Table of Contents

 

Why do Americans Take Risks?

Team Teaching and Collaboration among Teachers

TechnologyHarmful or Not?

Christy Comyns

English 100

Essay 2

10/17/99

Why do Americans Take Risks?

            Helen Keller once said, " Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." This quote explains the way Chance McGuire, 25, must be thinking just before he jumps off a “650 foot concrete dam hoping his parachute will open facing away from the dam and that the wind won’t slam him into the hard concrete” (Greenfeld 29). Many more young people, mostly between the ages of 15 and 35, are taking risks these days. Oblivious to the consequences, they are accomplishing dangerous and often deadly feats that have never before even been attempted. Base jumping, which is basically jumping off a cliff or bridge with a parachute strapped to your back, has become an extreme sport with one of the world’s highest fatality rates (Greenfeld 29). In its 18-year history, 46 participants have been killed, yet it remains extremely popular, with over a thousand jumpers in the United States alone (29). Other types of risk-taking include skydiving, which, in 1992, had a fatality rate of  about 2 for every 100,000 jumpers, and mountaineering, which has a death rate of 47 fatalities per every 100,000 participants (Skydiving Statistics). There are also many risks that are not life threatening, but can be financially hazardous. These include day trading or speculating on high-risk Internet or technology stocks. Time magazine gives the statistic that, "More than 30% of U.S. households own stocks of some form or another" (30). People are quitting their jobs more than ever to start up their own Internet businesses or to become entrepreneurs (Greenfeld 30). So why are we taking risks with our financial stability and even with our lives? What are the benefits and why are we going to such great lengths to achieve them? What are we thinking?

"I believe the rush is so high because you know you’re going to cross the line, and death awaits you over there. You cross the line, and then you get back," John Growney says of bull riding (qtd. in Parfit 114). The adrenaline rush is just one of the reasons that risk-takers like these will do whatever it takes to get their heart pumping. They are free when they partake in these dangerous ventures and feel obligated to overcome challenges. Thirty-nine year old mountaineer, Mark Wellman, has been in a wheelchair for 17 years from a climbing accident, and he is still determined not to give up (qtd. in Greenfeld 31). He climbs even now, with customized gear, and is the first disabled person ever to climb the 3,000-ft. face of Yosemite’s El Capitan and the first paraplegic to ski across the Sierra Nevada (31). Eric Perlmann, another mountaineer and a filmmaker specializing in extreme sports, gives a second thought as to why the risky sports may be so popular. He says, "Every human being with two legs, two arms is going to wonder how fast, how strong, how enduring he or she is. We are designed to experiment or die" (Greenfeld 31).

Darwin, who, long before genes were discovered, thought that the curious and inquisitive type of behavior was at least partly inherited (32). That is what Israeli scientists were trying to find out about when they studied the DNA of risk takers. What they found was surprising; they found that these types of people had a longer version of a gene known as D4DR than the people who were grouped as laid back and reflective (Greenfeld 32). This information has not shown that we have personality genes or that having this one gene will somehow make someone become a permanent risk taker. This just shows that some of us may have a predisposition to risk taking.

Another way in which risk-taking behavior is thought to have come out in some individuals and not others is by their track record so to speak. If a person has had many successes caused by taking risk then that person will have more of a likelihood of going after more risky behavior ("New Model"). The amount of risk involved in a person’s life also depends on how they perceive it ("New Model"). Some individuals would think speeding is a huge risk while others would think of it as no big deal. I usually drive about 90 miles per hour on the freeway, but somebody who always drives 60 would probably think that driving 90 is a big risk even though I don’t perceive it as one. If a person perceives risk as a normal part of life then they are obviously more likely to take bigger and more risks. "The people who tend to take risks tend to perceive less risk," says Sim B. Sitkin, author of the award-winning article "Determinants of Risky Decision-Making Behavior: A Test of the Mediating Role of Risk Perceptions and Propensity" ("New Model").

