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Dwight Lofts
642 S Clark St, Chicago, IL 60605, United States
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Ra
Review №1

Awful. sad that i can’t put zero stars. love the school, hate the dw*ght. RUINED my freshman year.

Jo
Review №2

I would leave this review for Columbia College residence life but this is the closest to residence life I could leave a review for and I lived in The Dwight Lofts my freshman year.I cannot complain a lot about my apartment itself apart from the HVAC system not working well. Our room can either be too hot or too cold. I definitely think living in an apartment is a luxury in my freshman year as many of my friends live in small dorms when they go of to college.With that being said, the prices residence life charges are absurd. As of now, I am paying $11,220 over the course of an academic school year. Since our lease is approximately 8.5 months, that $1,320 per month, per person. Next year, the equivalent monthly payment is $1,758 per month, per person. That means our four bedroom, two bathroom apartment would be valued at approximately $7,032 per month. One could live in a penthouse suite around here for that price. Essentially, one can easily find a two bedroom place nicer than the Dwight Lofts in the South Loop for well under $1800 per month, equaling to $900 per person. Much cheaper than living on campus.What I noticed when finding these numbers is how hard it was to find the total length of my lease. No where in the handbook does it have a monthly equivalent. It basically just says over the course of two semesters. They dont tell you your move out date until approximately 35 days before you are required to vacate unless you ask for it. This makes it hard to understand the length of your lease and ultimately what you are paying for. Because of this, most students move out after their freshman year to find their own place once they realize what they are paying for.There are only two reason worth living on campus:1. If you are a freshman and are trying to meet new people at Columbia.2. If you become an RA. If that is the case, your housing is free plus you earn around $200 per month.Overall, it is kind of upsetting for me to see this. I believe approximately 1500 students live on campus of the 6500 that attend and they leave for the reason that I stated above. I love Columbia but I just believe residence life has some work to do in that regard. When I toured this school, they bait the students and parents by showing how nice the living quarters are but then pay you an absurd amount of money for it!

Ca
Review №3

Literally horrible, would put 0 stars if I could. I had to pay 50$ for a new key for my apartment. The service is so backwards as well. Thermostat sucks and most rooms dont have windows. Do not live here

Ha
Review №4

Dwight lofts was an amazing place to live in Chicago. It is located very close to public transportation and it has many great amenities. I stayed in the 4 person shared living space and it was great! The rooms were spacious and the living room/kitchen was great for entertaining. The building staff were nice and they offered free food on Fridays! I would defiantly recommend living in Dwight Lofts!

Li
Review №5

The staff is amazing and always attend to the needs of parents and residents ! They are very professional and go above and beyond to answer and questions or concerns. Great place!

Pa
Review №6

Very comfortable rooms. But some spots might need touching up. I had a couch that was damaged and no one fixed. But good service, very nice staff and the 11th floor is wondeful for relaxing and playing and getting a quick snack at the vending machines. Kitchens were awesome and lots of good spots to go to when you want some adventure. Dwight is perfect if youre interning or going to college. Theyll take care of you. I wish I could stay there forever.

Je
Review №7

If you have a choice, choose somewhere else. If you dont, dont panic. The Dwight is probably the worst of the Columbia residence halls. The building is old, so theres often problems, and its really not the most attractive space. The elevators SUCK, and break all the time. Also, its the furthest walk from the buildings and the CTA station. There is little to no lighting installed, so youve only got your windows and whatever lamps you bring. The whole building is just pretty dark and dank. Good luck if you dont get a window in your room. The front desk staff is not very friendly, except for a few, but most of them seem like they hate their job, which I guess I get. The laundry room smells like a chemical spill and the washing machines break all the time. On the other hand, if you get stuck living here, its not terrible. The package service is great and easy to use, and if you get placed in the back part of the building, youll probably be able to see the Sears Tower from your window. Theres a great vending room in the sky lounge thats always stocked. Its the furthest walk but its not bad, and its good exercise. If you can choose to live somewhere else, do so, but if you have no choice, itll be all right for one year. Good luck!

