Posted on Jul 13, 2009

Anthropology

• Cristina Liquori ‘10

Topic: Napa Valley Tourism

Advisor: George Gmelch

 

Biology

• Pieter Boskin ‘10

Topic: Kinetics of phagocyte knockdown and recovery in the basal chordate Botyllus schlosseri

Advisor: Robert Lauzon

• Juan Canales ‘10

Topic: Exploring the molecular, structural, and functional aspects of Palmitoyl-protein thioesterase 2 (Ppt2) in Drosophila melanogaster through a multidisciplinary computational approach

Advisor: Quynh Chu-LaGraff

• Tyler Cross ‘10

Topic: A comparison of techniques in removing Japanese barberry

Advisor: Jeff Corbin

• Maria Dzialo ‘10

Topic: Molecular dissection of a caveolin interacting motif in the follicle stimulating hormone receptor

Advisor: Brian Cohen

• Rivka Fidel ‘10

Topic: Analysis of Blue Lupin nutritional quality with respect to growing conditions and host suitability

Advisor: Steve Rice

• Matthew Hanley ‘11

Topic: Investigating the function of PKA in the mushroom fungus schizophyllum commune

Advisor: Stephen Horton

• Shabana Hoosein ‘11

Topic: Response of forest community to fire within first two years

Advisor: Jeff Corbin

• Natalie Koncki ‘10

Topic: The environmental impact of forest biofuels

Advisor: Jeff Corbin

• Nikhil Kothari ‘10

Topic: The sugar transporter sts 1 and its’ regulation of the B mating-type pathway in S. commune

Advisor: Steven Horton

• Kathleen O’Connor ‘10

Topic: Immune trade-offs in meso-mammals, Sciurids or shrews

Advisor: Kathleen LoGuidice

• Patrick O’Hern ‘11

Topic: Identification of genes interacting with Palmitoyl protein thioesterase 1 during embryonic neurogenesis

Advisor: Quynh Chu-LaGraff

• Suzanne Ostrow ‘11

Topic: Immune trade-offs in meso-mammals, Sciurids or shrews

Advisor: Kathleen LoGuidice

• Alyssa Simeone ‘11

Topic: Examining evidence for water absorption in the intestine of Leucoraja erinacea

Advisor: Nicole Theodosiou

 

Chemistry

• Sujana Adhikari ‘12

Topic: Gas sensors based on aerogels

Advisor: Mary Carroll

• Valerie Angell ‘10

Topic: Developing and testing libraries of pyrrolidine-triazoles: A new class of organocatalysts

Advisor: James Adrian

• Dillon Betancourt ‘10

Topic: Cloning a metacaspase from S. commune

Advisor: Kristin Fox

• Justin Blau ‘09

Topic: Thermal studies of polyaniline nanostructures for applications in solar cell devices

Advisor: Michael Hagerman

• Lauren Brown ‘11

Topic: Fabrication and characterization of titania and silica-titania aerogels

Advisor: Mary Carroll

• Rachel Eastman ‘10

Topic: Isolation and identification of anti-parasitic compounds in Paulownia tomentosa: The survival of the Allegheny woodrat

Advisor: Joanne Kehlbeck

• Rachel Gray ‘10

Topic: Proline, simplest enzyme, catalysis of the 1,4-conjugate addition of N-substituted sulfona

Advisor: James Adrian

• Paul Hebert ‘10

Topic: Spectroscopic analysis of the binding of perfluorochemicals to serum albumin

Advisor: Laura MacManus-Spencer 

• Alison Kracunas ‘11

Topic: Photochemical degradation of ultraviolet filter chemicals

Advisor: Laura MacManus-Spencer

• Jackie Krolick ‘10

Topic: Synthesis and assessment of novel molecular transporters containing the guanidinium moiety

Advisor: Joanne Kehlbeck

• Sangin Lee ‘10

Topic: Electrospinning of conductive polymer nanofiber mats for solar applications

Advisor: Michael Hagerman

• Darrin Liau ‘11

Topic: Hybrid inorganic-organic membranes based on nafion/laponite nanocomposites

Advisor: Michael Hagerman

• Reshad Mahmud ‘11

Topic: Development of experiments for a new course: “Painting: Science and Art”

