• last year
Chief video correspondent Graham Flanagan got an inside look at what it's like on the first day for new freshmen, known as knobs, at the Citadel in Charleston, South Carolina. Matriculation day marks the beginning of the knobs' seven-month journey to joining the South Carolina Corps of Cadets at the Citadel, one of the oldest public senior military colleges in the US, which has been at the center of controversy for decades because of allegations of racism, sexism, and hazing and its historical ties to the Confederacy.
After saying goodbye to their families, the knobs encounter a group of upperclassmen tasked with leading the new class during matriculation. Despite the school's complicated past, we saw some cadets making progress toward changing the Citadel's culture in real time.
After saying goodbye to their families, the knobs encounter a group of upperclassmen tasked with leading the new class during matriculation. Despite the school's complicated past, we saw some cadets making progress toward changing The Citadel's culture in real time.

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😹
Fun
Transcript
00:00 Why are you smiling? What is funny?
00:02 Heels on the line. Heels on the line.
00:04 Heels on the line. Do not get that close to me.
00:06 Heels on the line. Heels on the line.
00:08 Go!
00:09 On a blistering Saturday in August,
00:11 759 new freshmen, or knobs, arrived at the Citadel
00:16 in Charleston, South Carolina for matriculation day.
00:20 Yeah!
00:21 A few weeks later, only 683 would remain.
00:24 Come on! Again!
00:26 Tuck your head back!
00:28 The atmosphere created by Citadel cadets
00:31 is described as artificial stress.
00:33 Go! Get out of my face.
00:34 And the tone is set immediately
00:36 upon stepping into the barracks.
00:38 C-Wit! Write your C-Wit!
00:40 Find your name! Find your name!
00:40 Find your name! Find your name!
00:42 Where is it? Where is it? Where is it?
00:43 But 76 students, about 10% of the knobs
00:46 who show up on day one, won't be here
00:49 for more than a few weeks
00:50 before walking away from the school.
00:57 Citadel freshmen are referred to as knobs
00:59 because of the resemblance their freshly-shaped heads share
01:03 with the doorknobs.
01:04 It's one of the first steps on their journey
01:09 toward joining the South Carolina Corps of Cadets
01:13 at one of the nation's oldest military colleges.
01:16 Right! Halt! Attention!
01:18 Halt!
01:19 Matriculation day kicks off a seven-month period
01:22 known as "knob year,"
01:25 a time filled with rigorous physical and mental challenges,
01:29 finally ending with recognition day the following March,
01:32 when the knobs officially become cadets.
01:34 The mission of the Citadel is to educate and develop cadets
01:37 and become principal leaders.
01:38 Citadel cadets are not obligated to serve
01:40 in the armed forces after graduation,
01:42 and only about a third join the military ranks.
01:45 So why do these young people choose this
01:48 for their college experience?
01:50 Why did you choose the Citadel?
01:51 I chose the Citadel because I wanted to challenge myself.
01:55 It will push me past what I thought were my limits.
01:57 I knew that if I went to a different school,
01:59 I'd probably, like, slack off
02:00 and not do what I was supposed to do.
02:01 I really enjoy military and structure.
02:04 For some people, especially like myself,
02:06 it's easier to know if people are telling you what to do,
02:08 when to do it, and, like, how to do it.
02:10 My name is Hibifumi Matsuda.
02:13 I'm from California.
02:14 So why are you at the Citadel?
02:16 Oh, so it's my dream to come to the East Coast
02:20 for the college,
02:21 and also I wanted to join the Army for a long time.
02:24 So it was a great opportunity to come here.
02:27 And when that golf cart driver comes to pick you up,
02:32 hand him that blue card, please.
02:34 So I saw your mom.
02:35 What was it like saying goodbye to her?
02:37 Oh, we had just a friend goodbye,
02:40 and my mom was like, "I'm worried about you,
02:43 but you got it," and, yeah.
02:45 Next! Come on, let's go!
02:47 Today, about 25% of Citadel cadets
02:51 are from underrepresented groups,
02:53 a percentage that's continued to grow
02:55 since the school racially integrated in 1966.
02:59 But as some of the school's characteristics
03:01 appear to evolve,
03:02 others remain rooted in its past,
03:04 one the school itself acknowledges
03:07 has deep ties to slavery and the Confederacy.
