diff --git a/mcm2018-assign1/README.md b/mcm2018-assign1/README.md
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+# encryption_suite
+
+Matt Mahowald
+October 2015
+
+Encryption Suite provides the user with numerous tools to encrypt and decrypt messages,
+all prompted from a command line interface.
+
+The source code is in crypto.py, and the remaining files are for testing.
diff --git a/mcm2018-assign1/caesar-cipher.txt b/mcm2018-assign1/caesar-cipher.txt
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index 0000000..77ba61d
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+++ b/mcm2018-assign1/caesar-cipher.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+SBWKRQ
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diff --git a/mcm2018-assign1/caesar-plain.txt b/mcm2018-assign1/caesar-plain.txt
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index 0000000..38a33ed
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+++ b/mcm2018-assign1/caesar-plain.txt
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+PYTHON
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diff --git a/mcm2018-assign1/crypto.py b/mcm2018-assign1/crypto.py
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+++ b/mcm2018-assign1/crypto.py
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+"""
+File: crypto.py
+Name: Matt Mahowald
+Date: October 9th 2015
+Description: crypto.py implements a cryptography suite that allows
+the user to input a message or a filename and then either encrypt 
+or decrypt the message
+"""
+# Import to check if a file exists
+import os.path
+
+NUM_ALPHA_LETTERS = 26
+CAESAR_OFFSET = 3
+
+def format_text(text):
+    # Formats all text to upper case and only alpha characters
+    to_encrypt = ""
+    for ch in text:
+        if(ch.isalpha()):
+            to_encrypt += ch
+    return to_encrypt.upper()
+
+def encrypt_caesar(plaintext):
+    """
+    Encrypts plaintext using a Caesar cipher.
+    Creates a string to which each character offset by CAESAR_OFFSET
+    is appended, unless the character's ASCII value + CAESAR_OFFSET
+    is greater thah the ASCII value of 'Z', in which case the func
+    subtracts by NUM_ALPHA_LETTERS
+    """
+    plaintext = format_text(plaintext)
+    print("Encrypting {0} using Caesar cipher".format(plaintext))
+    new_string = ""
+    for letter in plaintext:
+        if(letter.isalpha()):
+            if((ord(letter) + CAESAR_OFFSET) <= ord('Z')):
+                new_string += chr((ord(letter) + CAESAR_OFFSET))
+            else:
+                new_string += chr((ord(letter) + CAESAR_OFFSET - NUM_ALPHA_LETTERS))
+    return new_string
+
+def decrypt_caesar(ciphertext):
+    """
+    Decrypts a ciphertext using a Caesar cipher.
+    Reverses the operation of the Caesar encryption, subtracting 
+    CAESAR_OFFSET from each character, wrapping around the end of
+    the alphabet.
+    """
+    ciphertext = format_text(ciphertext)
+    print("Decrypting {0} using Caesar cipher".format(ciphertext))
+    new_string = ""
+    for letter in ciphertext:
+        if(letter.isalpha()):
+            if((ord(letter) - CAESAR_OFFSET) >= ord('A')):
+                new_string += chr((ord(letter) - CAESAR_OFFSET))
+            else:
+                new_string += chr((ord(letter) - CAESAR_OFFSET + NUM_ALPHA_LETTERS))
+    return new_string
+
+def encrypt_vigenere(plaintext, keyword):
+    """
+    Encrypts plaintext using a Vigenere cipher with a keyword.
+    Accepts a keyword to align with the text to be encoded, adding the
+    distance between 'A' and each letter of the keyword to each character's
+    ASCII value.
+    """
+    plaintext = format_text(plaintext)
+    keyword = format_text(keyword)
+    if(keyword == ""): return plaintext
+    print("Encrypting {0} using Vigenere cipher with key {1}".format(plaintext, keyword))
+    plaintext = plaintext.upper()
+    new_string = ""
+    for i in range(len(plaintext)):
+        key_char = keyword[i % len(keyword)]
+        new_chr = chr(ord(plaintext[i]) + ord(key_char) - ord('A'))
+        while(ord(new_chr) < ord('A') or ord(new_chr) > ord('Z')):
+            new_chr = chr(ord(new_chr) - NUM_ALPHA_LETTERS)
+        new_string += new_chr
+    return new_string
+
+def decrypt_vigenere(ciphertext, keyword):
+    """
+    Decrypts ciphertext using a Vigenere cipher with a keyword.
+    Accepts a keyword to align with the text to be decoded, subtracting the
+    distance between 'A' and each letter of the keyword to each character's
+    ASCII value.