Risk does not always have to be related to danger.  It can basically mean any type of chance that somebody takes which requires change.  Taking some risks in life is very important to personal growth and, as paraglider pilot Wade Ellet, 51 puts it, "If you don’t assume a certain amount of risk, you’re missing a certain amount of life" (Greenfeld 36). Risk helps us discover new things by allowing us to go beyond the rules that are presently in control of Americans’ lives. We also need risk to better ourselves by taking the initiative to quit a bad job that is getting us nowhere or to get a better job that may not be what exactly what we studied in. Instead of always being afraid of snakes, for example, risk picking one up and see what happens. If it doesn’t bite, the fear you have of snakes will probably be gone forever. If a person decides to take a risk and gets on a motorcycle, and that person finds that he or she loves riding, the person will likely keep doing what he or she loves even if it may be dangerous. Some people will never find their passion because they have always been afraid of trying new things. This is why risk can be so important.  It is very difficult to find anything out about yourself if you never take risks because you won’t know everything that is out there.

The prosperity of the past decade could be causing Americans to push themselves, to see how far they can go causing the amount of risk-taking to increase. This can be extremely dangerous, as statistics done by the Consumer Products Safety Commission show (Greenfeld 31). "They reported that 48,000 Americans were admitted to hospital emergency rooms with skateboarding related injuries in 1997 which is 33% more than the year before," Karl Greenfeld says (31). This shows the increase in the popularity of these extreme sports. Since the past decade has been relatively free of major conflict and more cures for diseases have been found, Americans may be becoming restless. In the past, risk was a way of life, and Americans never chose to seek it out because it came to them (Greenfeld 32). For instance: The Vietnam War, The Cold War, and World War II were horrible events when people didn’t have the time or the need to try or even think about extreme sports.  As Dan Cady, professor of popular culture at California State University at Fullerton, puts it, “Coming back from a war and getting onto a skateboard would not seem so extreme” (Greenfeld 32). Diseases were also not so scarce. “There were childbirth complications, there was polio, the measles, and smallpox” (32). All of these contributed to the amount of uninvited risk that kept the older generations of Americans from risking their lives in crazy and risky sports. Nowadays, Americans are very lucky. We don’t have to worry as much about diseases because of all the cures and vaccines that have been invented, and this may be why we are looking for a certain amount of danger in our lives.

Risk, although often times extremely dangerous, is healthy to a certain extent and can allow Americans to better themselves and to see things from a different perspective. It helps them discover new things and overcome fear and challenges. It can add excitement and fun to an otherwise boring life. The popularity of risk-taking has increased over the past decade because of the decrease in the amount of uninvited risk like wars or life-threatening diseases. There are many reasons why Americans are taking risks these days. They want the adrenaline rush and the excitement. Some even have a predisposition to risk-taking and others just perceive big risks as a normal part of life. In any case, risk is important for any type of change, and people are always changing. Those who don’t are usually unhappy and unsatisfied with their life. Risk-taking, from extreme sports like base-jumping to speculating on high-risk Internet stocks, gives Americans the opportunity to find what they love, to accept change in their life, and to experience different things. Americans take risks because they want the adrenaline rush, some are born with a predisposition for risk-taking, and some want change and excitement in their lives.

Thesis: Americans take risks because they love the adrenaline rush, some are born with a predisposition for risk-taking, and some want change in their lives, and risk-taking has increased in the past decade because the lack of uninvited risk allows Americans to seek it out.

Works Cited

Greenfeld, Karl Taro. "Life on the Edge." Time 6 Sept. 1999: 29-36.

“A New Model of Risk-Taking.” School News. Nov. 1996. 9 Oct. 1999

<http://www2.fuqua.duke.edu/admin/extaff/exchange/winter96/model.htm>.

Parfit, Michael. "Rodeos-Behind the Chutes." National Geographic Sept. 1999: 105-125.

 “Skydiving Statistics.” FAI/IPC Technical and Safety Subcommittee Congress. Oct. 1993.

9 Oct. 1999 <http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/5897/stats.html>.

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Christy Comyns

English 100

Essay 3

11/8/99

Team Teaching and Collaboration among Teachers

Team teaching and collaboration among teachers can benefit the teachers as well as the students.  They can raise the enthusiasm of the teachers and students, give a larger diversity of knowledge and lesson plans while sticking to the curriculum, and decrease the student/teacher ratio.  These three things are very important in schooling because they will allow the students and the teachers to learn more and also enjoy being in the classroom more.  “Two heads are better than one,” is an old saying that clearly demonstrates the potential of team teaching and collaboration among teachers.

