"It's a valid methodology, " said Adina Lopatin, a deputy chief academic officer at the Department of Education.

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Tiossano is both more authentically a manifestation of Senegalese culture as well as much more high-end than is Adina.

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Ms. Netrebko has sung the role of Adina in "Elisir" at major houses for more than a decade, though never before at the Met.

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As Dulcamara, who sells Nemorino the eponymous potion that is supposed to make Adina fall in love (it's actually wine), baritone Ambrogio Maestri comes off best.

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The move to heavier parts will likely mean less time for comic roles, like Adina in "Elisir, " which will disappoint not only Ms. Netrebko's fans but also the soprano herself.

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The description of Magatte Wade fails to mention the reason she founded Adina: The hibiscus beverage she grew up with, the traditional hospitality beverage of Senegal, was being replaced by Coke and Fanta.

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Adina started in health food stores, Whole Foods Market, and Wegmans, and it is now available in more mainstream stores like Safeway and is being test marketed in the Pepsi distribution change (you can buy it at LaGuardia airport, for instance).

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