He
Review №8

It was great space to live in for the 6 weeks I was in the city. Close to public transportation and shops. Maintenance was quick on requests and laundry was on site. Staff was very friendly as well.

mo
Review №9

I am currently living in a shared 2 bedroom apartment and its absolutely fantastic. The maintenance team truly goes above and beyond. I also love the location. My classes arent too far away and target is a 7 minute walk away. Not to mention how wonderful the Free Food Fridays are.612 : Morgan

Em
Review №10

I really enjoy living here. The apartments are super nice and so are most of the people who work here. The laundry room could benefit from some improvements, but other than that, its a great place to live.

Ta
Review №11

The Dwight Lofts are unlike any dorms I have seen before. The rooms come in a variety of styles. The amenities are amazing and convenient. Just a couple of steps away from the bus stop and a couple of blocks away from the train. So many options for fast food and dine-in. Most importantly, the staff and security are very respectful and understanding.

Ka
Review №12

I live across from the rear of this building and it routinely runs its hvac system (or something) for a few hours at a time which is extremely loud inside all nearby buildings, and I’m sure inside the building itself. We’re currently on the 16th straight hour of this abrasively loud system running with no let up, be warned

Ch
Review №13

I just moved in for my summer internship. Employees are super nice. Chase was super helpful and nice in particular. Room was freshly painted and cleaned. Everything was perfect except the couch, which needed to be switched out. Overall, much cleaner and nicer than my friends room at The Buckingham. Rooms are pricier than I would like, but seem to be normal compared to other places nearby. Loses a star for no dishwasher, broken couch, and no bedroom lighting.

Ke
Review №14

Living in the dwight has been nice while Ive been at Columbia. Sam is the best security guard and person to talk to. Shes always helpful and supportive to me and many other students living here. She makes staying here bearable.

Wi
Review №15

Good location as a student, near to both the Red, Blue, and Brown Lines. Not as many amenities for practicing as some of the other dorm buildings but has massive rooms with very nice kitchens. The most faulty amenity is definitely the laundry but Ive heard thats going to be improved (hopefully!). Everyone who works here has been immensely friendly and made it feel very welcoming.

St
Review №16

Although there are some issues the Dwight needs to work on, the staff and security are amazing. Everyone is extremely friendly, welcoming, and patient. I feel at home when I walk in the front door, and the Dwight is one of the cleanest student housing locations Columbia offers. Over all I think the Dwight is a great place to stay if you really want to sink your teeth into Columbia your first year.

Ke
Review №17

Dwight has the appearance of being super nice, but the quality is lacking and the management sucks. The guest policy is completely ridiculous - Im only living at Dwight for a 10 week summer lease, and Im not affiliated with Columbia College at all, yet I am only allowed 2 guests max at all times. On Lolla weekend beware because they dont allow any guests. The apartments amenities are also low quality and made to seem way better than they are. The only good thing is that our apartment is huge and on the 11th floor so we have a great view.

Ma
Review №18

Dwight Lofts would be nice if heat/AC was working, sewage from the upstairs apartment wasnt coming up the sink, and the rent wasnt due an entire month early.Rooms: 3/5Price: 3/5Location: 2/5Management: 1/5Update 8/1/2016: a glitch happened and all the room keys on my floor wont work. The person who is supposed to fix this wont answer their phone. Also, the efficient toilets will require a plunger about 1 in 3 times so thats great. There is no reason anyone should live here unless the alternative is being homeless

Ki
Review №19

Would give 0 stars if I could. This place had the absolute worst security I have ever experienced in my life. The rooms are great, location is great, workout facility is great. Everything is great except for the security. The security is so awful that despite the countless great things about this place, the security outweighs them. I did not have my apartment scanning ID on me one morning and I was with my roommate and the person working security is someone that I say hello and goodbye to every morning. The lady refused to let me go in despite having my passport, license, work ID, debit cards, my mail key for the apartment, any form of identification on me except for my actual apartment access card. She would not even let me run up to my room to grab it and bring it back down to show her. After waiting in the lobby for 45 minutes while my roommate looked for my access card (the lady did not budge) the lady finally said my roommate could sign me in as one of her guests. (my key ended up being in a jacket pocket in my room) She yelled at me for losing my key and my roommate for not understanding the rules here. While I was downstairs waiting, I asked her what my options would be. She flat out told me: If your roommate does not find it I will not let you in. You will have to wait until Monday when the office opens back up to be allowed up to your room. You will have to get a hotel room ... my option was to pay for a hotel room when I could easily walk through the door and up to my room? How could management allow for such a thing to happen? You refuse the right for someone to go to the room they pay for because they dont have their access card but they have countless forms of other identification with pictures and names attached to them? Whoever is in charge of this place seriously needs to do some re-evaluating on how this place functions. Also, fire the security and hire a different company.