Advisor: Mary Carroll

• Katie Morris ‘11

Topic: The synthesis and evaluation of novel molecular transporters

Advisor: Joanne Kehlbeck

• Kenneth Skorenko ‘10

Topic: Controlled morphology of Laponite clay using cryogenic freezing

Advisor: Michael Hagerman

• Clancy Slack ‘11

Topic: Use of NMR in identifying the active component of complex biological mixtures

Advisor: Joanne Kehlbeck

• Zach Smith ‘10

Topic: Isolation and identification of biologically active compounds in Paulownia tomentosa

Advisor: Joanne Kehlbeck

• Michael Topka ‘09

Topic: AFM studies on polyaniline and poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene): poly(styrene sulfonate)

Advisor: Michael Hagerman

 

Classics

• Rachel Hogue ‘11

Topic: Comparative analysis of ancient Greek literary texts (NSF-CPATH Computation Initiative)

Advisor: Tarik Wareh

 

Computer Science

• Carley Jacobson ‘10

Topic: Graphical visualization of cascading selective

Advisor: Aaron Cass

• Petr Smejkal (exchange student)

Topic: Reinforcement learning in natural language generation

Advisor: Kristina Striegnitz

• Paul Tunison ‘11

Topic: Second life tour guide: A project in direction giving and receiving

Advisor: Kristina Striegnitz

 

Economics

• Ondrej Kubera (exchange student)

Topic: computation of dynamic models in economics

Advisor: Stephen Schmidt

• Emily LaCroix ‘11

Topic: Home values and private and Catholic schools

Advisor: Stephen Schmidt

• Brian Matthews ‘10

Topic: Investment policy statements and 403b plans

Advisor: Tomas Dvorak

 

Electrical & Computer Engineering

• Konstantin Avdashenko ‘10

Topic: An advanced wearable running monitor

Advisor: Shane Cotter

• Demarcus Hamm ‘10

Topic: Sensor networks

Advisor: Cherrice Traver

• Angela McLelland ‘11

Topic: Labelling phase transitions in lung pressure contours of speech utterance

Advisor: Helen Hanson

• Conor O’Reilly ‘10

Topic: A bi-directional, non-invasive direct neural sensor and stimulator array

Advisor: James Hedrick

• Alexander Perkins ‘10

Topic: A portable fall detection system based on arduino platform

Advisor: Shane Cotter

• Zach Polen ‘10

Topic: Acoustic cues to syllable-final stop consonants

Advisor: Helen Hanson

 

Engineering

• Trevor Porter ‘11

Topic: Get a Second Life

Advisor: Ashraf Ghaly

• Elias Samia ‘11

Topic: Use of industrial refuse in developing green concrete for a sustainable environment

Advisor: Ashraf Ghalt

 

English

• Samanatha Zayas ‘11

Topic: Poetry and pedagogy: The place of creative writing in the English curriculum

Advisor: Jordan Smith

 

Geology

• Shannon Brady ‘11

Topic: Mineral assemblages of volcanic rocks from Montserrat as implications of magmatic processes

Advisor: Holli Frey

• Sarah Connor ‘10

Topic: Analysis of lake cores and glaciation in the Central Peruvian Andes

Advisor: Donald Rodbell

• Rebecca Gronczniak ‘11

Topic: Weathering of volcanic rocks in the Pacific Northwest

Advisor: Holli Frey

• Tyler Izkowski ‘11

Topic: Sediment transport and deposition processes in dynamic hydroclimate environments

Advisor: Jaclyn Cockburn

• Matthew Kissane ‘10

Topic: Geochemical weathering patterns in intermediate and felsic volcanic rocks, Cascades, Ore.

