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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Send congratulations to Kimberly Melgoza for passing her Proposal Defense last week! 🥳 Title: "From Sixteenth Century Indigenous Mexico to Modern United States Mushroom Churches: A Historical and Critical Analysis of Hallucinogenic Mushroom Rituals"

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Congratulations to Mana Tun for passing his Proposal Defense on September 21!! 🥳 Title: "Engaging Ludu's Revolution in Myanmar: A Christian Ethic of Liberative Peacebuilding" (P.S. sorry we took so long to post this, it got lost in the sauce!)

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Join the GSA for a spooky good time on October 15th for a Denver Ghost Tour! Starting at the Colorado State Capitol at 7pm. Book tickets here ($26): usghostadventures.com/denver-ghost... Make sure to select the October 15th, "Gaslights, Graves, & Gold: Terrors of Denver Ghost Tour," at 7pm.

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Join the CAHSS imp:ACT Institute for a talk by JDP alum Dr. Sho McClarence: “Looking Out, Looking In: The Panopticon & Your Role In It” Tues, Oct 6, 12-1pm – Chambers 190 Link to register: crimsonconnect.du.edu/CAHSS/rsvp_b....

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Reminder, GSA's Journal of Auto-Academia is still accepting submissions until October 17th 🤩 Beyond written work, we also welcome: 1. Photography 2. Poetry 3. Video/film projects 4. Other mediums *We will have to publish any art in a digital/written format Submit: forms.gle/QVgCdAV3Poid...

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Happening next Tuesday, September 22! JDP students, faculty, staff welcome Virtual Religious Studies Codenames! An exciting word association game where Red & Blue Teams face off by guessing their own hidden words before the other team does! RSVP for times/Zoom link: forms.gle/6hX9ms5HZghR...

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 07/09/2026

The JDP Community is invited to a proposal defense for Kimberly Melgoza! Title: "From Sixteenth Century Indigenous Mexico to Modern United States Mushroom Churches: A Historical and Critical Analysis of Hallucinogenic Mushroom Rituals" Thur Sept 24, 10am MT Check institutional email for room/Zoom

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

The JDP Community is invited to a proposal defense for Mana Tun! Title: "Engaging Ludu's Revolution in Myanmar: A Christian Ethic of Liberative Peacebuilding" Date & Time: Monday, September 21, 2026, 2:00PM Mountain Time Check with Mana for Zoom/room info.

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

There's a new doctor in the house!! Dr. Matthew Konerth passed their dissertation defense yesterday and is pictured with most of their committee here. The JDP is proud of everything you contributed to the program and your unique approach to interdisciplinary scholarship. We wish you all the best!

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

Matthew Konerth's Dissertation Defense happening THIS Friday, July 24th, at 10am MT Title: "Eating Othered Minds: From Fetishization to Abjection in the Modern Horror Film" Location: AAC 340 Check institutional email for Zoom link.

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Only 15 days left to submit a paper for the Fall Volume of the Journal of Auto-Academia! Anyone whether inside or outside academia can submit a paper for our theme "From Blueprints to Praxis: Practical Disruptions in Academia and Beyond." We are looking forward to seeing how you cause disruption!

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

Congratulations to Kev Grane who passed his proposal defense on Tuesday!! 🎉 It is titled: "Experiencing God Through the Nation: Ritual, Experience, and the Phenomenology of American Christian Nationalism" The JDP is looking forward to the completion of your dissertation research!

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

The JDP is invited to Kev Grane’s Proposal Defense TOMORROW, Tuesday, July 7th at 12:30pm MT. Title: "Experiencing God Through the Nation: Ritual, Experience, and the Phenomenology of American Christian Nationalism" Location: Iliff 201 Check your institutional email for Zoom link

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 27/06/2026

Congratulations to Wake Gerbi who passed his dissertation proposal defense on Wednesday (06/23)! We can't wait to see where your scholarship goes🤩 Title: "Decolonizng Democracy: Rationality in the Oromo Gadaa System and the Critique of Kantian Racialized Politics" (sorry we lost the photo of you!)

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Congratulations to Jessica Patterson for passing her proposal defense today! This is a big accomplishment and we can't wait to see where you go for the rest of your PhD journey! Title: "Diffracting Āsana: Reconfiguring and Re-membering the Matter(ing) of Bodies in Practice and Pedagogy"

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Announcing Jessica Patterson's proposal defense! Title: "Diffracting Āsana: Reconfiguring and Re-membering the Matter(ing) of Bodies in Practice and Pedagogy" Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2026 Time: 10:30am-12:30pm Location: ONLINE ONLY Check your institutional email for the Zoom link.

