Thursday, May 23, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu Thursday, May 23, 2013 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 9 KATIE BURKE EDITOR IN CHIEF ERIC FERGUSON EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR ELLIOT ALPERN MANAGING EDITOR Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily's editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. Press espionage Records seizure deserves Congressional attention L ast week, the Department of Justice notified The Associated Press of the government's seizure of two months' worth of phone records from editors and reporters. The government seized the phone records to find the source of a leak of information about the CIA's disruption of a Yemen-based terrorist plot to bomb an airliner last year. Regardless of the perceived threat to national security, the Obama administration should respect the press's prerogative to report on gov- ernment. If the administration cannot perform this check on itself, then Congress should hold the administration accountable. I have not done anything wrong."M -Internal Revenue Service official Lois Lerner said Wednesday at a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearingI on the IRS's targeting of conservative groups. She invoked her 5th Amendment rights shortly afterwards. SEND LETTERS TO: TOTHEDAILY@ MICHIGANDAILY.COM University shouldn't assume dependance on males Are we human, or are we dancer? Daft Punk delivei have to dive into house music head- first. The sixth track "Lose Yourself to Dance" is the obvitus evolution from the grooving hit: Pharrell similarly croons over funky guitars, imploring us with its titular mes- sage. "I know your life is speeding and it isn't stopping/ Here, take my shirt and just go ahead and wipe up all the / Sweat, sweat, sweat." Like Pharrell needed any help playing the disco stud. And when it comes to dancing, RAM has got you covered. The intro "Give Life Back to Music" might just be a mission statement to the power of danceability, while "Frag- :O LUMBIA ments of Time" is subtle and under- stated - and yet infectious enough to already imagine the remix pos- sibilities . Amazingly enough, though, RAM isn't a dance album - or at least, doesn't even seem wholly trayed? devoted to dance. Detractors may call on that asa sign that Daft Punk 'ee. But is softening, but that's not even RAM is close to the truth. "Within," the he year. fourth song on the record, begins grown with a slow piano and doesn't synths really ever evolve from there - ew run- but the auto-tuned vocals make it: Daft for an enjoyable, obviously-Daft- Punk product that doesn't rely tal Daft on synths. The ensuing "Instant ed who Crush," which features Julian " don't Casablancas of The Strokes, picks up with the same sense of melan- choly - but the chorus will perk your ears and leave you ready to give it a second play. "Contact," the closing track on the album, is pretty spiffy in its own right. At its base, the song i. pretty cool - building synths are matched by a furious drum heat. serving as a suitable climax for the record at large. And anyone with some time to kill should try to find a video of"Contact" synced up with the final minutes of "2001 A Space Odyssey." Unfortunate ly, the original source has been deleted due to copyright viola- tion (because clearly there was so much profit to be made), but in the meantime, another will likely spring up (or you can try syncing them yourself!). In any case, Random Access Memories succeeds asa Daft Punk album more than a dance album - and listeners should take care to distinguish between the two. Yes, there are opportunities to get loose; "Lose Yourself to Dance" and "Get Lucky" should see to that. But as an entire work of art, Random Access Memories devi- ates from the usual house filler, and Daft Punk provides even more evidence that the duo is one of the coolest, sleekest acts in the galaxy. TO THE DAILY: Dear President Coleman, I am a proud double graduate of the University. I credit my Michigan education with affording me opportunities that relatively few others in the world have and with giving me an edge over many of my colleagues. I received a valuable education that has enabled me to begin a career I love. Your university empowered me to be a confident and capable young woman who thinks for herself. Two weekends ago, I sat in the Big House and watched my baby sister graduate, and I couldn't be prouder. I bleed maize and blue. But as of May 16, I also could not be more disgusted. That night, I received a call from Michigan Telefund. The young woman on the other end was polite and appropriate. We reached the point in the conversation where she asked me to donate. I said I wasn't quite yet in a position to donate, but the information you have on file for me is correct. We chatted about lost funding and budget cuts, and what that means for scholarships. She asked me two more times to donate. Both times I said I would when I was