Advisor: Holli Frey

• Zdenek Papez (exchange student)

Topic: Computer modeling of drainage network development

Advisor: George Shaw

• Sarah Tonry ‘10

Topic: Analysis of lake cores and glaciation in the Central Peruvian Andes

Advisor: Donald Rodbell

 

History

• Claire Chazen ‘10

Topic: Doids and yuppies: A historical perspective on the Union-Schenectady relationship

Advisor: Andrew Morris

• Lisa Crawford ‘10

Topic: Making women’s rights history and Union’s coeducation history accessible

Advisor: Andrea Foroughi

• Adam Koslin ‘10

Topic: The Rapp-Coudert investigations

Advisor: Andrew Feffer

• Lily Marto ‘12

Topic: Women’s Work

Advisor: Andrea Foroughi

 

Mathematics

• Daniel Gnoutcheff ‘11

Topic: The mediancenter-Borda rule for many alternatives

Advisor: William Zwicker

 

Mechanical Engineering

• Michael Fitzpatrick ‘10

Topic: Passive valve-less flow-through water pasteurization system

Advisor: David Hodgson

• Krystle Gallo ‘12

Topic: Biomechanics of embryonic heart development

Advisor: Ashok Ramasubramanian

• Cory Gionet ‘10

Topic: Isostress analysis of maxillary canines in cercopithecoid monkeys

Advisor: Andrew Rapoff

• Jessica Lord ‘10

Topic: Determination of the loading on a bird feather shaft and testing of the constant stress hypothesis

Advisor: Bill Keat

• Drew McConnell ‘10

Topic: Power generation from vaporization of liquefied natural gas

Advisor: Frank Wicks

• Bernadette Peace ‘10

Topic: Development of spin-coating techniques for nanomaterial films on substrates

Advisor: Becky Cortez

• Diana Polli ‘10

Topic: Before, now and forward: Peak oil

Advisor: Frank Wicks

• Peter Schulte ‘11

Topic: Non-linear analysis of aerogels under compression using finite elements

Advisor: Bill Keat

• Jodi Schwartz ‘11

Topic: Thermal inactivation of waterborne pathogens

Advisor: David Hodgson

• Katie Sofia ‘10

Topic: Testing and optimization of an optically enhanced solar thermal collector system

Advisor: Richard Wilk

• Jessica Sosa ‘10

Topic: Characterization of laponite nanocomposites through scanning electron microscopy

Advisor: Rebecca Cortez

• Rebecca Wentworth ‘11

Topic: Development of spin-coating techniques for nanomaterial films on substrates

Advisor: Rebecca Cortez

 

Modern Languages

• Jan Spidlen (exchange student)

Topic: Film studies technologies and computation: Assessing the tools and creating better tools for class presentations

Advisor: Michelle Chilcoat

 

Music

• Casey Sheridan ‘10

Topic: Life itself is the most wonderful fairytale of all: An exploration of East Asian narrative singing

Advisor: Jennifer Matsue

 

Philosophy

• Ian Clemente ‘10

Topic: Formulation of Union’s new academic honor code

Advisor: Robert Baker

• Hyma Kavuri ‘10

Topic: Bioethics

Advisor: Robert Baker

• Chandni Vaid ‘11

Topic: Bioethics

Advisor: Robert Baker

 

Physics

• Daniel Barringer ‘11

Topic: Modeling neutron capture rates of the r-Process in shocked wind supernovae

Advisor: Rebecca Surman

• Hillary Bauer ‘11

Topic: First order phase transitions of physically confined chemicals in nano porous silica

Advisor: Samuel Amanuel

• Peter Bonventre ‘11

Topic: Synthesis of titanium-based sol-gels

Advisor: Samuel Amanuel

• Jonathan Chew ‘12

Topic: Assembly of Union’s radio interferometer and development of undergraduate astro. labs

Advisor: Jon Marr

• SreyNoch Chin ‘12

Topic: A survey of neutral hydrogen properties of the NGC 5846 group of galaxies

Advisor: Rebecca Koopman

• Colin Gleason ‘11

Topic: Compositional analysis of atmospheric aerosols using proton induced x-ray emission

Advisor: Mike Vineyard

• Charles Harrington ‘11

Topic: Mossbauer spectroscopy of environmental materials
Advisor: Mike Vineyard

• Ana Mikler ‘12

Topic: Neutron capture and element synthesis in black hole-neutron star mergers

Advisor: Rebecca Surman

• Benjamin Miles ‘10

Topic: Counting krypton atoms using laser cooling

Advisor: Chad Orzel

• Katie Schuff ‘12

Topic: Investigation of the distribution of mercury in orange roughy by PIXE and particle accelerator

Advisor: Scott LaBrake 

• Michael Varughese ‘10

Topic: Building a Portable Laser Tweezing Apparatus

Advisor: Chad Orzel

 