Collaboration in teaching is basically defined by Barbara Duchardt et al., team teachers who did a study on the ups and downs of team teaching, as “the sharing of expertise in delivering a ‘seamless’ lesson, solving a problem, working on a project, or any similar activity” (Duchardt et al 3).  This could include working together either outside or inside the classroom.  Collaboration outside of the classroom would be best described as the sharing of ideas in teaching areas such as lesson plans or curriculum.  These types of discussions could range anywhere from making sure everyone is generally following the same curriculum to developing almost the same exact lesson plan as another teacher.  Inside the classroom collaboration could be described as team teaching, which is simply having two teachers in one classroom instructing a single group of students.  According to Natalie Bohlmann, a team teacher, there are three major team teaching situations (Bohlmann 1).  One involves a mentor and a specialist “in which the mentor is the primary classroom teacher and a specialist teacher works in the classroom for periods of time.  The time in the classroom is usually limited to the specialist’s schedule and the needs of her students in that classroom.  This may be a learning disabilities instructor, a gifted and talented education teacher, or any other specialist in a push-in teaching situation” (Bohlmann 1).  The second type of circumstance is when there are two mentors working together in a classroom.  These mentors are both certified teachers and are teaching the same students within the same classroom.  Both of these teachers have experience in teaching and must share responsibility for the their students and the classroom.  They usually get paid equally and have the same job descriptions (Bohlmann 2).  The third situation that could arise in team teaching is that of a mentor and associate.  “This situation involves a classroom in which one teacher is a certified, experienced teacher acting in a mentor capacity.  The other teacher may be certified but does not have the same experience as the mentor teacher.  This is a full time position with similar job descriptions and equivalent classroom and school responsibilities.  There is often a significantly different pay scale” (Bohlmann 2).

            The use of collaboration and team teaching can increase the enthusiasm of the teachers and the students by giving them a variety of ideas.  The teachers will be more enthusiastic about their work if they can work together in creating a flawless lesson plan or lecture that is a mixture of two different points of views.  Each of the teachers will be able to give his or her input and this will enable them to learn a lot about different teaching strategies.  One of the great things about team teaching and collaboration is that the teachers have another adult to talk with which allows them to give and receive support.  Having two teachers in a classroom can also allow the teachers to have more fun.  As one third grade team teacher puts it, “A companion, person to laugh with and vent with, all add to how we feel about our days” (Bohlmann 3).  “This is supported by a research survey conducted in 1989 by Bauwens et al. in which they found that cooperative teachers reported a variety of significant benefits, including increased job satisfaction, stress and burnout reduction, enhanced job stability, and increased teaching effectiveness” (Bohlmann 3).  Another advantage to team teaching is that the teachers can bounce ideas off each other, producing a more valuable and interesting lesson (Bohlmann 3).  Because the lesson will provide the students with a more exciting outlook on the subject given, they will become more enthusiastic about their schoolwork.  They will likely contribute more often in group discussions and become more sociable.

            Team teaching members can bring different specialists to the classroom that can give the students a wide variety of knowledge as well as a deeper, first-hand knowledge about a subject that the primary teacher may not know much about.  This is especially so in the mentor/specialist situation discussed earlier.  Mike Wenger and Martin Hornyak, two team teachers in management education of college students, write of this, “One teacher is clearly more experienced and knowledgeable in his or her subject, and it is common for team members to teach their individual sections of the course sequentially with clearly marked boundaries between their subjects.  The goals, often not explicitly stated, are to broaden topic coverage, share the workload, and perhaps reduce class time for the individual members” (2).  The teachers can learn a lot from this type of situation because they will gain additional knowledge from the specialist who they invite to the classroom.  Even if the team teaching situation is not that of a mentor/specialist, the teachers’ areas of knowledge can differ and they can learn from each other.  For example: if one teacher’s specialty is and creativity and the other’s area of expertise is organization, the two can work together to create a lesson that will be clearly presented and interesting to the students.  This can be very helpful to the students because they will be engaged in the activity and learn something from both areas while also having the ability to see the result of effective collaboration.  The use of collaboration will also help all of the teachers stick to the same curriculum.  This will assist the students in the future because they will all be on the same track when they start their next year of education, causing nobody to be left behind.  Mickey Bogart and Carol Adams, who have been team teaching for years but teach different subjects, explain that by “using cooperative learning, problem solving, multiple intelligences, technology and a variety of reading and writing strategies” they can show how their two subjects are interwoven (1).  This, they say, “capitalizes on the strengths of both teachers making them better, even when they teach apart” (Bogart and Adams 1).  So, in addition to giving the students and teachers a wider variety of knowledge, team teaching and collaboration can also show the positive effects of working together and the connectedness of different subjects, which can relate to real life situations.

