INVESTIGATING THE PRESIDENT
The Michigan Daily - Monday, September 14, 1998-- 5A
.U'profs
shed light
on scandal
Daniel Weiss
the Daily
Echoing reaction that has filled televi-
sion screens and newspapers around the
world, University professors say the sex
scandal in the White House is of consid-
erable importance to the nation's percep-
tion of the President.
History Prof. Sidney Fine, who
teaches a two-term course on 20th-
Century American history, said he will
now have to rewrite his lectures on
4 inton for spring term.
It is unprecedented in the history of
the republic," Fine said, referring to the
significance of the report.
Sociology Prof. Andre Modigliani
said the public may find the matter unsa-
vory but may feel compelled to follow it
because of its national importance.
He noted that explicit details of the
sexual encounters between the
President and Monica Lewinsky appear
Rhe report's introduction, in its narra-
e and in its conclusion.
"I think (Kenneth) Starr is a very
sick man," Modigliani said. "Unlike
Starr, (the public) realize they are pry-
ing into a private matter," he said,
adding that people think they must
keep abreast of the matter because the
stakes have risen so high.
"Starr has turned what was a com-
pletely private matter into a public
issue," Modigliani said. "They got him,
9 there was nothing there."
One casualty of the scandal, commu-
nication studies assistant Prof. Nicholas
Valentino agreed, is the public.
"People are overwhelmed by the
scandal;' he said, but added that "there
should be more than one criterion for
judging the President."
Valentino said he regrets that foreign
policy and domestic issues have been
grshadowed by "this one; aspect"
'It's like an accident on the side of
the road. People are trying their best
not to stare"Valentino said.
Fine said the media has become
more aggressive in pursuing the private
lives of public officials over the years.
He cited an anecdote regarding former
New York Times editor A.M.
Rosenthal, who was told by a reporter
of a woman meeting John E Kennedy
at a questionable time of the night. And
~fashion with standards of the era,
Rosenthal responded,"No story"
The Starr Report and the media's
zeal may deter potential candidates
from running for office, Fine said.
"I think the media has gone too far in
looking at public lives when it doesn't
affect public policy," Fine said.
Students digest Starr report
with mix of disgust, apathy
AP PHOTO
Clinton offers public apology for his affair with former White House Intern Monica
Lewinsky at a prayer meeting on Friday.
Campus COmuers
too busy for C1inton
Avramn S. Turkel
For the Daily
As shockwaves from the 445-page
report detailing the affair between
President Clinton and Monica
Lewinsky rippled around the nation,
University students responded yes-
terday with a mix of disgust and
indifference.
"I think he should get the same
sentence as any other American,"
said LSA sophomore Shavara
Srabian. "If that means impeach-
ment for lying, not for the affair, he
should be impeached."
Starr's report contains graphic
portions detailing varied sexual
encounters between the President
and the intern, then 21, as well as
Clinton lying about those meetings.
"I think the report is more parti-
san than factual" said Education
second-year graduate student Julian
Vasquez Helig. "I hear it reads more
like a Danielle Steele novel."
LSA first-year student Andy
Wiginton felt similarly.
"We live in America, and it's
important for this stuff to be public,
but I wouldn't want my kids to know
the graphic details of anybody's sex
life."
Other students said the sexual con-
tent of the report was necessary.
"If they don't put the details in,
the Democrats will say that there is
not substantial evidence." said LSA
first-year student Nick Harris.
Even among students, Independent
Counsel Kenneth Starr has come
under fire for allegedly intruding into
the President's personal life.
"As long as his extramarital affair
isn't affecting the country, and as
long as his social life and profes-
sional life are separate, I don't see
any problem." said LSA first-year
student Derek Applewhite.
"If he did something against the
law, though, it is our business," he
said.
LSA first-year student Jordan
Nodel said the extraordinary length
of the report was unnecessary.
"It makes me question the prestige
of the Oval Office," Nodel said.
"Clinton's behavior is pretty irre-
sponsible, but the fact that Kenneth
Starr started out investigating a land
deal, and ended up with a 500-page
report on an affair is even more
ridiculous."
Many students, however, are tired
of the political proceedings.
"Political parties are always against
each other," said LSA sophomore
Sara Wright.
LSA junior Gina Kim added, "I
think the President has been through
enough. This whole thing is only
interrupting his job."
LSA sophomore Jodi Tepper said it
is time for the issue to be buried.
"He did it, he admitted it, that's
it," she said.
By Erin Holmes
Daily Staff Reporter
Like the thousands of Americans
who crowded the Internet this weekend
to view the online version of Kenneth
Starr's report on President Clinton's sex
scandal, many University students sat
in front of computer terminals yester-
day afternoon searching the Web.
But for many, Big Ten football scores,
homework and CRISP information was
more important than browsing the 445
pages of lurid details.
"I haven't checked the Website," said
Billy Getchius, an Engineering graduate
student, whose time online did not
include viewing the Starr report. "I think
it has had a lot of appeal, but I probably
won't ever view the whole thing."
Getchius said despite the ease of
accessing the report on the Internet, he
doesn't think University students will
be reading the text online.
The report -- accessible through the
U.S. House of Representatives
Homepage (www.house.gov) and high-
lighted on the Yahoo search page
(www.yahoo.com) --- contains a table of
contents with headings titled "Gifts"
and "Secrecy," and explicitly detailed
accounts of sexual encounters between
Clinton and former White House intern
Monica Lewinsky.
But many students said they have no
interest in viewing the site.
"if I wanted to read it, I would have
done it already," said Leila Matta, a
Detroit resident who was using the
computing site at Angell Hall yesterday.
"If I had some kind of assignment to
read it, I might, but I'm not interested,
and I don't think the majority of people
are interested. People here are involved
in their own work."
Matta said the Clinton investigation is
"getting old" despite the cyberspace
release of the report, which has spurned
numerous chat room discussions.
"I think this Website is more impor-
tant to the older generation," Matta
said. "Our generation sees sex in a dif-
ferent light ... I don't think people are
here for the reason of being online to
read the report."
Many people feared that the over-
whelming response to the report's release
online would bring a string of crashed
servers and Internet overload.
But students said campus computing
sites were nearly empty this weekend.
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