ka
Review №20

Dwight Lofts is in a perfect location for my sons internship. I called to inquire about housing and even though my dates can not be accommodated, the lady in the mgmt office Kelsy was amazing. She was very friendly, knowledgeable and gave me information about housing options. She is a great asset to your company and I will be sure to visit her next month when I bring my son, just to say hello!

Th
Review №21

Best dorm I’ve seen after touring almost 15 other dorms. Feels like a hotel suit not a college dorm.

Ca
Review №22

The building is great! I love the high ceilings and big windows in the living areas. The graffiti room is an awesome bonus!

Ju
Review №23

Very nice rooms, wide variety of spaces that meet different needs, sky lounge for a quiet space, two workout rooms are nice. Definitely a good experience as my first living space for college

Ch
Review №24

I stayed here for a summer. The Lofts were clean, sharp, and had friendly workers. It is a very organized place to live with high level security. It has a great location-right by the red line/state street. I recommend living here!

Du
Review №25

The room size is fine, but management is horrible and security is way too uptight. Dont let you have visitors over certain weekends, even though they require a security deposit and the renter is liable for damages. Building also had several maintenance issues over the summer, including days without hot water and without access to use sinks. Would recommend trying one of the other university dorms in the area unless they are all booked, use Dwight as a last resort.

De
Review №26

I got a single room in a shared apartment, its a pretty decent size. The location is great. No dishwasher but not a huge deal if room mates clean up after themselves. Res life doesnt do much so dont expect much if you need help with a room mate

Go
Review №27

I am shocked by the number of even lukewarm reviews for this property, as the general consensus among summer residents was that this is a miserable place to spend any time. It could be the case that, during the school year, conditions improve, but my summer experience was nothing short of unpleasant.I will admit that I was excited to move into Dwight Lofts. The building seemed to have nice amenities and a friendly staff. A summer later, I can respond that the exact opposite was the case.The cost of living in this property is utterly unreasonable when the amenities and overall experience are taken into consideration. It is clear that this property took every shortcut when being constructed, resulting in a bizarre living arrangement. For example, rooms are not equipped with lights of any sort, and unless you bring your own lamp, you will be living in complete darkness. Likewise, the weight room, which would more appropriately be labeled a weight closet, is also of comically poor quality. At some point, the dumbbells melted, making them now virtually unusable, yet they remain there, most likely for the sake of pictures for the website.All that being said, I didn’t expect to be living in the lap of luxury, but I did expect to be treated with human decency. Such was not the case at Dwight Lofts. The target market for this property is summer interns, yet staff goes out of its way to make life as difficult as possible for the working intern. For example, the office was only open from 9-5 Monday to Friday, and hours continuously decreased, making it virtually impossible for most interns to pick up packages. Additionally, the guest policy is excessively strict.Worst of all, however, is that management does not even pretend to care about residents. At one point this summer, several residents were left homeless for one night as result of a management decision with poor communication and little foresight. Management was not only unapologetic, but also accusatory towards residents in their handling of this matter. Never before have I received such a petty, unprofessional email from a manager of any kind than when I tried to resolve this matter.All in all, I cannot think of a reason why anybody should spend money living in this property. Chicago has numerous other options, and is too great of a city to be tarnished by such a throughly miserable place. Stay away!

Ja
Review №28

I enjoy living here. But by far, the best part of the Dwight Lofts is KELLY THE MAILROOM LADY. Super personable and friendly. She made me dance for one of my packages once--always keeps you on your feet!Also, they gave out free condoms for Valentines Day.

Ch
Review №29

Stayed here during the summer period and consider it a pretty poorly managed and over priced stay with overly strict visitor policies. Still have yet to receive my damage deposit back after many months and management refuses to return any of my numerous calls or emails about the situation. Would suggest maybe a sublet or one of the other spots like the Buckingham for summer housing. Maintenance was good while staying there but management seems very non tenant focused and uncommunicative (not sure if understaffed or just trying to sign as many tenants over the summer ignore them then do a bit of damage control post move out)

At
Review №30

Great space. Modern and unique decor. Awesome location. Overall lovely place to live.