            Decreasing the student-teacher ratio is another advantage that results from the use of team teaching.  Natalie Bohlmann, a team teacher who did a study on the effectiveness of team teaching, stated that “The students in our class were quick to point out that having two teachers provides diversity in presentation of materials and in the ways in which each of us offers help.  They reported that, depending on the task, they may choose to go to one teacher over the other” (4).  Two teachers in one room gives the students a choice of who they want to ask their questions to while also allowing the teachers to be more available to them.  Bohlmann has determined that, “The lower the student-teacher ratio is, the greater is the potential for individualization within the classroom environment, translating into increased student achievement” (3).  She goes on to say that, “cooperative teaching eases the classroom management burden.”  This is another positive effect of a decreased student-teacher ratio.  Some people may ask, “Well, why don’t you just reduce the number of students in the classroom instead of using two teachers to decrease the student-teacher ratio?”  Decreasing the student-teacher ratio by adding a teacher will allow the teachers to share the sometimes tedious responsibilities of “preparing materials, grading papers, writing newsletters, developing bulletin boards, planning for parent-teacher conferences, and writing report cards with another person” (Bohlmann 4).  “It also provides greater consistency in classroom routine when one teacher is absent” (Bohlmann 4).  Decreasing the student-teacher ratio by adding another teacher is extremely important because a division of classroom tasks can lessen the workload of the teachers, and the availability of the teachers to the students is greatly increased.

            There have been various studies done in which a team teaching situation was tested in a school and was found to be beneficial to the students and the teachers.  In Bohlmann’s study, she found that out of the 12 teachers in her school who team teach, 9 said that they prefer two teachers in the room and the remaining 3 stated that “both have their advantages” (Bohlmann 3).  She then asked the same question of the students in team teaching situations and they unanimously stated that they preferred two teachers in the classroom (Bohlmann 3).  From Wenger and Hornyak’s experiences with team teaching in management education, they found that the teachers’ responses were that “the presence of another professional teacher in the classroom and during lesson preparation is beneficial in terms of feedback, support, and access to a different viewpoint.  The social benefits of working closely with a professional colleague are valued” (Wenger and Hornyak 9).  From the students’ perspectives “two instructors enhance interest, make the classroom more fun and informal, and improve student listening” (Wenger and Hornyak 10).  Another study was done in 1993 on co-teaching in general elementary education classes in which all participating team members “cited the experience of co-planning and co-teaching as a positive learning experience” and the concerns that the teachers originally had were fixed (Duchardt et al. 5).  This study also showed that “expansion of ideas, along with the variety of examples and strategies, resulted in the perception of enhanced professional development by those involved” (Duchardt et al. 5). 

Although these studies clearly show the benefits of team teaching and collaboration among teachers, the question still remains, why isn’t team teaching the main form of education right now?  Possibly, there are not enough educators who are willing to try team teaching, or maybe there just aren’t enough teachers period.  Another and even more likely possibility is that some believe the cost would be far too much.  Although hiring two teachers to teach one classroom would be more expensive, the class sizes can be increased a little to lower the cost.  For the idea of co-teaching to be spread universally, teachers need to be more informed of the benefits that it has to offer and many more studies must be done to provide this information.  Team teaching and collaboration among teachers has many advantages.  These include giving more enthusiasm to the teachers and the students, presenting different areas of expertise while sticking to the curriculum, and decreasing the student-teacher ratio. 

 

Thesis:  Teachers and their students benefit greatly from team teaching and collaboration among the teachers in that these two things raise the enthusiasm of the teachers and students, give a larger diversity of knowledge and lesson plans while sticking to the curriculum, and decrease the student/teacher ratio.

 

 

Works Cited

Bogart, Mickey, Carol Adams.  "Team Teaching." 27 Oct. 1999 <http://www2.educ.ksu.edu/Organizations/chalkboard/may/team_teaching.htm>.

