Cricket Country in the Morning: Wake Up With Scott Schuler

Angie and Scott Schuler: Photo courtesy of Angie Schuler

In the darkness of early morning, hair still wet from a shower, headphones on and holding a steaming cup of coffee, Scott Schuler sits comfortably in fleece and cargo shorts facing five computer screens and a microphone.

Ready for his 6 a.m. radio show, thousands of Albany residents get ready to tune into KRKT to hear the LBCC alumnus take over the airwaves on his show Cricket Country in the Morning.

Despite the early hour his energy is upbeat and his sense of humor is obvious. Upon walking to his studio he poked his head into a neighboring studio and said, "This is Jon. What I do is way more interesting than what he does."

He was referring to Jon Warren who was on air for KLOO news radio.

Warren responded with a smile and said, "He has it easy, he just throws on some music."

Although the friendly banter left them laughing, Schuler does far more than just play music. He co-hosts the show with his wife Angie Schuler and they actively engage with their audience for three hours while listeners start their day.

"Work is our life and life is our work so they aren't very separate," said Angie. "Our work involves creativity, humor, and sharing our lives with KRKT listeners. It's probably one of the rare careers when it can work."

The on-air and off-air couple met at the radio station in 1997. Schuler pointed out that he trained Angie on her first day. Angie said the first thing she noticed about Schuler was how tall he was. Love blossomed and they now have three children. They are also the owners of Downtown Shabby, a shabby-chic home decor store in Albany.

 "They do a ton of stuff. A lot of fundraising, they get into the community and are very visible. They do food drives and people love it," said Warren.

On the morning of Feb. 26 Schuler ran the show solo. Operating all five computers and the phone lines, when a song played for listeners he prepped his next move. Always thinking ahead, he used the time for voice-tracking which he explained meant he would prerecord his voice intending to use the snippet in an upcoming segment.

Schuler on air at KRKT

His love of country music oozed in conversation between his shuffling of keyboards and computer screens. In the business for 17 years, he spoke happily about his encounters with stars in the country music world.

He has attended the Country Music Awards and shook hands with the artists. He has incorporated his love of golf as recreation with big stars such as the Dixie Chicks.

"Right when the Dixie Chicks were hot Martie [Erwin] wanted to go golfing. We played in Albany and on the first hole I ripped the front of my shorts wide open. They made a point on stage to make fun of me. I joke that I inspired [their songs] 'Rip' and 'Wide Open Spaces.'"

Evidence of his celebrity encounters adorn the studio. Several signed guitars, signed photographs, and signed posters liven up the walls, posted between the sound-proof foam panels.

 "He is not someone who is forgotten, even by a country singer that met him one time at a random event in Nashville where they may have met 50 other people. They remember Scott, 'Schuler, Oregon, right?' they'll say. It's fun to watch," said Angie.

He broke from our conversation and went live on the air.

"We've got stupids," referring to the segment of the show where he reads less-than-smart criminal activity from police reports. While he read the newest of the "stupids" he giggled and poked fun as if he was sitting next to his listeners telling the story.

"Cops will stop me [in public] and tell me about 'stupids' I should use on the show."

When listener and LBCC student Macy Omstead was asked of her favorite part of the show she said, "The Stupids! I like how funny he is and the voices he does."

To listeners and friends Schuler is known for his estimated 200 character voices. He has the ability to mimic voices so well that he has been hired to portray famous voices. For example, Hank Hill from the series King of the Hill.

He told a story of calling a friend at Asylum Records and leaving a message using the character voice of Hank Hill. His friend found it so funny she played it for anyone that came in her office and word got back to the label president of his perfect impression. It turned out they had talked with King of the Hill creator Mike Judge about lending his Hank Hill voice for an album idea, which he had declined. By chance, in came Schuler at the perfect time, and he was hired to promote the album calling radio stations in character.

"Most of [the voices] are characters I've practiced like Schwarzenegger, Sean Connery, and Homer Simpson. I was always the funny voice guy to my friends."

A clock with the face of Homer Simpson hung centered on the wall directly in front of his recording equipment.

He has always had an ear for voices. He recalled his mom telling him of when he was growing up and the voice for Superman changed. According to his mom he was really upset about it. For her it was not big deal but to him it was. He had to learn the new voice.

Due to the nature of his job it makes sense that Schuler spends a lot of time in Nashville, home of The Grand Ole Opry. He attends industry events and conferences there often. Other than spending time in his hometown of Albany, he said that Nashville is the city he frequents the most. He searches for new artists on his visits.