03:12 This placard honoring the Confederate General
03:14 Robert E. Lee remains in the barracks.
03:17 A Confederate flag hangs in the Citadel's chapel,
03:21 protected by South Carolina's Heritage Act
03:23 despite protests from school officials and alumni.
03:27 And for decades, the school has been scrutinized
03:30 because of allegations of racism, sexism, and hazing.
03:34 Racism, misogyny, discrimination of any kind
03:38 is completely incompatible with our core values
03:40 of honor, duty, and respect.
03:42 And the sanction for hazing is expulsion.
03:44 Good afternoon.
03:46 Good afternoon, sir. How are you?
03:47 We went inside day one for the new knob class.
03:51 Do you need water?
03:52 Sir, no, sir.
03:53 While the Citadel continues to wrestle with its past,
03:56 we saw some cadets trying in real time to change its future.
04:00 Morning, ma'am. Welcome to the Citadel.
04:01 Can I have your cadet recruits ID, please?
04:03 You're gonna be headed to 3rd Battalion.
04:04 Go right there and hang a right.
04:05 Morning, sir. Welcome to the Citadel.
04:07 Each knob is assigned to a company.
04:10 And after checking in,
04:13 they head to their new home, the barracks.
04:15 Hurry up. Stop lollygagging.
04:17 Don't take forever. Stop right here.
04:18 Face straight ahead. See that clerk over there?
04:20 Yes, sir.
04:21 You will say, "Ma'am, yes, ma'am,"
04:22 or "Ma'am, no, ma'am," when addressing her.
04:23 Put your heels and toes together like this.
04:26 Toes apart at a 45-degree angle, as I was.
04:28 You will go up to her, and you will address her as,
04:29 "Ma'am, yes, ma'am," or "Ma'am, no, ma'am."
04:31 Do you understand? Yes, sir.
04:32 When addressing a male cadet,
04:33 you will say, "Sir, yes, sir," or "So, no, sir."
04:34 Do you understand? Sir, yes, sir.
04:35 Go. Hurry up. Walk faster.
04:39 They're met and instructed by upperclassmen
04:42 like sophomore cadet John Wharton,
04:44 who only a year ago was just beginning his knob year.
04:48 Are you glad you're on the other side of this after last year?
04:50 Absolutely, sir. It's a whole new experience,
04:52 and it feels really nice.
04:53 It definitely, like, opens your eyes up
04:57 to more of how this place works.
04:59 Stop right here in the center of this store area.
05:00 Let's go. Come on. Move.
05:02 Here, stand in position of attention.
05:03 Hands by your side, heels together,
05:04 toes at a 45-degree angle.
05:06 You're good. I'm going to send you to that clerk
05:07 right over there. You're going to do everything
05:08 she tells you to do. Do you understand?
05:09 Yes, sir. Go.
05:10 It's a whole new experience, and it's definitely --
05:13 I want to say better, but it's also more challenging
05:16 because it has its own requirements to it
05:18 and its own, you know, trials.
05:20 Come on. Hurry up. Let's go.
05:22 That is your key. Do not leave this table without it.
05:24 Take a black pen. Fill in the columns
05:26 to the right of your name. Go.
05:27 Yes, sir.
05:29 What is matriculation?
05:30 What's happening here at the Citadel today?
05:32 So, today, the knobs, or cadet recruits,
05:35 are coming in for the very first time.
05:36 They're getting checked in.
05:38 They're moving all the things that they have up to their room,
05:40 and it's basically just the introduction day to the system.
05:44 Button your polo up.
05:46 What company are you?
05:47 Alpha-Mam.
05:48 Mam Alpha-Mam.
05:49 There's no two-word answers here anymore, all right?
05:51 What company are you?
05:52 Delta Company, ma'am.
05:53 Mam Delta-Mam.
05:54 Mam Delta-Mam.
05:55 Go.
05:56 Yes, ma'am.
05:57 Showed up in slides.
05:58 Put your heels together.
05:59 45-degree angle, right?
06:00 What company are you?
06:02 They did not tell me.
06:03 Go back.
06:05 Showing up in slides is not --
06:07 No. You're supposed to show up in sneakers.
06:10 So, you were in their shoes last year.
06:13 Yep.
06:14 I knobbed in Charlie Company, so...