Da
Review №31

I have lived in Dwight for three years now and I’ve always had a single room which has always been a plus for me. The apartments are a nice size and so are some of the rooms.

Al
Review №32

Such amazing staff! Does not even feel like a typical college dorm, very put together!

Ma
Review №33

EDITED: Upon further consideration, I will say that the individuals who work here are pretty cool. I understand that they are only working under the rules that are made and administered by the buildings management, but it still doesnt make living under these rules any easier. With that being said, the building is under new management, and unfortunately, the management is generally substandard as a collective.Whatever, Ill go in.I lived here both as a Columbia student and a resident in the summer. From my experiences here, I can tell you that generally, the facilities are awful and, the rules they make for their residents are asinine.The guest policy is whack as hell. If youre paying over $1000 a month for an apartment, you would think that the check-in process wouldnt involve surrendering your ID to check a guest in. I can tell you right now, it does here. Further, there are a maximum amount of guests you can check in at a time (2) and they do not allow guests on weekends that have events like the 4th of July and Lollapalooza.The apartments are okay at best. Full kitchens, bathrooms and decent bedrooms. Roommates were cool as hell and maintenance was decent at best. Things are always breaking and the furniture/ aesthetic of the apartments themselves feel pretty cheap. The water pressure in the building is virtually nonexistent. Its usually just really really hot water as you wash your hands no matter where the faucet is set at (cold/hot.) Also, as a bonus, the fire alarm system is pretty faulty (goes off once or twice a week by accident,) and the elevators are extremely unreliable.One experience I had here last summer - I was moving from one apartment to another and in the midst of moving, my banjo was stolen. I was, and still am under the assumption it was stolen by a staff member. The Dwight did help reimburse me for the lost equipment, and the OLD manager Scott was very good about the situation.For Columbia students, this isnt an awful place to live considering that Residence Life makes the rules for the school year. With that being said, as a summer resident, I advise you to consider looking elsewhere.

Mo
Review №34

The location is close to where I work in the financial district, but its a block away from a prison and down that same block has a hotel for men only and other questionable establishments. The worst part about Dwight Lofts is the guest policy. I pay an extraordinary amount of money to live in my apartment and management has prohibited us from having any guests on the 4th of July as well as the entire weekend of Lollapalooza - no guests allowed in at all. When it isnt a high traffic weekend we are allowed 2 guests per person (8 guests total per apartment), but each time we come in we have to give the security desk our state IDs to hold onto in a binder full of plastic sleeves. IDs fall out of the binder constantly when they flip through the pages, so it is a very outdated and insecure process. Then when we leave the building with our guests we have to get our IDs back. It can take a while if others are doing the same process, especially when IDs are misplaced. No major complaints about the apartment itself, but I wouldnt recommend living here if you want to have visitors ever. Luckily maintenance comes quickly because our A/C was broken, we had cold showers at one point, and many pieces of our fridge were broken. Lastly, if you plan to live here buy a lot of floor lamps and desk lamps because the apartment has ceiling lights in the kitchen and bathroom but no lighting in the bedrooms or living room and it gets very dark with no windows in the back bedrooms. Overall, would not recommend.

Ch
Review №35

Due to a summer internship, I stayed with Dwight Lofts due to the short commute to and from work. During my time here, I experienced quite a few problems. First, Dwight Lofts sent me a list of my roommates and contact info so that we could communicate and decide who would bring what. Upon arrival and check-in, I found out that they had changed my room without notifying me and placed me with different roommates. Additionally, the guest policy is extremely strict and they will not allow residents to have guests during event weekends, such as Lollapalooza. Lastly, I had to call the guest services office several times to complain about a bed bug issue, which took approximately two months to fix. I felt extremely uncomfortable sleeping in my apartment at this time and the bites caused a lot of discomfort.