"There's a new group I saw in Nashville last week, American Young, and the guy is Jon Stone from Eugene. He will come to the station when he comes to Oregon."

He was not only excited about the talent of the group but by the local ties. He played the song aloud in the studio said that it was to be the first day he played their new single "Love is War" on the air. He mixed it into the "Wrapper Wednesday" line-up featuring new songs.

It was time to give away the new Dierks Bentley CD to caller number nine.

"It's hump day, the hump day giveaway is back!"

Within seconds of informing listeners his phone lines lit up. Lucky number nine won on their way to work.

Life at the radio station has treated him well. He has received six Silver Microphone awards for commercial production and was named Country Radio Broadcaster Small Market Promotion of the year.

Growing up he used his grandmother's old Panasonic stereo that had a microphone to record his grandfather snoring in his EZ Chair, but Schuler didn't always know that radio was what he wanted to do.

He told the story of how he came to walk into KRKT for the first time. As a delivery driver spending hours on the road he turned to KRKT to keep him entertained. He was a loyal listener but decided one day that he didn't want to listen anymore, he wanted to talk.

"I came here because I wanted to work at KRKT."

He walked into the station on his driving route and asked who he needed to talk to about being on the radio. He studied business at LBCC and had no experience in the industry. He walked out unsure of what would come. A few days later his phone rang and the rest is history.

"I did every shift in the station."

First he started operating the switchboards, then got overnight shifts filling in, then weekend shows. Finally his talent was acknowledged and he was given a chance to have a show of his own as we know it today, during peak listening hours.

Now the only driving he does is in the Cricket van. When driving the van he described his awareness of his small-town fame status.

"People wave. It's like you're in a parade all the time," he joked.

After years of serving Linn County his fans look up to him. His show was once listed as a "life line" for the TV show Who Wants to be a Millionaire. A listener appearing on the TV show had tapped them as a resource to call if they found themselves stumped on a question.

"A producer called and gave us the window we had to stay available for the call. Then they called and said the contestant was out."

Schuler uses his show not only to entertain but as a platform for the greater good. He is an active volunteer for St. Jude's Hospital, Show Mercy International, Operation Homefront, and for the Oregon Jamboree.

"Growing up my mom always said even if we can't give money we give time. Whatever the church was doing, we were doing."

His volunteer work can be seen in the studio. A KRKT poster for a St. Jude's event had a handwritten note that read, "St. Jude loves you." There are several posters showing his involvement in supporting the troops. Both his father and grandfather are vets so Schuler continues to wave the flag for America the way he knows best; on the radio.

"If he can help a person he will help them," said Angie.

Another flag he waves comes in the color orange and has the image of a beaver on it. The OSU Beavers, of course! His Beaver-fever is apparent to all entering the studio with a huge sticker on the door greeting them and a figurine of a beaver holding a duck head at the station where they sit.

"Okay, time to give some stuff away," he said referring to his "Such and Such" game he would play with the first caller to answer the initial question correct.

The second caller made it through the first round. She would have to answer five more questions live on air to win the movie passes.

"We're going live on the radio in a few seconds so no swearing," he joked with the caller.

He clearly wanted the caller to win. When she stumbled on a question he put his voice impersonation to the test and made the "hee-haw" sound of a donkey. She immediately guessed correctly and hung up happy.

"Scott is the guy that everyone wants to know and everyone wants to be friends with," Angie said. "He's a big kid, he is larger than life."

Schuler's enthusiasm for music and ability to have fun with his listeners was apparent. He was warm and welcoming, knowledgeable and passionate. It's appropriate to close out this story the same way he requires his callers to end their calls.

"It's not just country, it's Cricket Country."

Schuler and I taking a selfie in the studio

-At a Glance-

Name: Scott Schuler
Age: 41
Hometown: Albany, Oregon 
LBCC Alumnus: 1991-92
Talk show host: Cricket Country in the Morning
Interests: Golf, Fishing, Family, The Beavs, Country Music
Awards: Six Silver Microphone Awards, Country Radio Broadcaster Small Market Promotion Of The Year.

Albany Democrat-Herald Reporter Talks At LBCC

Photo courtesy of Kyle Odegard

The News Reporting class taught by Rob Priewe was presented with a guest speaker on Feb.19—a crime reporter for the Albany Democrat-Herald.