+    """
+    keyword = format_text(keyword)
+    ciphertext = format_text(ciphertext)
+    if(keyword == ""): return ciphertext
+    print("Decrypting {0} using Vigenere cipher with key {1}".format(ciphertext, keyword))
+    new_string = ""
+    for i in range(len(ciphertext)):
+        key_char = keyword[i % len(keyword)]
+        new_chr = chr(ord(ciphertext[i]) + ord('A') - ord(key_char))
+        if(not new_chr.isalpha()):
+            new_chr = chr(ord(new_chr) + NUM_ALPHA_LETTERS)
+        new_string += new_chr
+    return new_string
+    
+def encrypt_railfence(plaintext, num_rails):
+    """
+    Encrypts plaintext using a railfence cipher.
+    Traverses the string as if it were a zig zag, adding each
+    letter to its "rail", represented by a list of strings to
+    designate each row of the railfence
+
+    WEAREDISCOVEREDFLEEATONCE 
+            becomes 
+    W   E   C   R   L   T   E
+     E R D S O E E F E A O C
+      A   I   V   D   E   N
+    WECRLTEERDSOEEFEAOCAIVDEN
+    """
+    plaintext = format_text(plaintext)
+    print("Encrypting {0} using railfence cipher with {1} rails".format(plaintext, num_rails))
+    rails =[""] * num_rails
+    row = 0
+    d_row = -1
+    for ch in plaintext:
+        if(not ch.isalpha()): continue
+        if(row == (num_rails - 1) or row == 0):
+            d_row *= -1
+        rails[row] = rails[row] + ch
+        row += d_row
+    return "".join(rails)
+    # http://codegolf.stackexchange.com/questions/10544/rail-fence-cipher
+
+
+
+def decrypt_railfence(ciphertext, num_rails):
+    """
+    Decrypts ciphertext using a railfence cipher.
+    Identifies the different rails, then strings them together
+    one letter at a time, traversing the path of the rail.
+    """
+    ciphertext = format_text(ciphertext)
+    print("Decrypting {0} using railfence cipher with {1} rails".format(ciphertext, num_rails))
+    railfence_constant = (num_rails - 1) * 2
+    l = []
+    rail_length = len(ciphertext) // railfence_constant
+    leftover = len(ciphertext) % railfence_constant
+    letters_used = 0
+    # Walks through string, breaking up the cipher into the "rails"
+    for i in range(railfence_constant):
+        if(leftover > 0):
+            l.append(ciphertext[letters_used: letters_used + rail_length + 1])
+            letters_used += rail_length + 1
+            leftover -= 1
+        else:
+            l.append(ciphertext[letters_used: letters_used + rail_length])
+            letters_used += rail_length
+    secret_message = ""
+    # Combines the rail pairs except for the edge case rails
+    for i in range(num_rails):
+        if(i == 0 or i == num_rails - 1): 
+            continue
+        l[i] = l[i] + l[i + 1]
+        l.remove(l[i + 1])
+    row = 0
+    d_row = -1
+    # Walks through rail position, combining rails into the secret message
+    for i in ciphertext:
+        if(row == (num_rails - 1) or row == 0):
+            d_row *= -1
+        secret_message += l[row][0]
+        l[row] = l[row][1:]
+        row += d_row
+    return secret_message
+
+def read_from_file(filename):
+    """
+    Reads and returns content from a file.
+    Returns a string representation of the file, could be troublesome
+    for larger files. Probably should revise to deal with this case
+    entirely separatelt in the program.
+    """
+    raw_text = ""
+    with open(filename, 'r') as f:
+        lines = f.readlines()
+    for line in lines:
+        for ch in line:
+            if(ch.isalpha()):
+                raw_text += ch
+    return raw_text
+
+
+def write_to_file(filename, content):
+    # Writes passed in content to any file, existing or not.
+    print("Writing content to {0}...".format(filename))
+    with open(filename, 'w+') as f:
+        f.write(content)
+
+def get_keyword():
+    # Prompts for a keyword, assuring the keyword is not an empty string
+    word = input("Passkey? ").upper()
+    while(word == ""):
+        input("Please enter any sequence of characters: ").upper()
+    return word
+
+def get_nrails():
+    '''
+    Prompts user for an integer, error checking to insure input is of
+    the correct type.
+    '''
+    user_input = input("Enter an integer: ")
+    try:
+        val = int(user_input)
+    except ValueError:
+        print("That's not an int!")
