diff --git a/recommendation_engine.py b/recommendation_engine.py
index 3082c4a..ece3b06 100644
--- a/recommendation_engine.py
+++ b/recommendation_engine.py
@@ -58,10 +58,6 @@ class Engine:
             self.state['userKeywordsWeights'] = {
                 'themeTags': {'locked': False, 'value': 0.3},
                 'characterTags': {'locked': False, 'value': 0.7}
-<<<<<<< HEAD
-=======
-
->>>>>>> iss2
             }
         self.update_keywords()
 
@@ -96,14 +92,14 @@ class Engine:
 
     def get_videos(self, user):
         # Update self_playlists first to reflect changes
-        update_user_playlists(self.playlists, user)
+        playlists = self.update_user_playlists(user)
 
         if user.get('events', [{}])[0].get("event")=="login":
             return {
                 'user': {
                     'keywords': user.get('keywords', {})
                 },
-                'videos': self.get_recommendations(user)
+                'videos': self.get_recommendations(playlists, user)
             }
 
         channels = {k: v.get('value', 0) for k, v in self.state['channels'].items()}
@@ -128,16 +124,12 @@ class Engine:
         prev_grid_list = sorted([v for v in grid_events.values()], key=lambda k:k['index'])
 
         # if there were no grid events for all, initialize all grids.
-<<<<<<< HEAD
-        if len(prev_grid_list) < video_num: 
-=======
         if len(prev_grid_list) < video_num:
->>>>>>> iss2
             return {
                 'user': {
                     'keywords': user.get('keywords', {})
                 },
-                'videos': self.get_recommendations(user)
+                'videos': self.get_recommendations(playlists, user)
             }
 
         else:
@@ -163,7 +155,7 @@ class Engine:
                     next_playlist_index.append(next_clip_index)
                     break
                 else:
-                    for playlist in self.playlists:
+                    for playlist in playlists:
                         if playlist.get('name')== prev_grid_list[i].get('playlist'):
                             if len(playlist["clips"]) == 1:
                                 next_playlist_index.append(i)
@@ -187,7 +179,7 @@ class Engine:
             vids_exclude = [e.get("playlist") for e in prev_grid_list]
             while None in vids_exclude:
                 vids_exclude.remove(None)
-            video = self.get_recommendations(user, vids_exclude)
+            video = self.get_recommendations(playlists, user, vids_exclude)
             rec_list += [(i, video[i]) for i in next_playlist_index]
 
             #staySame pool
@@ -201,20 +193,15 @@ class Engine:
                 },
                 'videos': videos_
             }
-<<<<<<< HEAD
-
-=======
->>>>>>> iss2
 
 
-    def get_recommendations(self, user, vids_exclude = []):
+    def get_recommendations(self, playlists, user, vids_exclude = []):
         channels = {k: v.get('value', 0) for k, v in self.state['channels'].items()}
         sliders = {k: v.get('value', 0) for k, v in self.state['globalKeywords'].items()}
         gridChange = {k: v.get('value', 0) for k, v in self.state['gridChange'].items()}
         userKeywordsWeights = {k: v.get('value', 1) for k, v in self.state['userKeywordsWeights'].items()}
 
         # Exclude playlists from the most recent grid 
-        playlists = copy.deepcopy(self.playlists)
         if len(vids_exclude) > 0:
             for playlist in playlists:
                 if playlist["name"] in vids_exclude:
@@ -231,11 +218,6 @@ class Engine:
         character_tags["FEDOR MIKHAILOVICH SOFRONOV"] = character_tags.get("FYODOR MIKHAILOVICH SOFRONOV",0)
         character_tags["SHKABARNYA OLGA SERGEEVNA"] = character_tags.get("OLGA SERGEEVNA SHKABARNYA",0)
         character_tags["VICTORIA OLEGOVNA SKITSKAYA"] = character_tags.get("VIKTORIA OLEGOVNA SKITSKAYA",0)
-<<<<<<< HEAD
-        
-=======
-
->>>>>>> iss2
         score = {}
         for playlist in playlists:
             score[playlist['name']] = random.random() * 0.001
@@ -273,7 +255,7 @@ class Engine:
         } for video in videos]
 
 
-    def update_user_playlists(playlists, user, watch_cutoff = 0.9):
+    def update_user_playlists(user, watch_cutoff = 0.9):
     # Output: playlists with updated in/out time of clips that have been watched.
     # Watched is defined as a video being played in full screen.
     # "watch_cutoff" parameter: the portion of the clip duration to be determined as watched the whole clip. should be [0,1]
@@ -281,6 +263,7 @@ class Engine:
     # + If (play, pause) pairs exceed XX(80-90?) percent of the clip length, eliminate the clip from the playlist.
     # + Otherwise, find the last pause position of a clip and record it as "in" position of the clip.
     # + If the clips are all eliminated from a playlist, eliminate the playlist.
+        playlists = copy.deepcopy(self.playlists)
         play = {}
         watched = []
         clip_max_dur = 10800 # = 3 hours; arbitrary max duration allowed for (pause time - play time) to detect outlier/bugs
@@ -333,7 +316,7 @@ class Engine:
 
     def get_next(self, user, position):
         # Update self_playlists first to reflect changes
-        update_user_playlists(self.playlists, user)
+        playlists = self.update_user_playlists(user)
         
         grid_events = {}
         video_num = 16 
@@ -345,7 +328,7 @@ class Engine:
                 break
         prev_grid_list = sorted([v for v in grid_events.values()], key=lambda k:k['index'])
         vids_exclude = [e.get("playlist") for e in prev_grid_list]
-        video = self.get_recommendations(user, vids_exclude)[position]
+        video = self.get_recommendations(playlists, user, vids_exclude)[position]
         return video
 
     def update_state(self, data):