06:18 What's it like being on this side?
06:19 It's interesting.
06:20 It's very polarizing,
06:21 'cause I can exactly feel the exact same dread
06:24 that they had today,
06:25 but now I'm on the opposing end,
06:27 causing that dread, if that makes sense.
06:29 So...
06:30 Walk faster!
06:37 What company are you?
06:38 Alpha-Mam.
06:39 Alpha-Mam.
06:40 You're not gonna say one-word answers anymore.
06:41 Are you all right?
06:42 Ma'am, yes, ma'am.
06:43 Go.
06:44 Nope.
06:45 Do you ever --
06:46 Will you ever get that close to me?
06:47 Heels on the line.
06:48 You're like kind of a first- or second-person they see.
06:51 Like, what's your sort of goal here?
06:53 With the way you talk to them and everything.
06:54 Intentionally, I mean,
06:55 the school causes condition stress, in a sense,
06:57 so, like, you want them to introduce them
06:59 to that system already, and kind of, like,
07:01 we're introducing them to, like,
07:03 "Ma'am Sandwiching" and "Sir Sandwiching,"
07:05 so that way they know how to correctly address
07:07 the upperclassmen and create a sense of, like,
07:10 how to walk in this battalion, how to do what to do.
07:13 But...
07:14 Heels on the line.
07:18 What company are you?
07:19 B-Company.
07:20 Bravo.
07:21 Ma'am Bravo, ma'am.
07:23 Ma'am Bravo, ma'am.
07:24 Go.
07:26 But, in a sense, we call it artificial stress,
07:30 but, I mean, they do feel real stress,
07:32 but it's in a set environment, if that makes sense.
07:36 Look straight ahead.
07:37 I'm gonna send you that female clerk right over there.
07:39 You'll say, "Ma'am, yes, ma'am," or, "Ma'am, no, ma'am.
07:41 I'm gonna dress you here. Do you understand?"
07:42 Yes, sir.
07:43 For over 150 years, the Citadel was male-only.
07:47 Females weren't able to matriculate until 1995.
07:51 The first female student, Shannon Faulkner,
07:53 quit after only one week at the college,
07:56 a decision that was openly celebrated
07:58 by some male cadets.
08:00 The first female cadet to graduate from the Citadel
08:03 was Nancy Mace, who got her diploma in 1999.
08:07 She now serves as a Republican congresswoman
08:10 representing South Carolina.
08:11 Over there. Go. Move.
08:13 Today, about 13% of Citadel cadets are female.
08:18 You checked in at the wrong table, right?
08:19 Yes, sir, sorry.
08:20 All right.
08:21 Write 1460 in marker on the back of your hand.
08:24 As a female cadet, do you feel like this is a safe
08:26 and inclusive place?
08:27 I do.
08:28 When I was a NOB, my upperclassmen
08:31 were extremely professional.
08:33 If a certain situation felt like it needed
08:35 specific attention, then maybe a female upperclassman
08:38 was called over to deal with it or something like that.
08:40 There's definitely a lot of training that goes on
08:42 with the cadre and the leadership.
08:44 Everyone should be treated equally,
08:45 but at the same time, there's a whole lot of difference
08:48 when it comes to the females and males
08:49 and the fact that there's so much less of us.
08:51 To me, you're a cadet.
08:52 If I go to my female NOBs and I tell them
08:55 what I expect of them, exactly the same as the males,
08:57 there's no question there that everyone's a cadet.
09:00 If I were to change the standards,
09:02 or if my leadership were to change the standards,
09:04 we would only be making it worse.
09:06 We would only be separating them more.
09:08 So I try to stay away from that.
09:09 Sir, gas is recorded.
09:11 Get back.
09:12 Stop smiling.
09:13 Stop it.
09:14 Do you know where you're at, son?
09:16 You're at the CITREL, the Military College of South Carolina,
09:18 the hardest military academy in the nation.
09:20 You understand that?
09:22 No place for jokes.
09:24 Find your name on this sheet.
09:25 I do not have all day with you, Gaskins.
09:27 Find it right now.
09:28 Look through, Gaskins.
09:30 Find your name.
09:31 Find your name.
09:32 1418, 1418, find your name.
09:34 Find your name.
09:35 Where is it?
09:36 Sign right here.