Kyle Odegard has been a journalist for 13 years, two of which have been at the DH. A graduate of Portland State, he was hired by Priewe when he was the managing editor at the Gazette-Times. Odegard spoke passionately about the love for his job covering the cops.

Odegard told the class that he grew up writing Quentin Tarantinoesque stories and decided that he would pursue journalism after he felt his chance of making a living being an author was slim.

“In the first three months on the job I learned ten times more than I did in college.”

He starts his days looking over police logs from the prior day. He looks for events he deems worthy of follow up and then goes to the Albany Police Department to start asking questions. On the morning he spoke to LBCC students he told them there was a dead body on the logs which he would be following up on when he left.

“It’s intense, it’s fun, and you never know what your day will look like,” he said about his job.

One of the things he likes is that it is a combination of desk and field work. He estimates that he writes five to ten stories a week which keeps him busy interviewing sources, researching and attending city hall meetings.

His job has led him to do a variety of things. He has been paid to surf while writing a story on the subject. He has covered stories on square dancers and polka players. He saw the Dali Llama speak last year. He has met governors. He has sat in on murder trials.

“Working at a small town newspaper you have to be willing to cover anything.”

As a reporter focusing on crime, Odegard sees the side of society that many of the people reading his stories do not. He talked about working in eastern Oregon when there was a meth epidemic and he recalled six drug related deaths in a two-week span that he covered; four murders and a murder/suicide. He recalled another story in eastern Oregon where a man shot himself while driving his car.

Reporting on crime, especially involving death, takes sensitivity.

“I often talk to people on the worst day of their lives. They want to share about their loved one and their outrage on what happened.”

Odegard asked the class who among them were seeking a career in reporting. Half the class raised their hand. He offered some words of wisdom.

He warned that they will need thick skin and can’t let people push them around. A reporters job is to get people talking no matter how uncomfortable the situation. He suggested to them to take as many writing classes as possible. They will have to work when the news happens and must be able to write quickly and well.

“You have to be curious. You have a license to explore stuff and be nosey.”

Odegard has written stories that are award winning and he has also written stories that have exposed city officials. He told the class that it’s about doing all the little stories so that you can get the big story.

“The stuff I am really proud of sometimes people can’t see the work you do to come up with a compelling story.”

When a student asked him if his stories ever hit close to home, he answered frankly.

“You can’t help but emphasize. You do have emotional attachment but you have to hide it.”

Odegard was well received by the class and students commented on what they took away from his visit.

“I liked how he talked about having thick skin. I feel like that was a very important thing to talk about,” said Andrew Nielsen.

“I thought the amount of stories he has to do is just crazy, how you need to be able to cope with criticism, and how you need to talk to grieving people,” said Mathew Brock.

LBCC: First Annual SLC Presidential Debate

Photo Courtesy of LBCC Commuter

On Feb. 18 the Hot Shot Café transformed into a presidential platform for the first annual debate between two SLC President hopefuls.

About 20 students gathered around the café snacking on pizza and soda. All eyes were on Adelaine Carter and Jeff Lehn. The debate was just under an hour and was structured with the same question asked to both candidates.

Mediator Reis Taylor explained prior to the debate the purpose of the event.

“Our questions will shed some insight on who these students are as people and what they are about.”

Taylor welcomed the crowd and read the rules of the debate. Each candidate would be given two minutes to answer each question with an optional one minute rebuttal. After questions from the mediator were completed the audience would have a chance to ask their own questions. Lehn won the coin toss to start first.

The following answers are paraphrased from the candidate answers.

Mediator Questions

Q: What would you do to benefit students?
Lehn: I would ask them what they would like. For example, a recent survey said that students want better wi-fi on campus.
Carter: I would create a bridge between students and staff. This is a community college so they deserve a community.

Q: What do you think needs to be changed?
Carter: People don’t know that SLC exists. I would create overall awareness and get involved with different clubs so that people know we are here.
Lehn: I will encourage students to get involved with campus. Whether it be just attending games, I would encourage them to put effort into something that gets them involved.

Q: What do you hope to gain when you are SLC president?
Lehn: There are fantastic students on this campus that should be celebrated. I hope to work with them and give them the shine they deserve, for example, the ROV club.
Carter: I hope to gain a created sense of community so students can recognize accomplished students on campus and people walking around know who each other are.

Q: What do you think makes a great leader?
Carter: Someone who leads by example. Someone who understands what people want and helps them do the things they want to do.
Lehn: To get out of the way and let people do what they want. To utilize their talent and keep them focused on their goals.

