People: Oct. 7, 2002

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When you think about it, it's harder to be Miss Universe than it is to be, say, Mother Teresa. Nobody was on Mother Teresa's case todo good and look good. No surprise, then, that the Miss Universe crown passed from Russian OXANA FEDOROVA, near right, to her runner-up, Panamanian beauty JUSTINE PASEK, last week, after it became apparent Fedorova could not or would not perform her duties. "Miss Universe typically spends about 85% of her year working with various health organizations to fight AIDS around the world," says a Miss Universe Organization spokeswoman. "Originally, Oxana came to us and said, 'I need three weeks off to defend my dissertation.'" That was no problem. But after she "went AWOL" in August, according to the spokeswoman, and then asked for December off as well, the organization decided to remove Fedorova from her post. Russian newspapers quoted her as saying she voluntarily gave up the job for school and to look after her ailing grandfather. Where have all the superficial pageant queens gone?

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