Bohlmann, Natalie L.  "Cooperative teaching: A model for teacher collaboration."  Teaching and Change 5(1998): 199-224. 

Duchardt, Barbara, et al.  "Collaboration and co-teaching: General and special education faculty." The Clearing House 72 (1999): 186-190. 

Wenger, Mike S., Martin J. Hornyak.  "Team teaching for higher level learning: A Framework of professional collaboration." Journal of Management Education 23 (1999): 311-327.

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Christy Comyns

English 100

Essay #4

11/28/99

Technology…Harmful or Not?

            Many Americans believe that society will be harmed by technological advancements, but I strongly disagree.  Individuals and groups like political parties are concerned mainly with an increase in wage gaps, loss of privacy, the demoralization of society, and a population increase.  I do not believe that these problems do or will exist because of an increase in technology, and, to me, putting a limitation on technological advancements, as suggested by some, would be very detrimental to the citizens of the U.S.  Technology is defined in the Webster’s New World Dictionary as “the system by which a society provides its members with those things needed or desired” or “applied science” which means science that is used to create something.  So technological advancement can basically be described as progress or development in technology.  Technological advancements can be important in many ways although some Americans tend to think otherwise.

            Democrats are worried about wage gaps that could be caused by the increasing technology (Munro 3).  A left-wing writer, Jeremy Rifkin, believes that technology will allow the wealthy to become richer and the lower class to become even more distant from the upper class (Munro 4).  I agree with the free-market advocates and social liberals who believe that technological advancement will narrow wage gaps and that technology will become cheap enough for all (Munro 4).  New technology, mostly computers, software, and the Internet, actually “supports an estimated 7 million well-paid jobs, is pushing millions of people into the upper middle class, and during 1995-97 upped the national economic growth rate by 50 percent” according to a White House report (Munro 1).  “Without technology, 1997’s inflation rate would have climbed by half,” the White House estimates (Munro 1).  The middle class has been numerous and successful since major technological advancements have been developed like computers and the Internet that it is hard, if not impossible, to say that wage gaps have been widened.  There are now more opportunities for good schooling for the lower class because of financial aid and scholarships that are available.  It seems to me that as technology increases, the lower classes will eventually become more educated, and they will assume better paid jobs than before because of their advanced education.   Unemployment and inflation are both down which shows that people are working for their money, and they have not gone up since the invention of computers and the Internet.  So why would the wage gaps widen?  Lionel Basney, author of “Technolatry Unmasked,” says that “Technology benefits those in the best position to obtain it: those who are already in positions of social and economic advantage” (3).  This is not true in my opinion.  I believe that as technology increases, it will soon become available to anyone.  The prices of new inventions get lower and lower as we develop the technology to increase production of them and as we continue to learn more about them.  Only the upper classes originally had a phone when this form of communication was invented, but now even the majority of the lowest classes can afford one.  I do not think that the above quote is a very fair statement because these people must have done something right to even be in a position of social and economic advantage.  If they earned it then what are we going to do about it, turn Communist?  Gradually, technology will allow for the moving up of all citizens’ income.  This should allow the positions of the upper and lower class to stay proportionate with each other and wage gaps will not widen.

            Another concern that Americans like the Christian Coalition have with an increase in technology is loss of privacy.  If Americans want privacy, they will not allow themselves to be coerced into anything that dissolves their privacy.  The Christian Coalition and its conservative allies are concerned that computers, credit cards, cameras, and genetic technology will be used by certain corporations or government agencies to gather citizens’ closest secrets (Munro 3).  If you don’t want your privacy to be at all violated then you have the choice to do what you want to do.  Nobody is forcing you to put any private information on the Internet, have a credit card, or be videotaped.  Americans now have and will continue to have rights, and this will keep people’s secrets from being known to the rest of the world.  Remember, you do have a choice…