09:37 Sign right here.
09:38 Get your pen.
09:39 Sign right there.
09:40 CWIT, CWIT, CWIT.
09:41 Put your CWIT.
09:42 Sign your name.
09:43 Put AUG-12.
09:44 The NOBs report to their company's first sergeant.
09:45 Write it, write it, write it, write it.
09:46 Stop wondering, just write it.
09:48 Who confiscates their cell phones,
09:50 gives them their room keys,
09:52 and sends them on their way.
09:54 What you're going to do,
09:55 you're going to go to that table over there.
09:56 You're going to grab everything they issue you at that table.
09:58 Then you're going to go to your room,
09:59 drop that off, go to your car.
10:00 Then from your car, what you're going to do,
10:02 you're going to go from your car up to your room,
10:04 change into the Citadel PTs,
10:06 and wait for further instruction.
10:07 Do you understand?
10:08 Yes, first sergeant.
10:09 Fly away.
10:10 At this point, we're giving a certain amount of artificial stress to them,
10:12 just so they can get that shock and awe factor.
10:14 We'll get them in their rooms,
10:15 get them to lunch.
10:16 We'll have a rough day, but a good one.
10:19 Do you remember two years ago
10:20 what it was like for you to be on the other side of the table?
10:22 It was terrifying.
10:24 But I would not be the same person if it was not for this school.
10:27 While this process can be tough and challenging and grueling,
10:30 it's really necessary for these kids.
10:32 I mean, I've seen people come through here
10:34 who I thought would never make it, maybe at first glance,
10:37 end up being the biggest studs in their company.
10:39 Don't look at me.
10:41 Put a glance in your eyes at me.
10:43 What size are you?
10:44 Medium.
10:46 Sir, medium, sir.
10:48 Whenever you're ready.
10:49 I think that haircut actually might make you look better.
10:51 Open this up.
10:54 That is disgusting.
10:56 Upperclassmen issue PT, or physical training uniforms, to the knobs.
11:01 You can put this in there when you're ready.
11:02 Sir, yes, sir. Sir, thank you, sir.
11:04 I'm not your friend.
11:05 You're not safe. Thank you.
11:06 Excited for your haircut today?
11:08 Sir, yes, sir.
11:09 I sure am.
11:10 Open that up.
11:11 Sir, yes, sir.
11:12 I think you might want to be a motivational speaker
11:14 the way you freaking sound off.
11:16 You motivate me.
11:17 Did you forget your belt this morning?
11:19 Yes, sir.
11:20 Don't look at it.
11:21 Did I say grab it?
11:22 No, sir.
11:23 I'll be grabbing now.
11:24 Sir, yes, sir, right?
11:25 Sir, yes, sir.
11:26 Man, you got this figured out.
11:28 So, what kind of dynamic picture are we creating?
11:33 Trying to, like, introduce them to the system.
11:35 You kind of, like, you want to razzle them a little bit
11:38 so they're under that stress now, so they actually can perform.
11:41 And they're under, like, a lot of stress.
11:42 They actually have somewhat of a, you know,
11:44 they're still, like, I guess, able to think a little bit.
11:47 I'm not scared.
11:48 Why are you looking?
11:50 They have no idea what's, like, what's right,
11:53 so just tell them, like, what they're doing wrong
11:55 and hopefully, you know, learn how to fix it.
11:58 [music]
12:00 To the Citadel, famed military college in Charleston, South Carolina,
12:03 go sons of the South's first families.
12:06 In this West Point of Dixie,
12:08 the young gentleman is raised in the traditions of his forefathers.
12:11 According to the Citadel's own website,
12:14 the college was founded in 1842 to defend the city of Charleston
12:18 against a potential slave insurrection.
12:20 Slaves, in fact, labored at the Citadel,
12:23 where during the 19th century,
12:25 some cadets and faculty members reportedly owned slaves as well.
12:29 It's widely believed that the first shot in the American Civil War
12:33 was fired by a Citadel graduate
12:35 fighting for the South during the Battle of Fort Sumter in 1861.
12:40 More than a century later,
12:43 the first black cadet matriculated at the Citadel in 1966.
12:47 A former Citadel cadet has sued the school,
12:50 hazing, beatings, and repeated trips to the hospital.
12:53 For decades, the school has been plagued
12:55 by allegations of racism and hazing.