+    # http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5424716/python-how-to-check-if-input-is-a-number
+    return val
+
+def transform_text(raw_text, operation, tool):
+    """
+    Operates the requested encryption/decryption using
+    the proper tool.
+    """
+    if(operation == 'E'):
+        if  (tool == 'C'):
+            return encrypt_caesar(raw_text)
+        elif(tool == 'V'):
+            return encrypt_vigenere(raw_text, get_keyword())
+        elif(tool == 'R'):
+            return encrypt_railfence(raw_text, get_nrails())
+    elif(operation == 'D'):
+        if  (tool == 'C'):
+            return decrypt_caesar(raw_text)
+        elif(tool == 'V'):
+            return decrypt_vigenere(raw_text, get_keyword())
+        elif(tool == 'R'):
+            return decrypt_railfence(raw_text, get_nrails())
+    else:
+        print("We're sorry, an error has occurred")
+
+def prompt_for_filename():
+    # Assumes user will enter a valid filename
+    return input('Filename? ')
+
+def run_suite():
+    """
+    Runs a single iteration of the cryptography suite.
+
+    Asks the user for input text from a string or file, whether to encrypt
+    or decrypt, what tool to use, and where to show the output.
+    """
+    print("*Input*")
+    raw_text = "" # the to-be-encrypted/decrypted text 
+    if(type_is_file()):
+        filename = prompt_for_filename()
+        while(not os.path.exists(filename)):
+            filename = prompt_for_filename()
+        raw_text = read_from_file(filename).upper()
+    else:
+        raw_text = input("Enter the string to encrypt or decrypt: ").upper()
+
+    print("*Transform*")
+    operation = transformation_type()
+    tool = encryption_method() 
+    message = transform_text(raw_text, operation, tool)
+    print("...")
+
+    print("*Output*") 
+    if(type_is_file()):
+        write_to_file(prompt_for_filename(), message)
+    else:
+        print(message)
+
+def encryption_method():
+    # Requests, returns, and error checks for the method of en/decryption
+    """
+    Asks the user how they would like to encrypt or decrypt.
+    Responses that begin with a `C` return 'C'. (case-insensitively)
+    Responses that begin with a `V` return 'V'. (case-insensitively)
+    Responses that begin with a `R` return 'R'. (case-insensitively)
+    All other responses (including '') cause a reprompt.
+    """    
+    input_type = input("(C)aesar, (V)igenere, or (R)ailfence? ").upper()
+    while not input_type or input_type[0] not in ['C', 'V', 'R']:
+        input_type = input("Please enter either 'C', 'V', or 'R': ").upper()
+    return input_type[0]  
+
+def transformation_type():
+    """
+    Asks the user whether they would like to encrypt or decrypt.
+    Responses that begin with a `E` return 'E'. (case-insensitively)
+    Responses that begin with a `D` return 'D'. (case-insensitively)
+    All other responses (including '') cause a reprompt.
+    """    
+    input_type = input("(E)ncrypt or (D)ecrypt? ").upper()
+    while not input_type or input_type[0] not in ['E', 'D']:
+        input_type = input("Please enter either 'E' or 'D': ").upper()
+    return input_type[0]
+
+def type_is_file():
+    """
+    Asks the user whether they would like to use a string or a file.
+    Responses that begin with a `F` return True. (case-insensitively)
+    Responses that begin with a `S` return False. (case-insensitively)
+    All other responses (including '') cause a reprompt.
+    """
+    selection = input("(F)ile or (S)tring? ").upper()
+    while not selection or selection[0] not in ['F', 'S']:
+        selection = input("Please enter either 'F' or 'S': ").upper()
+    return selection[0] == 'F'
+
+# Do not modify code beneath this point.
+def should_continue():
+    """
+    Asks the user whether they would like to continue.
+    Responses that begin with a `Y` return True. (case-insensitively)
+    Responses that begin with a `N` return False. (case-insensitively)
+    All other responses (including '') cause a reprompt.
+    """
+    choice = input("Again (Y/N)? ").upper()
+    while not choice or choice[0] not in ['Y', 'N']:
+        choice = input("Please enter either 'Y' or 'N'. Again (Y/N)? ").upper()
+    return choice[0] == 'Y'
+
+
+def main():
+    """Harness for the Cryptography Suite"""
+    print("Welcome to the Cryptography Suite!")
+    run_suite()
+    while should_continue():
+        run_suite()
+    print("Goodbye!")
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    """This block is run if and only if the Python script is invoked from the
+    command line."""