Q: What do you think is the biggest challenge for students?
Lehn: Time. The average student is 26 years old so the biggest challenge is juggling their families and jobs. People have to make priorities.
Carter: Resources. Whether it is lack of finances or lack of time, people need resources to help them survive on campus. I can make events more during the time students are at school and for free or low cost to them.

Audience Questions

Q: Where do you see the future of LBCC going?
Carter: I would like to see more things successful on campus to boost school spirit. People want to be involved when things are well organized.
Lehn: I think the campus we have is great from my experience on other campuses. We can always use improvement and I want to hear from the students what that improvement needs to be.

Q: What’s your stance on smoking on campus? Would you fight for our right to keep the smoking shacks?
Lehn: Personally I don’t smoke but I would leave the smoking shacks where they are. I wouldn’t push for a smoke-free campus.
Carter: I don’t smoke and I’m not a huge fan of it but I would be an advocate to keep them, it’s your choice.

Q: Do you think there is room for improvement on disability services?
Carter: If I was made aware of an issue I would be a voice to help you. Things can always be improved.
Lehn: My son is autistic so I know where you are coming from. We have to look at everything as a whole but I would be willing to address an issue if I was aware there was a problem.

Q: What for you has personally been the biggest struggle on campus?
Lehn: The majority of people have laptops and iPads bogging down the wi-fi. This needs to be addressed.
Carter: Tuition prices. I think there is room for improvement.

Q: What is your opinion of the flash alerts sent to students?
Carter: I would like to see improvements by at least 30 minutes.
Lehn: I would like to see it a lot faster. If there was a way to make it faster I would do it.

Q: What are you going to do to reduce the cost of textbooks?
Lehn: That’s tricky because the bookstore doesn’t set their own prices but you can check online and find much better deals. Personally, I’m all for open source books.
Carter: I would love to see them lower but it’s a bigger issue since the book store doesn’t set the prices.

Q: On a scale from 1 to 10, how busy were you this term?
Lehn: I put in eight to ten hours and day at school in classes or clubs, so pretty busy. I would say 8.
Carter: Probably and 8 or 9, it’s getting pretty close to a 10.

Q: With both of you so close to a 10 how will you juggle SLC?
Carter: Time management. My presidential duties come first. If it comes between hanging out with friends and my duties as president then fun time will have to wait.
Lehn:  I am very thankful for my in-laws. If it weren’t for them things would be much more difficult. It’s all about time management and I’ll make the time.

Taylor concluded the debate reminding the crowd that the application deadline for other SLC positions is Feb. 28. Applications can be picked up in the SLC office.

When attendee Nikita Kornilov was asked if he had heard enough from both candidates to make his voting decision he said, “Yes, I did.”

Brandon Vance, SLC executive assistant, was in attendance and was asked how he felt the debate went.

“I was looking to see how they would vocalize their priorities as president. I think they both did a good job representing themselves. I think either one of them will do a fantastic job.”

Due to lack of candidates to run this year, the person receiving the least amount of votes will automatically become the vice president. After the debate both candidates were asked about their excitement to work with the other.

“We already work together in the SLC so there’s already a camaraderie. We are both very excited and we make a good team,” said Carter.

“We can both learn from each other. I will fill in where I’m needed. I’ll be happy with either one,” said Lehn.

The SLC set a goal to get at least 220 votes this year. Voting is scheduled in the Hot Shot Café on Feb. 26-27. Voting booths will also be set up at the Benton Center and Lebanon campus.
 

TMZ: Comparison of the TV Show and Online News Site

Photo Courtesy of Telepictures

Join me in analyzing the differences of the celebrity news source TMZ as aired on TV verses online. This is a guilty pleasure of mine and is my go-to source for all of my not-needed-but-I-want-it-so-bad news. It's the entertainment of reality TV, with comedic commentary, and breaking news stories. To get you started, here are some things you may not know about the show.

FUN FACTS

TMZ stands for "Thirty Mile Zone" also known to those in the industry as the "studio zone." This area marks the 30 mile circle from W. Beverly Blvd. to N. La Cienega Blvd. in Los Angeles. In this area are the big name studios in Hollywood. When shooting outside of the 30 mile zone the studios are required to pay for any needed travel and living expenses for the cast.

Although it is considered to some as a celebrity gossip site, TMZ has actually been the first to break several nation-wide and world-wide stories. They were the first to report all of the below events before any other newsroom in the country.

