Based on popular TV show, Survivor LU is a game of cut-throat strategy and skill

Outwit. Outplay. Outlast.

That’s the promotional tag line for the American television franchise, Survivor, now adopted by college campuses nationwide, including Liberty University. 

Do you think you have what it takes to win Survivor LU? 

Survivor LU is a game of constant brain-power and endurance. Coming into its seventh season, contestants who play the semester-long game strategize and form alliances to vote opponents out at tribal council meetings. They also participate in various challenges to gain immunity from the voting council.

Sam Jenkins, a senior film major, competed as a contestant on Survivor LU’s very first season. He enjoyed his experience so much that he joined the production team, directed and produced several seasons and will act as the host this fall. Jenkins explained that during each week of the game, the production team films contestants as they complete a challenge. Students then create their strategies throughout the week before reconvening to vote people off the show.

“We love the game play behind it. … You can play honorably, telling the truth, or you can play it like a villain — you can backstab, lie and manipulate, obviously all in good fun and in the course of the game,” Jenkins said. “But it’s just fascinating to see real people where they have to make a choice, ‘Do I need to play this with integrity, or do I need to play this a little more cutthroat?’” 

Ivy Odom, a junior communications major, competed during the fifth season. She joined Survivor LU after hearing about it in her common room during her freshman year. 

“It’s kept me up at night thinking about it, like consuming all my thoughts, like ‘Who am I voting off tomorrow?’” Odom said. 

The president of Survivor LU, Victoria Vest, said that her favorite memory as a contestant was from an endurance challenge in late November, where the final four contestants, including Vest, had to keep their hand on the Sparky statue to be the last man standing. She recalled shivering under blankets for nearly five hours in the November chill, munching on pizza with her friends and making conversation with passing pedestrians.

Despite the mental and physical intensity of the challenges, the most difficult part during the game is choosing whom to vote off at council meetings. 

“It’s really tricky because…you see them around campus, you see them in your daily life, so it’s like you have to face that guilt every single day,” Odom said. 

“Sometimes the best friends you make in the season are people you voted out,” Vest said.  

Many students have participated in multiple seasons or returned as part of the production team. Jenkins attributes Survivor LU’s popularity to the uniqueness of the game. 

“You’re playing challenges you never would, throughout the week,” Jenkins said. “You’re meeting people you never would… from all spectrums of life. It’s just a fascinating experiment.” 

To join the game, be on the lookout for Survivor LU fliers around campus or visit its Instagram @survivor_lu.

Are you up for the challenge?

Greene is a feature reporter for the Liberty Champion.

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