playing with
my beagle, Kevalee.
If you’re interested in volunteering your time or
resources to the Omega Chapter Alumni
Association, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I
also welcome any ideas on how alumni engagement
can be increased! I can be reached via phone at
$248% 767"1281, or via email at [email protected].
Yours in the bond,
Frater Nate Love ‘13 # 1740
Homecoming &
Class Reunions 2016
Mark your calendars for
Homecoming Weekend:
October 14$16, 2016
Visit www.albion.edu for Homecoming
and Class Reunion details
Class of 1986
30%Year Reunio&
Contact Frater John McManus ‘86
for event details at:
[email protected]
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THE ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF TAU KAPPA EPSILON, OMEGA CHAPTER
Omega Chapter o!cers
recently attended the
Triangle Summit,
TKE Regional
Leadership
Conference, in
Indianapolis. All
attendees participated in
seminars where national
TKE leaders shared
realistic and practical
ideas for managing a
more e!cient and
respected fraternity
house.
Omega Fraters at the TKE Regional Leadership Conference &)om le'%: Grammateus Zach Baguzis '18,
Pylortes Cary Luke '18, Crysophylos Nick Merucci '18, Hegemon Andrew Malecki '18, Prytanis
Maximilian Tech '17, Grand Prytanis Rodney G. Talbot, Service Chairman Jacob Lyday '17, Histor
Jacob Terberg '18 and Hypophetes Zak Kohanov '18.
Prytanis Report
Dear Fraters of Omega Chapter,
The spring planning meeting with the Board of
Advisors and the active chapter was a great stepping
stone for the beginning of the semester. With this
gathering, our Cabinet realized that those involved
with the previous Cabinet had left the house in a very
improved place "" a great ending that allowed those of
us making up the current Cabinet to pick right up on
making more of those leaps and bounds. Our biggest
goal coming out of that meeting was to reach our
targets for philanthropy donations, St. Jude dollars,
and at least 1,000 service hours. After raising money
and participating in a St. Jude Walk and putting on
our annual pig roast fundraiser for St. Jude we came
out at '2,750, which was '1,000 ahead of our goal. It
was wonderful for the house to be able to raise money
for cancer research, while at the same time seeing
alumni and enjoying their stories from their time in
the Omega chapter house.
Another main goal we set was regarded the overall
house grade point average. We set our sights on
improving our GPA, returning it to its previous
accolades.
Hypophetes Zak Kohanov ‘18 spearheaded this
goal, helping tremendously by mentoring people about
time management and by taking time to do one"on"ones
with people. He also leads three group study sessions a
week, where brothers can support each other in their
academic rigor. With his hands"on learning approach,
we believe our house GPA will be on the path to the
top by the end of the semester.
As a whole chapter, Omega TKE made campus visibility
an objective. We are proud of our spectacular
performance in philanthropy and service thus far. In
Greek Week this spring, we took 2nd Place with Alpha
Xi Delta and enjoyed a fun week with all the Greek
houses.
Yours in the bond,
Venerable Prytanis Maximilian Tech ‘17 # 1797
&Alumni Note: Prytanis Tech is the son of
Frater Kurt Tech ‘80, # 1158%
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THE ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF TAU KAPPA EPSILON, OMEGA CHAPTER
Downtown Albion:
A Time of Transitio*
Exciting changes are happening in
downtown Albion! The first significant
improvement was the restoration of the
historic Bohm Theatre in the heart of
the Superior Street Business District.
Plans are also underway for a new
Marriott Courtyard Hotel in the
block opposite Cascarelli’s. Another
significant addition is the renovation of
101 N. Superior which will be a new
meeting and learning place for Albion
College students. The 20,000 square
foot “101” building will house the Gerald
R. Ford Institute for Leadership, Public
Policy and Service; The Carl A.
Gerstacker Institute for Business &
Management; The Institute for
Healthcare Profession; The Center for
Sustainability and the Environment; and
the Shurmur Center for Teacher
Development. Renovations to the
building, which dates back to the early
1900s, will be completed by fall, 2016.
Visit the college website for updates on
other college and community
improvement projects now in the works.
&Above%: For many years 101 N. Superior Street stood vacant along the Central
Business District in downtown Albion. A complete renovation of the building is
now underway, set for fa$ 2016 completion. In January, members of the Albio*
Co$ege Alumni Board of Directors &including Frater Jim Royle ‘63 pictured
above, right% were given a tour of several downtown locations now being
renovated. The ground breaking for the new Marriott Courtyard wi$ tak(
place on May 12, 2016 !! visi" [email protected] for more details.