            The demoralization of society is a problem that many believe is due to the increasing technology.  Social conservatives believe that “the new economy undermines useful social norms—patriotism, religion, and traditional virtues such as delayed gratification and marital fidelity” (Munro 3).  It is my position that if somebody is really religious, they will not fall into traps that will demoralize them.  It is important to know where you stand as an individual, and if you strongly believe in something and morals are very important to you then you have the ability to choose what is right and what is wrong.  To say that the new economy undermines useful social norms is definitely incorrect.  Social norms can include moving forward as a society in technology and developing new things to increase our knowledge.  It is not customary for a society to move backward in development, but it is natural and inevitable for a society to progress in everything that they can.  Patriotism is in no way affected by technological advances either.  Love for your country can come about for many different reasons.  I, for one, am very proud of the way that the United States is developing, and I would gladly fight for my country if need be.  There is no way to prove that technology causes an undermining in religion and patriotism, and I have not seen any proof that there is less religion and patriotism in the U.S. than there was before the car, the train, the computer, and so on. 

            As for a population increase caused by technology, this will not happen.  Students in my English 100 class believe that technology will cause a population explosion with the new medicines and cures for diseases.  Just because Americans will be living longer, healthier lives does not mean that we will be having more children.  In fact, the average family size will probably get smaller because of the time it takes to go to college and finally get a good paying job.  Since the entire population of the world can fit into the state of Texas with a nice house and good-sized yard, we should not be too worried about running out of room (Springer 1).  People do not have the time to have six kids, hold down a good job, go to school, and have enough productive time to spend with each of their children.  What makes people think that all of a sudden the population of the United States will double?  If it does, it will not be from increased birth rates caused by technological advancements, it will be from immigrants who want a better life because, after all, that is what primarily made up the U.S. population in the first place. 

            Some people even believe that we should limit our technological advances.  A retired engineer, T. Jack Heckelman, president of the Alliance for a Sustainable Future, believes that this Council should be elevated to a full-time government agency (Boyd-Merrit 1).  Rick Boyd-Merrit, who shares Heckelman’s views, signed a petition that Heckelman handed out requesting to Clinton that this be put into action.  I do not agree with limiting technological advances because with these limitations we also limit growth, development, education, and our freedom.  Sustaining development would only smother American’s natural curiosity and zest for knowledge.  Who knows what would happen if the government put a stop to innovations?  It would just exacerbate the situation.  I want our country to develop and grow as it naturally should because with it the people grow too.  Human beings are not born as adults and gradually shrunk until they become babies, they are babies first and grow smarter and larger as life goes on.  This is how we as a society should grow also.

            People should start taking responsibility for their actions and stop blaming technology for the problems of the world.  Technology itself does not create the problems, the way we use it does.  Americans will always have a choice as to whether or not they want to use technology for practical purposes, educational purposes, or just for fun.  Limiting technological advances will not only stifle the independence of Americans, it will defy the meaning of the phrase “Land of the Free.”  Personally, I love hearing about all the new things being created and all the new ideas different people have come up with, but that doesn’t mean I am going to try them if they are morally wrong to me. Although many Americans fear that technological advancements will increase wage gaps, decrease Americans’ privacy, demoralize society, and increase population, I believe that technology does not harm Americans in these ways because people always possess the freedom to choose their actions.

 

Thesis:  Although many Americans fear that technological advancements will increase wage gaps, decrease Americans’ privacy, demoralize society, and increase population, I believe that technology does not harm Americans in these ways because people always possess the freedom to choose their actions.

 

Works Cited

Basney, Lionel.  “Technolatry unmasked.”  The Other Side.  33 (1997): 8 Infotrac.  22

Nov. 1999  http://…/purl=rcl_EAIM_0_A20821573&dyn=32!xrn_8_0_A20821573?sw_aep=cclc_paloma.

Boyd-Merritt, Rick.  “One engineer’s view.”  Editorial.  Electronic Engineering Times 1

June 1999.  29 Nov. 1999  http://www.eetimes.com/story/editorial/OEG19990601S0017.

Munro, Neil.  “We’re Wired, But Now What?”  National Journal.  31 (1999): 99 Infotrac. 

22 Nov. 1999 

<http:/…/purl=rcl_EAIM_0_A53730179&dyn=23!xrn_57_0_A53730179?sw_aep=cclc_paloma>.

Springer, Charlie.  Letter.  Electronic Engineering Times  21 June 1999.  22 Nov. 1999 

<http:/…/purl=rcl_EAIM_0_A54947429&dyn=10!xrn_24_0_A54947429?sw_ae

p=cclc_paloma>.

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