Political Science

• Daniele Beauman ‘11

Topic: Voting power under different electoral systems

Advisor: Clifford Brown

• Gillian Bland ‘10

Topic: Out with the old, in with the new: The potential community college model of the future

Advisor: Terry Weiner

• Jamie Luguri ‘10

Topic: Variation in media coverage of women candidates: Gender stereotypes and novelty

Advisor: Zoe Oxley

• Katherine Rodman ‘10

Topic: The politics of governance and resistance in present-day Vietnam

Advisor: Guillermina Seri

• Aria Walfrand ‘11

Topic: Book project on the doctrine of interposition in American constitutional politics and law

Advisor: Bradley Hays

 

Psychology

• Lyndsay DeMatteo ‘10

Topic: Cybercycle study: the neuropsychological, psychological, and behavioral effects of video-enhanced exercise

Advisor: Cay Anderson-Hanley 

• Veronica Hopkins ‘10

Topic: Cybercycle study: the neuropsychological, psychological, and behavioral effects of video-enhanced exercise

Advisor: Cay Anderson-Hanley

• Megan Hyndman ‘10

Topic: Market negativity: Negative framing influences attitude strength

Advisor: George Bizer

• Lisa McManus ‘10

Topic: Measuring Collective Intelligence

Advisor: Chris Chabris

• Caitlin Miner ‘11

Topic: The effectiveness of repetitive magnetic stimulation on tinnitus supression

Advisor: Stephen Romero

• Michelle Russo ‘10

Topic: Cybercycle study: the neuropsychological, psychological, and behavioral effects of video-enhanced exercise

Advisor: Cay Anderson-Hanley

• Katharine Smidt ‘10

Topic: Emotions and Thoughts

Advisor: Ken DeBono

• Kimberly Tureck ‘10

Topic: Exergaming and autism: Effects on self-stimulatory behaviors and cognition

Advisor: Cay Anderson-Hanley

• Vadim Yerokhin ‘11

Topic: Cybercycle study: the neuropsychological, psychological, and behavioral effects of video-enhanced exercise

Advisor: Cay Anderson-Hanley

 

Sociology

• Kimberly Floeser ‘11

Topic: The relationship between online health searching and mental health

Advisor: Melinda Goldner

• Destinee Laquer ‘12

Topic: A grounded theory analysis of African American stepmothers

Advisor: Deidre Hill-Butler

• Andrew Mak ‘10

Topic: The prospects for integrative medicine

Advisor: Melinda Goldner

• Elina Meras ‘10

Topic: Evaluating an innovation in service learning

Advisor: Janet Grigsby

• Arkeisha Pace ‘11

Topic: African American stepmothers in American visual culture

Advisor: Deidre Hill-Butler

 

Visual Arts

• Clarissa Amaral ‘11

Topic: Photography book layout and publishing

Advisor: Martin Benjamin

• Petr Divis (exchange student)

Topic: Studio assistant for professional photographer

Advisor: Martin Benjamin

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Posted on Jul 13, 2009

Summer research at Union offers undergraduate students an exceptional opportunity to explore academic interests in laboratories, libraries and local forests.

Casey Sheridan ’10 hopes that by immersing herself in the ancient traditions of East Asian narrative song, she’ll become a better international lawyer. And Tyler Cross ’10 endures scratched fingers and hands, and dozens of mosquito bites, because he believes his work with Japanese barberry will make a real ecologic difference.

They’re just two of the more than 120 students expanding their knowledge this summer under the helpful and watchful eye of their advisors.

“They have the opportunity to work one-on-one with a faculty member in an area of shared interest,” said Kristin Fox, director of Undergraduate Research. “This allows them to explore their interest and see the direct application of the concepts and skills they learn in their classes.”

Herewith is a glimpse of this summer’s student research, which often extends beyond the hot days of July and evolves into senior theses and other extensive endeavors.

To learn more, attend any of the oral presentations this month, or the poster sessions in Olin Rotunda Tuesday, Aug. 4 and Thursday, Aug. 6. Click here for a schedule of July presenters.

