By Rachel Carasso
Arizona Daily Wildcat
January 29, 1998

UA students have mixed opinions about Clinton

Arizona Daily Wildcat "There's a reason they call him Slick Willie." - Freddy Espinoza, finance senior

President Clinton's alleged sexual relationship with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky has everyone in the nation talking - and the UA is no exception.

Although the University of Arizona is 2,000 miles from Washington, D.C. and the center of the controversy, students and faculty have expressed definite opinions.

"I think he did do something sexual with Lewinsky," said Atle Erlingsson, journalism and political science senior. "He probably had phone sex with her at least. Someone (at the White House) had to have seen something."

Laura Nelson, retail and consumer studies said she believes Clinton had the affair.

"This is just another thing for Clinton," she said. "He definitely had sex with her. Now he's just trying to be careful legally."

Dana Domingo, retail and consumer studies senior, said she believes Clinton is innocent.

"I think he's a credible president and I don't see why these women didn't come forward earlier," she said. "There is not any truth to their stories."

While many UA students agree that Americans are scrutinizing Clinton, some believe the allegations will not change other countries' opinions of Clinton and the United States.

"Other countries won't think of this as much of a scandal," Domingo said. "The situations that other presidents have been involved in have been much worse."

Arizona Daily Wildcat "This is just another thing for Clinton. He definitely had sex with her. Now he's just trying to be careful legally." - Laura Nelson, retail and consumer studies senior

Finance senior Freddy Espinoza, however, said other countries will think that Clinton is a hypocrite.

"Clinton preaches family values and then turns around and does this," he said. "Clinton should be impeached. He's an embarrassment and doesn't take his job seriously."

UA students also said the media has played an significant role in the controversy.

"The media is railroading Clinton," Domingo said.

Marketing senior Robert Hazel said the media can focus too much on personal lives.

"That's also what people want to hear," he said. "It's all a big soap opera."

Journalism professor Jacqueline Sharkey said the media should stick to reporting the facts.

Arizona Daily Wildcat "People see his ethics and his ability to be a good president as two different things." - Jim Todd senior lecturer of political science

"There have been so many innuendoes and rumors and information that has not been verified, " said Sharkey, who has been following the issue with students in her Ethics and the News Media class.

Jim Todd, a senior lecturer of political science, agreed with Sharkey.

"The media has been in a rush to get stories to print," he said. "They have done this without journalistic caution."

Todd said that while Americans seem to be concerned about the president's morals, they are separating them from his presidential abilities.

"The nation's approval rating of the president has improved despite his allegations," he said. "People see his ethics and his ability to be a good president as two different things."

Espinoza said some Americans are impressed with Clinton because he appeals to the public.

"There's a reason they call him Slick Willie," he said.