able. Then something utterly disheartening happened: the young lady on the other end of the phone suggested that she could call me back after I had a chance to ask my husband about it. That's funny: as far as I could tell, it was my phone that rang and I who had answered. If there's any organization in the world that should truly understand that I - along with every other female Michigan graduate - am capable of making my own decisions and speaking for myself, it should be yours. After my parents, my boyfriend-turned-fiance-turned- spouse and I paid your university $141,466.32 to shape me into a con- fident, capable, and self-sufficient young woman, it would be much appreciated if your organization believed that a confident, capable self-sufficient young woman is exactly what I've become. Katherine (Murkowski) Steffy LSA '09, SPH '12 By ELLIOT ALPERN Managing Editor it started with the mysterious, 15-second ad during "SNL" way back in March: Just a Daft Punk logo, eclipsed by the fusion of the two iconic helmets, and the sweet, funky guitar chords that would eventually define the single-to-be "Get Lucky." Even then, there was an air of something special - that this wasn't just Daft Punk playing the part of typical house juggernaut releasing typical new music. No, if the ad had anything to insinuate, it was that Daft Punk's newest release was something to be teased - the harbinger of some momentous, funky disco-pocalypse. So when Pharrell's lofty vocals propelled "Get Lucky" to "hit sin- gle" status (with some already call- ing it this summer's anthem), the speculation over Random Access Memories only skyrocketed. Would expectations be met? Be Exceeded? In a way, possibly all thr there's no mistaking that b one of the best albums off tl And even if after you've jaded from the twangs and looped at some party for a ft throughs, you have to adm Punk delivers. For one, this isn't the usu Punk - any DP un-initiate took a liking to "Get Lucky Scandal' concludes an ambitious season Records from more than 20 telephones belonging to the AP's offices and its journalists - including home and cell phone records - were involved in the DoJs seizure, which was done in secret and without consent. In an interview, AP CEO Gary Pruitt expressed his outrage, calling the government "secretive" and noted "they've been overbroad and abusive - so much so that, taken together, they are uncon- stitutional because they violate our First Amendment rights." Despite the fact that the DoJ was searching for the source of the leakage of information about the foiled Yemen terrorist plot last May, the government still does not have the right to infringe upon the freedom of the press. The seizure of information from the AP is not the only time President Barack Obama's administration has intruded upon the freedom of the press. The administration has pursued six cases of information leakage under the Espionage Act since the beginning of Obama's first term. This is in stark contrast to previous presidents, where the act had been used only three times in total. The administration's overuse of the act creates a dangerous precedent for future relations between the media and the government, and it's not surprising that the press and members of both parties have spokenoutagainstthe DoJ'srecent move. Given this disapproval of the administration's actions, Congress should now consider amending the act to prevent further intrusion into the press's freedoms. The sources the government are seeking are confidential for a reason - whistleblowers need to be able to go to the press with information without fearing possible repercussions from the government for doing so. The government is not perfect, and the freedom of the press ensures that these imperfections don't become buried in the bureau- cracy. If this process works, the public can hold the government accountable and workto improve it. However, without this flow of information from the press, it's extremely difficult for the public to obtain knowledge of the gov- ernment's affairs. The AP phone records intru- sion proves that the govern- ment's treatment of the press deserves more scrutiny than it's currently receiving. The press and its sources should not have to fear secretive searches that undermine the First Amend- ment. It is now the duty of Con- gress to protect the freedom of the press, a process that should include a thorough reevaluation of the Espionage Act. If Con- gress doesn't act in response to this incident, more intrusions against the press by the current administration or future admin- istrations are possible., CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit viewpoints. Viewpoints should be 550-850 words. Send the writer's full name and University affiliation to tothedaily(amichigandaily.com. WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH OPINION? Check out The Michigan Daily's editorial board meetings. Every Monday at 5 pm, the Daily's opinion staff meets to discuss