+    main()
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diff --git a/mcm2018-assign1/feedback.txt b/mcm2018-assign1/feedback.txt
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+++ b/mcm2018-assign1/feedback.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+Name: Matt Mahowald
+1) How long did this assignment take you to complete?
+3-4 hours
+
+2) What has been the best part of the class so far?
+I've really enjoyed the class style. Good lectures and the labs are fun, as well as a 106-series feel to the work so far.
+
+3) What can we do to make this class more enjoyable for you?
+Class has been great! No suggestions.
+
+4) What types of assignments would excite you in this class?
+I'd really like to see what applications of python make it exceptional. Like flipping the string with [::-1] is super cool, what else can python do like that.
+
+Check output.txt for a secret message to be decrypted. Use the Vigenere decryption method with a keyword that is on the CS Ninety Two SI website. Or look no further than this document...
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diff --git a/mcm2018-assign1/output.txt b/mcm2018-assign1/output.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..99ebbfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mcm2018-assign1/output.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+VZNVXCHSYKFLMCUUQAKTLTSSKWOWPTNWL
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diff --git a/mcm2018-assign1/railfence-cipher.txt b/mcm2018-assign1/railfence-cipher.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c1ae5da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mcm2018-assign1/railfence-cipher.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+WECRLTEERDSOEEFEAOCAIVDEN
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diff --git a/mcm2018-assign1/railfence-plain.txt b/mcm2018-assign1/railfence-plain.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..14a5128
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mcm2018-assign1/railfence-plain.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+WE ARE DISCOVERED. FLEE AT ONCE
diff --git a/mcm2018-assign1/railfence_notes.txt b/mcm2018-assign1/railfence_notes.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef05fe4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mcm2018-assign1/railfence_notes.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+encrypt(message, numrails)
+WEAREDISCOVEREDFLEEATONCE
+          111111111122222
+0123456789012345678901234
+
+W.A.E.I.C.V.R.D.L.E.T.N.E s[0::2]
+.E.R.D.S.O.E.E.F.E.A.O.C. s[1::2]
+
+W...E...C...R...L...T...E s[0::4] 7
+.E.R.D.S.O.E.E.F.E.A.O.C. s[1::2] 
+..A...I...V...D...E...N.. s[2::4]
+
+W.....I.....R.....E.....E s[0::6]
+.E...D.S...W.E...E.A...C. ???
+..A.E...C.V...D.L...T.N.. ???
+...R.....O.....F.....O... s[3::6]
+
+0, 1, 2, 3, 2, 1, 0
+0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
+
+num rails - (4 % num rails)
+
+W.......C.......L.......E 7
+.E.....S.O.....F.E.....C. 5, 1
+..A...I...V...D...E...N.. 3
+...R.D.....E.E.....A.O... 1, 5
+....E.......R.......T.... 7
+
+WCLE ESOFEC AIVDEN RDEEAO ERT
+WIREE EDSWEEAC AECVDLTN ROFO
+WECRLTE ERDSOEEFEAOC AIVDEN
+
+W   E   C   R   L   T   E
+ E R D S O E E F E A O C
+  A   I   V   D   E   N
+
+WECRLTE ERDSOE EFEAOC AIVDEN
+WIREE EDSW EEAC AECV DLTN ROFO
+
+HELLO
+HLO EL
+HO EL L
+H EO L L
+
+l = []
+len(ciphertext) // 
+for i in range(num_rails):
+	if(i == 0):
+
+	elif(i == num_rails - 1):
+
+	else:
+		l.append()
+
+
+
diff --git a/mcm2018-assign1/rails_test.py b/mcm2018-assign1/rails_test.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..efdecef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mcm2018-assign1/rails_test.py
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+1: WECRLTE
+2: ERDSOEEFEAOC
+4: AIVDEN
+
+WCLE 7
+ESOFEC 5, 1
+AIVDEN 3
+RDEEAO 1, 5
+ERT 7
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diff --git a/mcm2018-assign1/secret_message.txt b/mcm2018-assign1/secret_message.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..860b90c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mcm2018-assign1/secret_message.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+KHOORZRUOG
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diff --git a/mcm2018-assign1/vigenere-cipher.txt b/mcm2018-assign1/vigenere-cipher.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b04ec8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mcm2018-assign1/vigenere-cipher.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+LXFOPVEFRNHR
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diff --git a/mcm2018-assign1/vigenere-plain.txt b/mcm2018-assign1/vigenere-plain.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..877099d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/mcm2018-assign1/vigenere-plain.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Attack At Dawn!
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