Tekes Provide Support for Albio*
Habitat for Humanity
As philanthropy and community involvement are focus areas for TKE
this year, several Fraters braved )igid temperatures to volunteer for a
Habitat for Humanity house improvement project in the town of Albion.
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THE ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF TAU KAPPA EPSILON, OMEGA CHAPTER
90 Years Strong... Omega Chapter Scroll Hits #1825!
Omega Chapter of TKE was chartered at Albion in 1926 %% 90 years ago! With the Spring 2016
initiation of 14 new Fraters, the chapter scro' has now reached #1825!
Ca$ing A$ “Families”...
Histor Plans ‘Family Tree’ Preservation Projec"
Dear Alumni Fraters of Omega Chapter,
As the new Omega Chapter Histor, I am undergoing
a massive preservation project in which I plan to
chart the Big and Little Brothers of our fraternity,
going back as far as I can. My goal is to complete the
history of the "Families" that have sprung up over
the past 30 years, since the early 1980’s. When
referring to a “family” within Omega Chapter, I am
referring to a collection of di#erent lineages that
many Fraters are placed into when going through
fraternal induction. The first family is the "Gurthy"
family, originated by Fraters Mel and Bill Gutherie
around 1982. Eventually, other families were created
and added to the Omega “family tree”, including the
“Visha” and “Chosen” families. Sometime during the
past three decades, we went from having one family
with just a few people to five families with everyone
being in one. It’s a unique family lineage within our
chapter that should be preserved.
I am asking for all of your help, because we have
no records on Bigs and Littles from the past. It is
my goal that when TKE Alumni come back to the
chapter house for Homecoming and events like
the annual Pig Roast, they can connect with their
“descendants”. Ideally, in my plan I would like to
implement a permanent and easily accessible place
to record the Bigs and Littles, past and present.
I would greatly appreciate your feedback and any
family tree details you can provide about your
lineage. Please email me at [email protected].
Thank you Fraters, and I look forward to hearing
from you!
Yours in the bond,
Frater Jacob Terberg ‘18
Omega Chapter Histor
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THE ALUMNI NEWSLETTER OF TAU KAPPA EPSILON, OMEGA CHAPTER
Chapter Scholarships Awarded to
Fraters Hermeyer and Mullins
&Above, le'%: The Seaton and Prout Scholarship Awards were presented to Frater Mu$ins &center% byVenerable Pas"
Prytanis/Frater Jerry Johnson ‘90 &le'% and Venerable Prytanis/Frater Maximilian Tech ‘17 &right%; Frater Hermeyer
&right photo, center% was also presented the Prout Scholarship Award. Congratulations to both Fraters!
Every year, collegiate Fraters are invited to apply for
the two annual Omega Chapter scholarships. The
scholarship committee is chaired by Venerable Past
Prytanis/Frater Jerry Johnson ‘90 with judging of
all entries by Omega alumni volunteers. The
recipients of this year’s William C. Prout, Jr. ‘59
Scholarship Award are Frater Christopher
Herweyer ‘17 and Frater Michael Mullins ‘17.
Frater Mullins was also selected as the recipient of the
Dr. John L. Seaton Memorial Scholarship
Award. Both Fraters were recognized for their
achievements in academics, and contributions to the
Albion College community and Tau Kappa Epsilon.
In their scholarship application essays, both Fraters
reflected on their TKE experiences:
Frater Mullins: “Because of TKE, I was introduced
to di#erence. Di#erence, coupled with learning and
understanding the true meanings of love, charity and
esteem.”
Frater Hermeyer: “I have become devoted to the
ideals of this fraternity, and cannot imagine where I
would currently be if I had decided not to join TKE.
The fraternity has been an inspiration for me to strive
to become a better man for a better world.”
Omega Chapter scholarships and our attendance at
events like the Triangle Summit are made possible by
the generous support of our alumni. Omega Chapter
Scholarships and Omega Special Projects funds are
managed by the TKE Educational Foundation
and rely on tax"deductible donations from alumni and
friends. Please visit www.albiontke.com and click
"support " donate" for more information.
Upcoming Events
• Teke Me Out To the Ballgame: Tentatively
scheduled for Sunday, June 26 at Comerica
Park in Detroit. Please visit the Omega TKE
Alumni Facebook page or www.albiontke.com
for additional information.
• Board of Advisors !BOA" Meeting: The
next meeting of the Board of Advisors is the
joint planning session with the collegiate
chapter, and will take place on campus on
Sunday August 28.
• Omega Chapter 90th Anniversary
Celebration: A special gathering for alumni is
being planned for early 2017 to commemorate
the 90th anniversary of Omega Chapter. More
details to follow.
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