12:58 In January of 2023,
13:00 Charleston newspaper "The Post" and "Courier" published a story
13:03 citing conversations with three dozen current
13:06 and former Citadel cadets and employees
13:08 who described instances of cadets using the N-word
13:11 and hanging racist effigies,
13:13 along with a football coach who used the word "monkey"
13:16 to describe a black player.
13:18 [siren wailing]
13:21 According to the Citadel, about 7% of cadets identify as black,
13:26 and about 18% identify as part of other underrepresented groups.
13:31 [shouting]
13:32 We're still working to get the number of underrepresented students
13:36 here where we want it.
13:38 That number has increased significantly since I was a cadet.
13:41 -You wear the ring. -I do.
13:43 The Citadel's chief inclusive excellence officer, Robert Pickering,
13:46 graduated from the college in 1994.
13:49 Would you say that the Citadel is an inclusive place?
13:53 I would say that it is, and I'm speaking from somebody
13:56 who had that experience as a cadet and who's worked here for 28 years.
14:00 I see that every year we're moving closer and closer
14:03 to get to where we want to be in terms of inclusive excellence.
14:07 What was your experience as a black man at the Citadel in 1990?
14:12 -Through that lens. -Yes, yes.
14:14 So not many African-American students on campus,
14:17 so we were a close-knit group.
14:19 We needed that bond.
14:21 I was fortunate enough to grow up here in Charleston.
14:24 My father told me who Charles Foster was,
14:26 so I knew who the first African-American graduate was when I was a cadet.
14:30 And in my mind I'd say, "Well, if Charles Foster can make it,
14:33 "and he's coming here in 1966, I can definitely make it coming here in 1990."
14:38 And having been here now for quite a while,
14:41 I have the ability now to mentor and support students
14:44 as they come through as well.
14:46 Battalion, receive the report!
14:48 Today a new generation of black cadets serve as leaders in the Corps.
14:54 So being here as an African-American student is just like any other cadet.
14:58 It is a shallow shock at first.
15:00 I'm coming to a predominantly white school,
15:03 but I think it is very, very important that we get more cadets on campus
15:07 to expose our diversity.
15:09 Don't think that you're going to come here and get harassed or bothered with.
15:12 Just about everybody here is--we're a family, at least.
15:16 We try to form those families and those bonds.
15:19 There's always people here to support you.
15:21 Have a seat! Somebody move your move!
15:23 Should not be standing up!
15:25 Oh, yeah, he's still moving.
15:29 [indistinct chatter]
15:31 [sizzling]
15:34 Go ahead and take a seat with your hat on.
15:36 Keep going, keep going, keep going.
15:38 All right, why'd you come here?
15:44 For a challenge, sir.
15:45 For a challenge. Okay, cool.
15:47 Go through your door and go through this one.
15:50 How'd you pull this gig?
15:52 I just got randomly selected, sir.
15:54 What are you doing exactly?
15:56 I'm just swiping the knobs' heads down,
15:59 and then as I do that, I sort of just ask them why they came here.
16:03 Some knobs don't even know the reason why they come here.
16:06 I kind of want to give them an opportunity to sort of tell me that
16:10 so they can sort of ask themselves that, you know,
16:13 and then they can reinforce that in their head so they can continue on.
16:17 Breeze. What's in it?
16:19 Just sea breeze. [laughs]
16:22 From what I remember, this kind of stings a little bit, so, yeah.
16:25 All right, go through the door, go through.
16:27 [speaking Japanese]
16:33 [laughter]
16:35 [speaking Japanese]
16:37 Right here, right here. Let's go.
16:42 Keep going, keep going.
16:44 [speaking Japanese]
16:47 [speaking Japanese]
16:52 [speaking Japanese]
16:54 Delta.
17:00 [speaking Japanese]
17:02 Hey, what language were you speaking?
17:07 That was Japanese.
17:09 I can speak a little bit of Japanese, so I just wanted to show that there's
17:13 sort of like cultural here.
17:15 It's pretty cool.
17:17 I kind of just guessed he was Japanese, though, so, yeah.
17:21 You think that probably gave him some comfort?
17:23 Definitely.
17:25 I know I have a South Korean knob in my company,
17:28 and I definitely feel like, you know, there's Asian culture in the company.