• The death of Michael Jackson.
• The photo of Rihanna after her infamous attack from Chris Brown. 
• The death of Brittany Murphy.
• Paris Hilton's 45-day jail sentence for driving on a suspended license. 
•  Mel Gibson's DUI arrest.
• Britney Spears filing for divorce from Kevin Federline. 

HISTORY OF TMZ

TMZ.com was founded by Harvey Levin, a lawyer turned journalist, in 2005 in a joint venture between Warner Brothers and AOL. It was hugely successful online leading to TMZ TV in 2007, a 30 minute celebrity news program Mon-Fri at 4 p.m. on FOX, is hosted by Levin and his newsroom staff. It reportedly made 25 million is 2008! In 2011 TMZ started bus tours through Hollywood stopping at the locations frequented or made famous by celebs. In 2012 TMZ Live was created, co-hosted by Levin, it is an online show that discusses particular topics covered on the TV show in depth with listeners that can call in and join the discussion. In 2013 they launched a NYC bus tour after the success of the Hollywood tours. So, in other words, TMZ is taking over the celebrity news world one step at a time.

CONTENT AND COMMERCIALS

The focus of this media outlet is to bring current celebrity news to mainstream TV and online.

TMZ TV: The setting is literally in the newsroom with the staff present and Levin heading the conversation. They discuss their findings of the day seated casually around their desks. Whether the news be from tipsters, paparazzi, or themselves, they combine what they found and discuss it as a group. They have dialog with each other, mainly using comedy and witty jokes to go back and forth between each other. The video editors add in silly songs, pictures or snippets that flash across the screen adding visuals to the discussion.

The design of the show could be seen as something that is not taken seriously by the newsroom staff to someone that has not seen the show before. If someone has no sense of humor it could at times be offensive but it isn't designed to be a hard hitting news show. In a sense, it's a reality TV show with narrators. However, they are legit reporters. From my viewing experiences I would guess the staff are all between the ages of 25-35 (excluding Levin). They are young, in Hollywood, and many are mingling with celebrities on a weekly basis. Being that Levin is a lawyer, slander and integrity are important to him. Although jokes are incorporated to engage the viewer, they do not make any of the topics up. The newsroom staff come from all walks of life. Some with British accents, some with Australian accents and some with a Los Angeles accent (if you live there, you know what I mean). Some black, some white, some Jewish, some gay; they embrace their diversity and have friendly banter back and forth involving their differences on the subject matter. It's a well rounded setting for many opinions about current celebrity situations.

The ads: I would have expected the target audience to be younger but was surprised because the commercials suggest otherwise. Dominos; Sprint (family plan, #framily); Jack in the Box; Colgate (Kelly Ripa as spokeswoman); Access Hollywood; KEVU Oregon (Fox affiliate); Advil; Walgreens; Goldwater Law Firm, Charter (TV, internet, phone); Harder, Wells, Baron & Manning Law Firm; Les Schwab Tires; Nuetrogena, Colgate Optic Toothbrush; Sleep Country; and self promo of two TMZ teasers and an ad for TMZ NYC bus tours (Harvey Levin as spokesman). After noting the ads within the show it seems to me that the target audience are families and middle-aged woman. The Dominos commercial was a family eating, Sprint was the "framily" plan for friends and family, and Jack in the Box was clearly for the kids. The focus on health products like skin care, toothpaste and toothbrushes reached out to moms. Advil, Walgreens and law firms for drug side effects hinted that an older generation was expected to be watching. But probably not men.

TMZ.com: From my findings on the site there are at least three posts an hour at seemingly any time of the day or night. They have the ability to include more stories on their website than on their TV show in a given day. Although the show is based around a few of the less serious topics, the site includes serious topics as well. The stories on the site are neatly arranged one on top of another making it easy to read and scroll, especially on the phone app. With each story readers have several options. There are sometimes videos associated with the story from their reporters or related snippets from the TV and LIVE shows. There are comment sections below some stories for readers to put in their two cents. There are links to post the story on Twitter and Facebook. There are often reader polls where a question is asked and a multiple choice answer can be given, showing a percentage of reader opinion on the subject. And under each story they take key words and link similar topics to other stories pertaining to the topic or person. You can seemingly click and click and click some more for as long as you want, getting totally TMZ'd-out if you so choose.