Ra
Review №36

I had the worst experience here. The management is extremely rude, dont value the residents, and are extremely bad with communication. I would 100000x not recommend Dwight Lofts.One night, Dwight accidentally deactivated all of the residents cards and stayed open 1 extra hour to have residents get there card reactivated. However, most residents werent home to do this, so they didnt have access to there apartments that night - how crazy, right?The apartment themselves are fine for college students. However, maintenance is pretty slow at fixing things, and the hallways often are trashed. Management also wont let you have guests during certain times, and only giver you a 1 week notice about it, like on July 4th, Lollapalooza, etc. so dont plan to have friends stay with you.If you could find literally anywhere else in Chicago to live, do it. Avoid this place at all costs.

Ja
Review №37

The rooms are really nice along with a perfect view. The staff is cheerful and always ready to help.

li
Review №38

Overall more organized than the beginning of the year. They get packages as soon as possible, i normally receive my packages within the day

Ra
Review №39

A great apartment building in a great location!! plus the maintenance people are super nice and helpful, especially taylor :)

Va
Review №40

I live here right now and I love it ! Kitchen is my favorite part!

De
Review №41

Since you like to play the blame game and NOT hold your establishment accountable for ANYTHING - Ill be calling the local news station AND MORE. I cant IMAGINE how any parents or anyone would allow their children or anyone they love to live here.- YOUR MANAGEMENT IS TRASH- I MOVED INTO A DIRTY ROOM- BROKEN FURNITURE- LOFTS? MORE LIKE UNFINISHED APARTMENTS- WATER STREAM USUALLY NONE EXISTENT- YOUR SECURITY IS THIRD PARTY AND YOU HAD THE AUDACITY TO SAY YOU CANT GUARANTEE SAFETY ? YOU TELL ME HOW THAT MAKES SENSE. AND THEN LET ME KNOW- CAN I EVEN GET A GUARANTEE THAT SOMEONE WONT ENTER MY ROOM AT 3 AM? SOUNDS FAMILIAR?------ SAVE YOUR EMAIL(S) AND YOUR PHONE NUMBER COMMENTS FOR SOME PLACEs THAT MATTER!YOU SEE MY NAME, YOU KNOW WHO I AM, YOU KNOW WHERE I LIVE - YOU CAN CONTACT ME.I HOPE YOU KEEP YOUR LAWYERS AS CLOSE AS YOU KEEP THOSE RAN DOWN EXCUSES.

Ma
Review №42

Lived here 8 weeks and the elevators are always down. I literally havent gone a full week where all three are up and running. I have a major humidity problem in my room, bad enough to have mold growing on my clothes. Put in maintenance request, and they said it was solved by cleaning a filter, but it isnt. I contacted management twice already and have yet to get a response. This place is run by people that clearly dont care about the conditions their tenants are living in. Yes, the location is ideal if you are a summer intern, but take your 1500/month elsewhere.

An
Review №43

Absolutely garbage place run by people looking out to make money. If you have any other option please do not live there. We were fined multiple times for things that already were there when we moved in. When we reported these things and complained we were told we would be evicted. Google requires that I give 1 star, would preferably give 0.

Mo
Review №44

This was the worst living experience of my life. If you are living in Chicago for the summer, DO NOT LIVE HERE. The apartments are not bad but there are absolutely no lights in the bedroom. Cold water never works, sink is barely strong enough for me to even wash my hands. Management was very disorganized and dysfunctional. Throughout the summer, I tried to call the office multiple times for certain things, and they answer the phone probably about 10% of the time and dont call back if you leave a voicemail. Guest policy is absolutely ridiculous. I was scolded one time for not personally coming downstairs to escort my guest out of the building. Are you serious? Not to mention they say they dont allow guests for lollapalooza and other weekends, and told me absolutely no exceptions when I asked for my own brother and cousin to stay with me. Then of course, the first day of the weekend I witness a resident checking a guest in who said she got granted permission for her friend to stay with her. Yet my own brother had to pay for a hotel when visiting me, and we cant spend the nights together. When I asked why some people got exceptions and not me, management panicked and didnt know what to say to me, calling downstairs to make some kind of excuse. Multiple times i received a package late because management forgot to put it downstairs for me. The few times that I was able to speak with someone on the phone about these issues, they got very defensive, argued with me, interrupted me, and was very unprofessional. Laundry costs money, workout room is very limited, they advertise a huge nice sky lounge on their website, but that does not exist in reality. They have no consistent lockout policy in place, so I was locked out of my apartment and had to wait for 2 hours for my roommate to get home since security couldnt open my apartment for me. Not to mention they made my guest stand in the lobby and didnt even let us sit down and wait since the whole no guests for that weekend thing. Security is very nice but they are controlled by management and all their rules, also they are not on the same page and they both blame each other when something goes wrong. They also send automated payment emails that make you think you have rent to pay even when you already payed it all. They didnt let me move in until I payed all my installments in advance, then continued to send me emails saying I had late rent to pay. Then charged me a late fee, and of course did not answer the phone when I called to ask about what was going on, and still made me pay the late fee. Absolutely terrible experience with this place and it is extremely expensive for absolutely no value. Again, DO NOT LIVE HERE, me and all my friends share the same frustration with this apartment and the management, they dont apologize or try to make things right ever, they just point fingers, have terrible customer service skills, and get all defensive when you complain about anything no matter how nice and objective you try to be. Buckingham or pretty much any other close by place are 1 million times better