 

Casey Sheridan ‘10

Topic: Life itself is the most wonderful fairytale of all: An exploration of East Asian narrative singing

Faculty advisor: Jennifer Matsue

Casey Sheridan is using her summer research project to explore another facet of her many-sided and complex passion.

“With my majors, Asian Studies and organizing theme, I study Asian culture mostly in the context of law – I want to be an international lawyer who specializes in that part of the world,” said Sheridan, whose organizing theme work focuses on economics, political science and Japanese. “But then Professor Matsue suggested I do something different, that I look at storytelling.”

Storytelling, in the form of narrative song, is a deeply rooted and important part of many Asian societies. As such, Jennifer Matsue, an assistant professor of music, Asian Studies and anthropology, saw an immediate connection between the practice and Sheridan’s career goals.

“We can come to appreciate and understand a culture through performance,” Matsue said. “In order to work with people, you have to understand people, and performance is a great way to understand people.”

Sheridan agrees.

“Communication between two peoples can be very challenging. Language in the U.S., for instance, is used differently than it is in Japan,” she explained. “If I’m able to understand Asian culture from its own point of view, by learning and performing narrative singing, that will help me a lot.”

Sheridan has chosen three narrative song genres to study more closely. Rakugo, Japanese comedic storytelling; p’ansori, a Korean form in which the solitary singer-drummer usually tells sad love stories; and piangtan, a Chinese style performed with string instruments that tends toward political or military conquest stories.

Not only will Sheridan study the historical and social importance of these three traditions, she will also learn to play the proper instruments for each and sing or narrate with appropriate technique. During the poster sessions on Thursday, Aug. 6 at 12:30 p.m., Sheridan will give a performance outside Reamer Campus Center that incorporates aspects of rakugo, p’ansori and piangtan.

 

Tyler Cross ‘10 

Topic: A comparison of techniques in removing Japanese barberry

Faculty advisor: Jeff Corbin

At Union, summer research can be anything you want it to be. Just ask Tyler Cross. Most days of the week he’s not even on campus, he’s 96 miles to the south in Ulster County’s Minnewaska State Park. In the shadow of the Shawangunk Mountains, Cross is trying to remove a plant that’s become a real thorn in the sides of park officials.

And in his own side.

“When I first got to Minnewaska, I was a little bit scared because there’s so much Japanese barberry – acres and acres of it,” Cross said. “The smallest plants are up to my knees and the largest are up to my shoulders, and of course they’re covered in little barbs and really unpleasant to work with.

“If you ever went blackberry picking as a little kid, that’s what it’s like.”

Despite the discomfort sometimes caused by the prickly shrub, Cross is extremely dedicated to his mission to help park officials discover the best way to stamp out and control the invasive, Asian plant.

“Japanese barberry is low-light tolerant and out-competes native vegetation in the forest understory. It also puts out its seeds after everything else has already dropped its leaves,” Cross said. “The birds love the bright, red berries because they’re tasty and they appear at times when there’s little else to eat, and by eating them, they spread barberry all over.”

“You have very few plants that aren’t Japanese barberry in Minnewaska’s understory, and that’s got a really negative impact on native biodiversity,” he added. “Invasive species like this can cause localized extinctions.”

Cross, a double major in English and biology, is studying four barberry removal techniques: manual removal (digging up the entire plant, roots and all), manual removal followed by wild rye planting, herbicide removal, and herbicide removal followed by wild rye planting.

The wild rye acts as a place holder of sorts. It helps keep invasive vegetation out and gives native vegetation a chance to colonize the newly cleared space first. Cross arrived at this tactic after observing what happened in areas where barberry was simply extracted without any follow-up action.

“In plots that received no more attention after manual removal, things went from bad to worse because it just allowed garlic mustard, another invasive, to flourish,” he said.

Though plenty of research still needs to be done, Cross believes combining removal with rye planting or herbicide looks most promising. If this continues to be the case, he’ll recommend Minnewaska officials use these techniques to control the imperialistic barberry.

“What I’m doing is actually going to affect policy in the park, and that’s very cool,” Cross said, smiling.

 

Emily LaCroix ‘11 

Topic: Home values and private and Catholic schools

Faculty advisor: Stephen Schmidt

Sitting cross-legged in a large armchair in a sunny corner of Schaffer Library, Emily LaCroix talks about real estate the way some people talk about football or fashion.