17:33 You know, it's better to show them that, make them feel more at home,
17:37 so definitely.
17:39 What did that mean to you to have someone speak to you in Japanese
17:43 here at Citadel?
17:45 Well, it kind of broke my nerve because it's a familiar language
17:49 that I speak with my family.
17:51 I feel very safe and familiar.
17:53 Does that make you feel better?
17:55 Yes, sir.
17:56 Great. All right. Thank you so much for your time, and good luck to you.
17:59 Thank you.
18:00 All right.
18:01 Core values, pop up.
18:02 Sir, the Citadel's core values are honor, duty, and respect.
18:05 Sir, again.
18:06 Sir, the Citadel's core values are honor, duty, and respect.
18:09 Sir.
18:10 According to the Citadel, Matsuda is no longer enrolled at the school,
18:15 and it wouldn't offer any further explanation as to why he left.
18:19 Sir, you're putting my life at risk.
18:21 He's one of 76 knobs who showed up for matriculation day
18:25 but have since left.
18:29 Sometimes you may think you may want something or like something
18:32 and then realize that it's just not your passion.
18:34 Sometimes we feel like quitting.
18:35 Everybody has those days, but the thing we like to refer to is our why.
18:39 We want people to remember that why.
18:40 Why did you come here?
18:41 You came here for a reason, and you are here for that.
18:43 Remember that when you feel like you're going to quit,
18:45 whether that be family, whether that be your future.
18:47 Usually the people that don't tend to finish out,
18:49 they just find their other passions in life.
18:52 Do you need socks?
18:53 Sir, no, sir.
18:54 You sure?
18:55 Sir, yes, sir.
18:56 Step up.
18:57 The knobs head to the cadet store to pick up the different uniforms
19:00 they'll need for the school year.
19:02 23 and a half, 75-inch.
19:04 Good afternoon.
19:05 Good afternoon, sir.
19:06 Sir, good afternoon, sir.
19:07 You got me?
19:08 Sir, good afternoon.
19:09 Can you come here and step right here, please?
19:10 We saw one upperclassman who was addressing the knobs
19:13 in a manner we had not yet seen.
19:15 How are you?
19:16 Sir, good, sir.
19:17 Are you sure?
19:18 Sir, yes, sir.
19:19 Is it hot?
19:20 Sir, yes, sir.
19:21 Do you need water?
19:22 Sir, no, sir.
19:23 How are you doing?
19:24 Sir, this guy is doing great, sir.
19:25 Great.
19:26 I like your hair.
19:27 Thank you.
19:28 Yes, sir.
19:29 Yes, sir.
19:30 Oh, my Lord, it's hot.
19:31 Are you hot?
19:32 Are you bald?
19:33 Sir, yes, sir.
19:34 All right, don't smile when you get in there.
19:36 You got hair all over your face.
19:38 You got more hair on your face than your head right now.
19:40 Permission to touch?
19:41 Sure, no, sir.
19:42 All right.
19:43 You'll be okay, man.
19:44 Get in there.
19:45 So you're being kind of particularly kind to them
19:48 as they come in.
19:49 Yes, sir.
19:50 Why is that?
19:51 It's just who I am.
19:52 I didn't have a good experience with my knob here,
19:53 so it's just like if I get to change the environment
19:56 and climate, which is what we really learned
19:58 during our preparation for this week, it'll help.
20:01 It's the expectation that if I get hazed
20:05 or if something happens, I'll walk 100 toes,
20:07 which I did, is that the expectation is that
20:10 I'm going to do that to someone else, right?
20:12 And so that's not who I am.
20:13 That's not how I was raised.
20:14 That's not what I grew up with.
20:15 So it's just always going to be kind and respectful
20:18 to everybody no matter what age you are.
20:20 Like, my best friend was a knob last year,
20:22 and it's just unfair to me, you know?
20:26 All right.
20:27 So are they about to have a tough few days?
20:30 Yes, sir.
20:31 I'll be there for them.
20:33 Move, move, move, move.
20:36 For these knobs, with matriculation day behind them,
20:39 they've taken their first step in the grueling journey
20:42 they must endure before officially joining
20:45 the Corps of Cadets.
20:48 [♪♪]
20:51 [♪♪]
20:52 [♪♪]
20:53 [♪♪]

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