both University and national affairs in order to write our editorials. E-mail opinioneditors@michigandaily.com to join in the debate. By KAYLA UPADHYAYA ManagingArts Editor Network television needs Olivia Pope. The networks faced their worst numbers ever this season, and ithas become basic knowledge that if you want daring, top-notch SCandal television, you go to cable. In this Season 2 state of decay, Finale network TV could Thursdays certainly use at10 p.m. Olivia Pope, the A spin-wizard atthe AlC center of ABC's "Scandal," drummingup good press and changing its image. And in a way, it does: As "Scandal" closes out its second season, it's all the more clear that Pope (Kerry Washing- ton, "Peeples") and her universe are glimmering signs that smart, risk- taking drama can still be found on network TV. By undertaking an ambitious season-long arc after its fun but inconsistent first season, "Scandal" made leaps and bounds to become the cable-ready behemoth that it is. The showrunner behind it all is Shonda Rhimes, who knows a thing or two about how to build a suc- cessful show, having created net- work megahits "Grey's Anatomy" and "Private Practice." This sea- son, Rhimes and her team of gladi- ators in suits seem fearless in their attempts to shock and seduce view- ers with their explosion of a shot. Rhimes has created an America run by a megalomanic first lady, an Afri- can-American fixer who's sleeping with the president and a gay chief- of-staff. In this world, presidents are shot; presidents murder; former spies attend Narcotics Anonymous because they're addicted to slicing people up and unlikely co-conspira- tors riganational election. And it all feels wonderfully over-the-top but never silly. Most importantly, it's TV you shouldn't feel guilty about loving. Sure, "Scandal" is undeniably a pri- metime soap among a TV season of sudsy indulgence, but it's got more intelligence than "Nashville," more stability than "Revenge" and more life than "House of Cards." Only in a brief stretch midseason did the show lose some of its edge, getting too wrapped up in its own conspira- cies. And by the end, all the red her- rings and suspense about who the goddamn mole was went stale. But by then, it didn't really matter much, because the plot still touched each and every character in different, exciting ways. Despite sprinkling in plenty of soapy tropes, "Scandal" breaks conventions and expectations. The smartest move the show made was letting its main character take off her white hat; while the Olivia of season one was hardly a saint, here, she's wrapped up in a stolen presi- dency, with plenty of blood on her gloved fingertips. Fitz (Tony Gold- wyn, "The Good Wife") - or Presi- dent Grant, as he's referred to by virtually no one - most strikingly defies expectations. He's hardly the powerful, clever leading man. If he resembles any stock character at all, it's a damsel in distress. His wife Mellie (Bellamy Young, "Criminal Minds"), his chief-of-staff Cyrus (Jeff Perry, "Grey's Anatomy") and his lover Olivia are basically always telling him to go to the Oval Office and play while the grownups figure out how to fix the free world. "Scandal" is loud, from its signa- ture camera shutter sound effects during scene transitions to its bold story maneuvers. Its scripts burst at the seams with dialogue, because these characters have a whole lot to say and they say it so damn well. But unlike Aaron Sorkin's "The Newsroom," where a bunch of white dudes kept screaming about noth- ing, every word these characters utter - whether it be in one of the many closeup shout-a-thons or in a rare but potent whisper - drips with meaning. Washington is a clear stronghold for the cast, but she's supported by an army of fierce performers who give life to the page. All season, Perry knocks us out with his manic energy, storming through tunnels, huffing down halls as Fitz's bull- dog Cyrus, finally reaching a boil- ing point in the finale. Guillermo Diaz does truly haunting work, with semi-reformed killer Huck domi- nating large stretches of narrative, making the once mysterious charac- ter the most fleshed-out and intrigu- ing of all the gladiators. Young mesmerizes as Mellie, spewing out breakneck monologues packed with twisted one-liners. Even Goldwyn gets his chance to wax poetic in the finale, explain- ing to Mellie exactly how things will work now that she has told the American public about his affair. Cyrus knows Fitz never could have come up with something so genius himself and asks if Olivia is behind the masterplan ... of course she is, Cyrus. There's no problem Olivia can't fix, even when it's her own. And yet, in the finale's final moments, Olivia Pope is caught - for possibly the first time in her life - completely and totally off-guard. with a twist that could very well prove to be premise-altering. Yes, network television indeed needs Olivia Pope. It needs Shonda,4 Rhimes. And it needs "Scandal" showingother dramas howit's done.