INVASION OF PRIVACY: Nomad turned student, Karl Schwartz strives to be Sarah Palin's best pal

by Laura Marrin

To say that Karl Schwartz - junior English literature major, assistant music director of WGSU and frontman of New Karl and the Flannels in Motion - has had a unique upbringing is an understatement.

It is a wonder that a man from such an incredibly diverse background has it together at all these days, let alone has the ability to mastermind radio playlists, Herman Melville essays and guitar solos.

Schwartz said he focuses on embracing the moment rather than sweating the small stuff, a trait that might stem from his earliest childhood memories.

"I was born into a compound in Brazil run by the Children of God, a religious cult based on the teachings of our founder David Berg," he said. "When I was 12, a bunch of the younger members were rescued by FREECOG, an anti-cult group who spent three months deprogramming us. Up until this time, I had no idea of the outside world and it took me quite some time to adapt to modern American culture. Before I left the compound, I never even knew it was possible to get in a car and have someone hand you a bucket of fried chicken without getting out!"

Soon after his deprogramming, a prominent San Francisco news anchor, his struggling musician brother-in-law and their wacky friend adopted Schwartz.

"We weren't a traditional family, but the house was always filled with laughter and love ? it was my first real experience being in an environment where every facet of my life wasn't based on the crazy beliefs of my upbringing," Schwartz said.