The Ads: Clicking on photo galleries or video footage will most likely get interrupted by an advertisement. The ones I saw were for reality TV shows, health products, and dog food. The online ads support my family viewing theory. At the bottom of the page are ad links to other celebrity news sites and magazines, which I am assuming they have paid for as their platform for traffic. On the right side of the page, starting at the top, are ads for TMZ. They promote their "TMZ Sports" section which has a teaser to click and will take readers to that portion of the TMZ site reserved for news affiliated with athletes. I actually discovered the sports section doing this analysis after years of frequenting the site (whoops). Visitors can book a bus tour in Hollywood or New York with the click of a button. They can view a portion of the most recent TV show and also see a summary of upcoming show topics. Plus, there is a list of most popular stories and most commented stories so that the reader searching for juicy topics quickly doesn't have to browse through the other stuff. At the top of the screen there are banners of rotating ads. When I looked, it was for Dominos which is no surprise since they also advertised on the show I watched.

Harvey Levin: Photo Courtesy of Business Insider

ANALYZE

TMZ TV: Examples of the stories on both the TV show and posted online for Feb.19 were: Natasha Oakley (Bikini a Day founder) prancing on a Miami beach in a thong bikini, Michelle Rodriguez (actress) getting in a limo with pants and coming out of the limo with no pants (but holding the ones she was wearing), Paris Hilton getting her hair apparently sniffed by a creepy guy, a Titanic extra that is suing because he was never paid for two words he spoke in the film, and RuPaul's (drag queen) new reality show Drag Race. There were at least a dozen other topics discussed on the show that were not online (or at least not posted that day).

What makes the show different then others of its kind, such as Extra or E!, is that they don't take themselves too seriously when they discuss the topics. The setting is not a room designed to look like that of a stuffy news anchor and they don't interview people other then the celebrity. They structure the show in its actual environment and they encourage the reporters to ask odd questions to provoke fun topics to talk about. They may have topics about nothing, but then again, wasn't Seinfeld?

TMZ.com: I found a multitude of other stories posted from the TMZ newsroom that day. Some were "fluff" stories and some were serious. Examples of the serious were: Charlie Sheen wanting to test his kids for fetal alcohol syndrome, Miranda Barbour the "Craigslist Killer" and her murderous claims, Phillip Seymour Hoffman's will details, and Coner Oberst (Bright Eyes singer) battling rape claims. I noticed that none of the serious issues were present on the TV show.

What makes the site different from others of its kind, such as Star or OK!, is that they don't usually concern themselves with fashion unless someone is making a big statement. Like, Michelle Rodriguez and her mysterious missing pants. Or I would assume Janet Jackson at the Super Bowl. They take real pictures and real interviews with the celeb themselves in their natural environment. Often they are on a sidewalk or an airport or in their car. They simply report the results of the encounter. Makeup or no makeup, bad day or good day, prepared or not prepared, TMZ pops up and starts a conversation.

CONCLUSION

Anyone can turn on the evening news or CNN and hear about the ugliness in the world. TMZ is an escape from that. A time to catch up on your favorite celebs, or favorite annoying celebs, and laugh at the same time. If you want hard hitting facts, then go to the website or watch TMZ Live where conversations take place about what was caught on camera. More details are apparent online verses the show. In my observation, watching the TV show is more of a mindless escape for 30 minutes. In some cases they discuss the same topic in different segments of the show with different commentary between the newsroom staff offering a different spin on the same subject. The website and LIVE shows offer more engagement and are less repetitious, but lack some of the personality.

Both serve a purpose to their audience. I personally prefer to watch the show because I want to see what kind of shenanigans are going to take place. I picture myself in the newsroom and the staff present themselves in such a normal manner that they could be my circle of friends. I laugh with them. I also follow TMZ on Twitter so that I can see all the stories they post and click on the ones I want to read rather than frequent the website and scroll. TMZ is active in social media and can serve as a good outlet to get much of the news you might see briefly on more traditional sites.

 

There are many critics that put TMZ into the "trash" news category. I would probably guess that those same critics are not picking up celebrity magazines or have much interest in doing so. For those that prefer to read and watch traditional news I can understand what their concerns with TMZ might be. The fact that the show is filmed during a staff meeting, the staff are dressed-down and they don't appear news anchor-ish could be a concern. Maybe it would be hard to take a 20-something seriously dressed in worn jeans and a flannel. But, on the other hand, the show is not designed for those viewers. The website is the same in this regard. They have separated themselves as a news site that lacks the look of news. Verifiable sources and quoted professionals is not what readers will find. Large pictures and minimal text will most likely be the articles readers do find. For someone seeking verifiable fact and in depth reporting, like traditional sites can offer, this would raise some red flags as a legitimate news source.