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 31/05/2026

Deadline for submission is August 1st, 2026. Please email joaa@iliff.edu with the subject heading “Submission for JOAA Fall2026” We do not standardize citation styles but ask you to use either MLA, APA, or Chicago consistently throughout your document Acceptances announced on September 15th

JOAA, the Journal of Auto-Academia, call for proposals theme: From Blueprints to Praxis: Practical Disruption in Academia and Beyond. Deadline, August 1st, 2026. Email submissions to, joaa@iliff.edu. Make the subject heading, "Submission for JOAA Fall2026". About the theme: People who discuss activism, liberation, mutual aid, collective communities, and other revolutionary ideas do not always live the practices they write and speak on. So this year, JOAA is asking for submissions about what it means to move from blueprints and theories to practical actions. How do you build, sustain, and love your communities? Because when knowledge, creativity, and agency are under attack; disruption is not optional; it is necessary. JOAA encourages writers and artists to challenge the rigid, canonized structures that define scholarly legitimacy while too often restricting creativity, policing expression, and reproducing exclusion behind the facade of “intellectual order.” We welcome submissions from scholars, scholar-activists, activists, and those who don’t identify with these words but engage in praxis. Please forward this announcement far and wide. Thank you!

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Send your congratulations to Robert Monson who passed their proposal defense yesterday! 🥳 Title: Black (Disabled) Lives Mattering: A Theoethical Construction of New Futures Alongside Black Sacred Disabled Bodies

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Please extend a big congratulations to Lex Dunbar who passed their proposal defense today! 🥳 Title: Trans*cendence in Subjugation: Trans*figuring Black Theology and Black Studies through Polydox Becoming and Black Transmasculine Narratives in the Afterlife of Slavery

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 19/05/2026

Happening tomorrow May 19th, Lex Dunbar's Proposal Defense! Title: Trans*cendence in Subjugation: Trans*figuring Black Theology and Black Studies through Polydox Becoming and Black Transmasculine Narratives in the Afterlife of Slavery Time: 10am-12pm Location & Zoom link: check email from JDP

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

GSA Awards winners at the JDP Spring Fling, are as follows: Robert Monson - Outstanding Student Marisa Hulstine - Outstanding Leadership & Community Service Lex Dunar - Outstanding Publishing, Presenting & Research Joseph Foltz - Outstanding Junior Scholar Dr. April Mack - Outstanding Faculty Member

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 07/05/2026

There's a new doctor in the house!! Congratulations to Dr. Taylor Muma who passed her dissertation defense today 🎉🥳 We are so proud of everything you accomplished in the JDP and look forward to seeing where you go from here!

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Religious Studies at DU is "under review" putting faculty, programs, and the entire department at risk. The JDP is safe, but this impacts our beloved professors and classes. Show support for RLGS however you can, and read JDP student David Kemp's Clarion piece about it duclarion.com/2026/04/reli...

duclarion.com

LTTE: Religious Studies is necessary for DU’s ‘The Denver Difference’

The University of Denver has many excellent departments, programs, faculty, staff, donors and initiatives that come together to create “The Denver Difference.” A funding campaign, but more import

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

Next Monday, May 11th, please join us for food and fun at the annual JDP Spring Fling & GSA Awards! All JDP students, staff, and faculty are welcome to attend. We also have 5 exciting new recipients of the GSA Awards! Come out Monday, May 11, 3-5pm, to DU's Community Commons 4th Story Overlook

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

‼️Virtual Philosophy of Communication Pre-Conference Submission and Registration Form‼️ This year’s conference theme is Rhetoric, Race, and Religion. The conference theme is a call for the exigency of reflection on race and religion in the current moment Due April 30 docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

docs.google.com

Virtual Philosophy of Communication Pre-Conference: Submission and Registration Form

May 26, 2026 We are pleased to partner with the Department of Communication & Rhetorical Studies and the Communication Ethics Institute at Duquesne University for the 7th Biennial Philosophy of Commun...

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

JDP students, Dr. Dheepa Sundaram would like to invite you all to an open house and lunch with Dr. Lucia Hulsether on Thursday, April 23 🎉 Open House: Sturm 266, 10:30-11:30am, coffee, juice, bagels Lunch: Sturm 380, 12pm, Snarf's Sandwiches. MUST RSVP by 7pm April 22: forms.gle/8xuvhBLkir6z...

forms.gle

RSVP and Lunch Order, Lunch with Dr. Lucia Hulsether, April 23, 2026 at NOON, Sturm 380

Join us for lunch with Dr. Lucia Hulsether! Dr. Hulsether wrote the award-winning book, Capitalist Humanitarianism and is an Associate Professor of History of Religions at Skidmore College. We also in...

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

The JDP community is invited to Taylor Muma's Dissertation Defense! Title: "Otherness and the Trinity: Toward a Critical Reimagining of Christian Divinity from a Postcolonial Ethos" Date & Time: Thursday, May 7th, 2026, 1-3pm MT Check your email from the JDP Office for location/Zoom link.

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

Next week JDP students Zane Johnson, Kirsten Dalquist, Andrew Robb-Scott, and David Kemp will critically reflect on Capitalist Humanitarianism alongside its author Dr. Hulsether Panel RSVP for Zoom: udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... Lecture RSVP for Zoom: udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

Please join several JDP faculty TOMORROW, Friday, April 17th at 12pm online or in-person for the event, "Failure and Resilience in Academia." These are amazing professors and this will be a spectacular panel! In-person, Sturm 287 Online Zoom link: udenver.zoom.us/j/9454208048

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Two imported student announcements! 🤩 JDP GSA Award nominations are OPEN for students/outstanding faculty! Determined by total number of nominations, self-nomination encouraged: forms.gle/wtCWP5zvQTFx... Iliff Student Senate positions, self-nominations encouraged: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

The JDP is invited to a special talk by Dr. Christy Cobb on Wednesday, April 15th, on Apocryphal Literature hosted by Profs & Prints Denver. When: 5pm, Wednesday, April 15th Where: Woodie Fisher Kitchen & Bar Buy your tickets: events.ticketleap.com/tickets/prof...

