Word: backgrounders
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...weekend, they meet the rest of their five-person intervention team. In addition to their mentor, their academic adviser and dean for first-year students Nasteff, the freshmen are introduced to that traditional student counselor, the resident adviser, and one more peer contact that reflects the college's Baptist background--a student called a shepherd, whose role is spiritual guidance. That guidance can mean helping freshmen study for midterms or praying with them. Jewell's campus is ecumenical--no religion courses or pledge of faith is required, and the student-senate leader is Jewish--but the school's Christian focus...
...music Britney cavorted to, her new single "I'm a Slave 4 U," was also a major disappointment. It sounded like it was written by Prince's seventh cousin, like something you'd hear in the background of a bad Swedish porno film, only since the words were in English there was no hiding how insipid the lyrics were. The stage was filled with feline dancers, giving the appearance that Britney was trying to stage "Cats" off-Broadway. Memo to Britney: "Cats" is closed. At least try to re-stage, like, "The Producers" or something...
...influence over foreign policy negotiations that should rightly be conducted by the Department of State. Rice and Rumsfeld are also, coincidentally, the two most active supporters of a missile defense in the administration, while Powell, who holds a much more moderate view on missile defense, has faded to the background. When negotiations began with Russia over the possible implementation of the system and the abrogation of the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, Rice headed the delegation rather than Powell. In the most important dealings with foreign powers, the secretary of state has been repeatedly eclipsed by his own administration. Powell...
This is normal behavior on the women's tennis tour, where all the top players have a potent combination of talent, glamour and tennis-kid brattiness. Instead of keeping their rifts in the background, like most egomaniacal athletes, these women air their gripes and grievances on center court. It makes for great TV, which is one reason why, when the women's tour arrives in New York City this week for the U.S. Open, it will be the women's final, not the men's, that CBS airs in prime time...
...needs the Kennedys? Have they done any good for anyone? They are trying to influence the world because they inherited power [THE NEW KENNEDYS, Aug. 13]. At least Joe, the founding father, created wealth. His character and background have been discussed in detail, so we know who he really was. I cannot doubt the good intentions of the younger Kennedys, but I would ask them all to go home or go to work, like real people do. MANUEL BLANCO Santiago...