CRITIC AND FAN REVIEWS

"Harvey Levin's scoops have made his website's name. But while critics fear his celebrity scoops are dumbing down news values, he has become an unlikely champion of press freedom." - Paul Harris, Life and Style

"The site not only breaks culturally significant news (the tirades — Mel Gibson’s anti-Semitic one and Michael Richards’s racist one — come to mind) but also attracts so much commentary that it has become a nationwide seminar on sociology." - Virginia Heffernan, New York Times

"As an avid reader of Celeb gossip, I trust TMZ most of the time. Harvey Levin, the owner of the site is a lawyer and prides his website in posting authentic information." - Megan Skehan, Blogged 

A Night With Hitler's Children

A sold out showing of Chanoch Zeevi’s documentary Hitler’s Children was hosted by OSU history professor Paul Kopperman on Feb. 16.

Roughly 60 people gathered within the rose colored walls of the cozy Darkside Cinema in downtown Corvallis. The documentary featured interviews with descendants of high ranking Nazi officers during The Holocaust.

Seats were full with additional seatless viewers standing in the aisle ramps. The night started like a normal movie, the crinkle of candy wrappers filled the room. As the film would continue the sound of wrappers would cease and faint sniffles would overcome the crowd. Emotion was high during the discussion that would follow the screening lead by Kopperman.

The descendents of some of history’s ugliest characters talked about how their lives have been affected by the choices made by their fathers, grandfathers and great-uncles over seven decades ago during World War II.

Of the five descendents featured in the film, only two lived during the reign of their Nazi relatives.

Niklas Frank, son of Nazi lawyer Hans Frank, was seven when his father was executed in October 1946 for his war crimes. Frank recalled the glamor surrounding his experience on the outskirts of the camps as a young boy growing up. He told of luxurious rides in Mercedes-Benz along the caged walls of the camps and drinking hot cocoa with high ranking Nazi officials. Outside the facade people were dying in the thousands.

In the film Frank revealed his father’s role in history tore apart him and his four siblings. Some siblings chose to ignore their father’s crimes but Frank chose a different path. Ashamed of his father he spends his days visiting schools committed to educating young people on the devastation his father caused.

Monika Goeth, daughter of Amon Goeth, was less than a year old when her dad was hanged in September 1946 for his war crimes. Goeth’s father was the commander of Krakow-Plaszow death camp and was the first of the officers tried to also be charged with homicide. He was said to be responsible for personally killing 500 prisoners.
 

In the film Goeth talked of her experience going to watch Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List and seeing her father famously depicted in the film standing on his balcony overlooking the camp and shooting unsuspecting prisoners for sport.

“If it doesn’t stop I’ll go crazy right here in this theatre,” she thought when reality came to life on the screen.

Her father’s role in The Holocaust was a tight lipped family secret. Not until a by-chance meeting of a survivor from her father’s camp did she learn of the feared murderer he was.

Bettina Goering, the great-niece of Hermann Goering, explained for the camera that she and her brother made the extreme choice to sterilize themselves to ensure they “killed the bloodline” of their less than great-uncle. He was the highest ranking officer convicted of war crimes and was sentenced to death. However in October 1946, the night before his scheduled execution, he committed suicide by cyanide poisoning.

Rainer Hoess, grandson of Rudolf Hoess, teared up in several scenes while sharing the heavy burden he has to live with. His grandfather was the commander of Auschwitz, possibly the most feared camp, where an estimated 1.2 million prisoners were murdered. His father was hanged in April 1947 for his crimes, ironically on the gallows at Auschwitz.

Hoess revealed that his father who grew up on the grounds of Auschwitz shared some of the same traits his Nazi grandfather did. The guilt of his linage is overwhelming in the film.

“My father had the same cold nature. He never let us show weakness, show emotion.” Hoess himself also looks much like his grandfather and added, “I was afraid people would recognize me,” when discussing his own shared traits.

The film depicted Hoess walking the grounds of Auschwitz with pictures of his father standing in various locations. He held one photo of his grandfather and questioned out loud how he could dress so impeccably, kiss his family goodbye, and then leave the house and kill a few thousand people.

Katrin Himmler is the granddaughter of Ernst Himmler who was the brother of one of the most prominent Nazi officers, Heinrich Himmler. He was captured by the British while trying to flee after the war. He committed suicide in their custody in May 1945 before he could be tried for his crimes.