“I really like the housing market aspect of my research,” she said. “Growing up, my parents always kept an eye on the market, and that got me into it.

“It’s fascinating how home prices vary region to region, and it’s interesting to see what factors actually go into the prices,” LaCroix continued. “It’s not just one thing; it’s the town, the neighborhood, the school district.”

Her summer research encompasses on all three of these criteria.

“I’m looking into private and Catholic schools in Albany County, and the housing values in those schools’ neighborhoods,” said LaCroix, a math and economics double major. “Traditionally, neighborhoods in good school districts experience an increase in home values.

“Are local neighborhoods surrounded by private and Catholic schools also seeing that increase?”

Finding an answer to this question is by no means easy.

She’s already combed through six weeks of a local newspaper, cross referencing its real estate information with other sources, while simultaneously tracking down every school in Albany County. Of the 109 schools, 39 are private.

Having indentified all the schools, LaCroix is now labeling each on an Albany County map so she can determine what neighborhood they’re in and how close the nearest private or Catholic school is. She’ll then try to determine if the private institutions might be impacting the local housing market.

“This kind of research is important because it has to do with housing preferences of families looking for new homes. Do they consider just public schools or private and Catholic schools too?” LaCroix said. “It shows us more about consumer choice and helps us gain a deeper understanding of the way the housing market functions.”

 

 

Konstantin Avdashenko ‘10

Topic: An advanced wearable running monitor

Faculty advisor: Shane Cotter

Russian-born, Brooklyn-raised Konstantin Avdashenko has a closer relationship with electricity than most.

“When I was three, I was electrocuted by an outlet. I put a pair of bobby pins in it,” he said, shaking his head and smiling.

For Avdashenko, an electrical engineering student, the jolt only sparked a greater interest in all things carrying a charge.

“I’ve played around with electronics for as long as I can remember,” Avdashenko said. “I started this project, the running monitor, during spring of my junior year.”

His goal is to help runners and other athletes, like cyclers or even snowboarders, better track their performances. The monitor, which will be about the size of a matchbox when complete, uses a compass to determine direction and an accelerometer to log incline and decline changes the athlete experiences during a workout.

“The idea is that you can plot the image generated by this data over Google Earth and find out exactly where you are,” Avdashenko said. “It also records your incline and decline, which means you can use the information collected during each run to show your performance and progress over time.”

Avdashenko, an avid snowboarder himself, hopes to have his first prototype built in time for the winter season. Though he hasn’t yet determined exactly how he’ll affix the monitor to himself or anyone else, he has a good idea of where it needs to be to function properly.

“It would have to be attached to the most active part,” Avdashenko explained. “For a runner, the foot. For a snowboarder, the board.”

“There are products out there similar to this,” he continued, “but no product I’ve found uses the same mechanism I’m using. I’m taking a new approach.”

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Posted on Jul 13, 2009

 

The Office of Admissions will host a summer Open House for prospective students from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 7.

Visitors will have the opportunity to tour campus grounds and facilities; attend sessions on financial aid, housing and career planning; meet faculty; and discuss varsity, club and intramural athletic options.

Prospective students and their parents can register for the Open House here. Advance notice is appreciated. For more information, contact Lilia Tiemann, coordinator of event planning for Admissions, at (518) 388-6586.

In addition, personal interviews are a key element of evaluating a student’s application and are highly recommended. Interviews are offered Monday through Friday from 9:30 and 11:30 a.m., and 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. To schedule an on-campus interview, please call the Admissions Office at 888-843-6688.

 

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Posted on Jul 10, 2009

Frank Wicks, professor of mechanical engineering, was featured in a story by Associated Press writer William Kates about the 50th anniversary of the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Wicks shared his recollections about working on the project as a teenager.

The AP story appeared in numerous publications, including the New York Times.

To read the story, click here (registration may be required).

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Posted on Jul 10, 2009

The Times Union interviewed Alan Horn '64, the president and chief operating officer of Warner Bros., about his controversial decision to postpone the release of the latest film in the Harry Potter series.

Horn recently returned to campus for ReUnion 2009, where he gave a talk, "Perspectives on the movie business," in Taylor Music Center.

To read the story, click here (registration may be required).

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