A 'Jeopardy' contestant ... What is a Westminster native?
By Nicole LeBlanc

Lynn Frieberg Schuetter and her husband, Wayne, wait in their Colorado home for her upcoming her appearance on the syndicated national game show.

This is Jeopardy!"

"

For one former resident of Westminster, that near-legendary phrase will be more than an invitation to watch a popular game show from the comfort of home. It's going to be the real thing.

Lynn Frieberg Schuetter, a 1966 graduate of Oakmont Regional High School, will appear on "Jeopardy" on Friday, Sept. 29.

Although Schuetter waited until this year to become a "Jeopardy" contestant, she grew up watching the show with her brother, Jon, and their mother, playing along by answering the trivia questions.

Currently residing in Lakewood, Colorado - a suburb of Denver - with her husband Wayne, Schuetter still watches "Jeopardy" every night.

But the thought of appearing on the show was always just a small thought in the back of her mind until the "Jeopardy" Web site created an online test.

"I suggested that she should try out," Wayne said. "The rest is history."

Lynn took the online test in March and was soon contacted for an audition. Given a choice of cities to visit for an audition, Lynn chose Boston.

"I went to Boston, because I'm from Massachusetts," she said. "I thought, 'Maybe it'll be l u c k y . ' " Lynn flew to Boston for one night, not fully knowing what to expect but eager to try out for the game show she watched every night with her husband. There were several groups of approximately 20-25 people being auditioned, but - much to her excitement - the competition did not stand in her way.

She was told that her name would be placed in a contestant pool and that she would possibly have to wait a year before being contacted. But by the end of June, a coordinator for the show gave her a call.

"That's when I started getting nervous," Schuetter said. "I never really imagined it would happen."

Practice and preparation were something she devoted at least a half-hour to every night.

"Once I knew I was going to be on the show, I watched the show every night and practiced using the signaling device (buzzer)," she said. "When I auditioned, the 'Jeopardy' staff gave everyone a big ballpoint pen, and I used that as a practice buzzer, as well as another ballpoint pen from a local business that was close to the right size."

Timing, she said, was one of the important key points. The rules of the show are that a contestant can't ring in until the end of the question and a series of lights on the clue board go off.

She was sent a packet of information, which included a request for her to come up with five stories about herself. Alex Trebek, the show's long-time host, would mention one of these stories when he asked Schuetter to tell him about herself during the show.

"That to me was the hardest part ... thinking of something to talk about with Alex," Schuetter said with a laugh.

Weeks later, on Aug. 8, she was in the Sony Studios in Los Angeles, California, being taped for an upcoming show of "Jeopardy." Both she and her husband were intrigued to be on set of the former MGM

stage, which was once used for musicals from the '30s and '40s, said Wayne. It was the real thing, complete with makeup breaks, Alex Trebek, and nervous energy.

Wayne, who was sitting in a special section reserved for guests of contestants, said, "I was more nervous than she was!"

He believed, however, that Lynn was prepared for this trivia competition.

Schuetter was always smart. Her brother, Jon Frieberg, of Ashby, said that as a little girl she skipped the second grade and graduated early from high school.

"I thought she should have done it [been on 'Jeopardy'] years ago," he said. "I'll be excited to see her on 'Jeopardy.'"

Schuetter lived in Westminster until she graduated from Clark University of Worcester with a degree in geology. She received her master's in geology at the University of South Florida and moved to Colorado.

For 30 years she worked in her field, conducting work such as petroleum exploration and the clean-up of unused military bases.

And aside from her education and career, of course, there were her books.

"I always have a book in my hands," Schuetter said. "I read constantly."

Years of reading, studying, and participating in friendly trivia contests could only benefit this lover of "Jeopardy." Just how well she benefited, however, will be discovered tonight.

"It was definitely unreal," she said describing the experience. "To hear announcer Johnny Gilbert say, 'This is Jeopardy,' gave me goosebumps. The entire experience went by so quickly that I don't remember a lot of it, so I am looking forward to watching the show."

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Nicole LeBlanc is a 2005 graduate of Eastern Nazarene College, in Quincy. She is living in Templeton.