Himmler told how she has distanced herself from her family. She revealed the disgust she has with her family tree and with her grandmother who kept in touch with several imprisoned Nazis after the war. She wrote a book about her family and said she was cut off from many of them, but for her it was worth not keeping the truth trapped.

“When you are a descendant of bad people you are touched by evil.”

She feels she wrote the book to do her part to correct history.

When the 80 minute film concluded there was no round of applause. Instead, there was a solemn silence and no movement. It was as if the attendees were paying their respects to lives lost and lives destroyed.

When Kopperman stood in front of viewers he began dialog with the diverse crowd ranging from the ages of 20 to 80.

People shared their thoughts and the impact the film had on them. Some were struck by the heavy responsibility the children felt for the family they were born into and the need to seek forgiveness. Others commented on the consequences in their lives bearing the sin of their ancestors. Some talked about the different stages of suffering caused by the guilt of each generation to come. A few were candid with their opinion of the sociopathic evil that the Nazis embodied.

Perhaps a good reminder came from attendee Judy Russell.

“Not all Germans believed in what the Nazis did but they were swept up in it.”

Belief or not, it took six years, 11 million deaths, and the involvement of over 100 countries to finally bring the horror to an end in 1945.

The film Hitler’s Children is available on Netflix. Due to its local success, it is also showing again at the Darkside Cinema on Sunday Feb. 23 at 11:30 a.m.

LBCC: Park Backwards, Get Fined

Students took to social media again to express frustration with parking policies at LBCC. This time upset students were fined for backing into parking spaces.

“BEWARE: Cars backed into parking spaces are getting $20 tickets!” wrote Shakila Violates on the LBCC Confessions Facebook page (not associated with LBCC) sparking interest in the rules and regulations being enforced in the parking lots.

The 105 acres of LBCC's grounds have seven parking lots which contain approximately 2,600 parking spaces. The campus and its lots are private property but are considered for public use during business hours.  This means that although the property is privately owned it's still enforced under all DMV statutes because it's used by the public.

“My officers and I are licensed, everybody writes citations, and we have the right to issue citations,” said Bruce Thompson, the Loss Prevention Coordinator on campus.

According to the City of Albany municipal code 13.21.070 it is unlawful to back into and leave a parked car in a parking space in a public parking lot. According to Thompson, citations are written every day and he estimates about half of the working day for the security officers is devoted to regulating the lots.

“We have to keep people safe and that’s a big task.”

When a ticket is issued the student has an option to appeal the ticket in front of school board members similar to that in front of a judge in court. The ticket may or may not be reduced at that time. Failure to pay a ticket will result in the student's account being frozen.  A frozen account means the option of requesting transcripts or signing up for new classes is impossible.

There are a few reasons that cars are ticketed for backing in. First, the lot is designed with one-way traffic down each row of parking therefore backing into a spot would require someone to pull out or back in going the wrong direction. Secondly, if a car is parked backwards then the tail lights will not alarm approaching vehicles of its departure creating a potential for accidents.

“We have had so many near misses because of people doing this,” said Thompson.

“I have students and staff calling me all the time about near misses they have had.”

Thompson reminds that it's a licensed driver’s responsibility to understand what they can and can’t do in the state that they drive. But the reality is that many students seem to be unaware of this particular law.

“I didn’t even know [parking backwards] was a rule, it’s not posted anywhere,” said student Sherry Doll.

The reason there are no signs posted, according to Thompson, is because people become “sign-blind” and tend to ignore them. LBCC chooses to post essential signs such as speed limits, fire zones, and handicap accessible spots but not much else. It’s the driver’s job to know the rest.

Some uninformed students are learning the hard way. Student Harrison Winter recalled a friend of his getting approached by security not too long ago for this exact reason.

“It was annoying. [His friend] still parks that way so it didn’t really solve anything.”

However, showing courtesy to fellow students and their safety should be a priority. About 20 percent of all car accidents happen in parking lots, according to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. As "annoying" as a rule may sound, there is usually a reason for it.

Thompson encourages all students to contact him with any concerns they may have, not only for parking lot issues, but anything addressing safety concerns on campus. His office is located in the Safety Office in Red Cedar Hall.


-At a glance-

What: Tickets for parking backwards
Security Contact: Bruce Thompson
Office Located: Red Cedar Hall
Contact: Office (541) 917-4440, 24-hour (541) 926-6855
DMV Municiple Code: municipal code 13.21.070