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 02/04/2026

Next Thursday Iliff is having its Vincent Harding public lecture by Dr. Miguel Diaz, titled "Queering Diplomacy: Affirming Differences, Rejecting Division, and Empowering the Catholicity of Humanity" Register for FREE: www.iliff.edu/event-calend... Livestream it: youtube.com/live/YUmz0yg...

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Congratulations to JDP alum Dr. Ginger Morgan who will soon transition into serving as Associate Professor of Pastoral and Spiritual Care and the Director of the Interreligious Chaplaincy Program at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities! preshouse.org/blog/staff-t...

preshouse.org

Staff Transition at Pres House: A special announcement from Ginger Morgan, PhD - Pres House

Director of Candid and Community Initiatives, Ginger Morgan, has been called to serve at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities.

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 19/03/2026

Congratulations to David Kemp for passing their proposal defense yesterday! This is a big accomplishment on the PhD journey and we look forward to seeing where you go! Title: Christian Reproductions: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Social, Religious, and Political Perceptions of Queerness in the USA

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

On Wednesday, April 8, 6:00pm Eastern Time, NYU is hosting a Zoom event with three editors from major religion publications! They will discuss how to write and publish articles about religion for broad readerships, share tips and things to avoid, and more Register here: nyu.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

The JDP Community is invited to a proposal defense for David Kemp! Title: "Christian Reproductions: A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of Social, Religious, and Political Perceptions of Queerness in the USA" Date/Time: Wed, March 18, 1:30pm MT Check your institutional email for room number and Zoom link

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 06/03/2026

Join JDP professor Dr. Amy Erickson as she engages with Dr. Melanie Harris to bridge the gap between theology and action for food justice initiatives within Colorado communities Wed, March 25, 2026 5:30pm: Reception, 6:30pm: Conversation Cost: $5 More info & RSVP: polo.feathr.co/view_email?c...

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 27/02/2026

Congratulations to Shobha Muniyappa for passing her Proposal defense yesterday! This is a major accomplishment on the PhD journey and we cannot wait to see your final project! The title of Shobha's Proposal was: TheoEthics of the Jeevana of Dalit Women’s Un/Touchable Bodies in Rural Karnataka

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 25/02/2026

Tomorrow from 12:30-2:30pm is the annual Tea for the JDP! Stop by anytime within those hours for a free drink and snacks on the JDP Everyone is welcome! See you there!

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 12/02/2026

Come attend the launch party for the JDP GSA's new journal, the Journal of Auto-Academia! Read the Inaugural Volume here: iliff.libguides.com/journal-of-a...

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 10/02/2026

Ever wanted to visit Italy? Ever wanted to learn about Christian art in Italy? Here is your opportunity with a trip being organized by Dr. Miguel De La Torre and the Italian Castello Sonnino International Education Center! Email him for the full itinerary and to RSVP: mdelatorre@iliff.edu

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 06/02/2026

Have questions, concerns, suggestions, etc. about what is happening with the JDP and the exciting changes coming in the future? Then stop by Iliff BEC 218 anytime between 1-3pm on Tuesday, February 17th, for Cookies & Questions (and coffee!)

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

The JDP Graduate Student Association has just launched a merch store for JDP branded items! All funds go to the GSA for supporting student conference reimbursements. Shop here and contribute directly to students: www.bonfire.com/store/jdp-st...

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 25/01/2026

Please join us on Tuesday, Feb 3, at 12pm in the Chambers Center Garden Room (Room 190) for “Black Christianities: Racialized Purity Culture as Theological Haunting”. Students, faculty, staff, and community members all welcome!

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 15/01/2026

The JDP Community is invited to a proposal defense for Aric Frenkel! Title: "The United Rights of America: An intervention on the Convenient Marriage Narrative." Date/Time: January 21, 2026, 10:00am-12:00pm MT. Check your institutional email for zoom link.

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 12/01/2026

Happening THIS week on Thursday, January 15th! Come hear Dr. Andrea Stanton speak about Technology as a Social Tool. RSVP at the provided link or find it in your institutional email: udenver.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

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Joint Doctoral Program in the Study of Religion - DU/Iliff @duiliffjdp.bsky.social · 09/01/2026

A Vision for Liberating Our Democracy Conference has extended the proposal deadline for papers, panel discussions, roundtables, and creative presentations‼️ Email Dr Adam Brett (abrett@uls.edu) a 300-word abstract and a 100-word biography ASAP‼️ About the conference: religionnews.com/2025/12/02/u...

religionnews.com

United Lutheran Seminary to host 'A Vision for Liberating Our Democracy' Conference, February 27–28

United Lutheran Seminary

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