Se
Review №45

Great location and a great space!

Ta
Review №46

During my college carrer, Ive lived in the Dwight lofts for almost three years now and Ive enjoyed my living experience, to say the least. Management is very professional, maintence is quick, and the occupants are fairly decent people. Id say the best part about living in the dwight, for me, is establishing close relationships with the front desk security. Everyday, when Id walk out or walk in of the building, I now foward to being greeted by Sam, Ray, Howard, and Gwen. One of my personal favorite people who work at the front desk is Sam, Ive been able to create a geniue bond with her, shes always concered about my well-being and how my day went, as am I to her. Sam sets such a welcoming atmosphere that well have these hour long conversations, at the front desk, which helped me meet lots of people who lived in the buidling and create relationships. Aside from that, theres always some activity going on, wiether it be free food fridays, movie mondays, or open mics. I really appriacte dwight for making my college living expericne enjoyable.

Em
Review №47

The best thing about Dwight was the location. I interned in the Loop last summer and it was within walking distance of my office and of most of downtown. Also very close to the L. That being said, it had many downsides. Was very frustrated with the people running the office - they often didnt know how to answer basic questions my roommates and I had. Toilets are supposedly eco-friendly low flow. This is not a benefit - the toilet will clog a lot. Elevators were often broken and construction messes were not well contained. I had ventilation and humidity problems as well. My room was definitely not cleaned since the last tennant (Maybe because one of my flatmates stayed after columbia college let out?). Not worth the money, would recommend going elsewhere.

Ke
Review №48

Management office is really helpful, rooms are nice and spacious.

Br
Review №49

Decent location. No dishwasher or disposal in the rooms. AC is a plus in the summer. Rooms are decently sized. Small gym.

Ke
Review №50

An excellent place to stay and a very clean comfortable environment located just outside of but right next to all of the downtown activity.

Br
Review №51

Flexible with tentants!

Sa
Review №52

Nice staff and security at the front desk.

Si
Review №53

Kelli is great! Love her and the Dwight staff.

Ca
Review №54

Amazing Space! Love the rooms and great staff!

Br
Review №55

The staff is great and the space is just great here!

Tr
Review №56

Taylor was extremely helpful and nice!

Am
Review №57

Nice place and great staff!

Mi
Review №58

The management is shocking, never had a response to emails and they close the office early so how am I meant to pick up a package ever if theyre shut on the weekends.

El
Review №59

Nice room, great staff and great location

Em
Review №60

Staff is kind and the Dwight offers various amenities

Pa
Review №61

Maintenance never gets things done, something is always broken (hot water, cold water, internet, elevators, i could go on) and for how expensive these tiny rooms are, you could get a one bedroom in a good location.

Information
28 Photos
61 Comments
3.6 Rating
  • Address:642 S Clark St, Chicago, IL 60605, United States
  • Site:https://www.sterlinghousing.com/chicago-il/dwight-lofts/?utm_source=local&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=gmb
  • Phone:+1 312-815-2576
Categories
  • Apartment rental agency
  • Furnished apartment building
  • Student housing center
Working hours
  • Monday:9am–5pm
  • Tuesday:12–4pm
  • Wednesday:Closed
  • Thursday:9am–5pm
  • Friday:9am–5pm
  • Saturday:9am–5pm
  • Sunday:9am–5pm
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