The yard behind Hume Hall Sept. 13 looked more like the set of the 49-season hit CBS reality show “Survivor” than a soccer field.
Puzzles and tiki torches lay scattered across the grass as three competing “tribes” cheered their
teammates along. There, 22-year-old UF marketing major Evan Wahl channeled his inner Jeff Probst, the charismatic host of the original series, as 18 contestants competed for a $250 prize during the 16th season of Survivor Florida.
The Survivor Florida club hosts several of their own seasons per year. Full-length seasons last an entire weekend, while “minis” take just one day to complete. For both, contestants compete in challenges developed by game organizers in a bid to secure immunity. The losing tribe holds tribal council, where they must decide which contestant to vote off.
Getting into Survivor Florida is no easy feat. Among the 104 applicants this season, club leaders selected only 18 to compete. With around a 17% acceptance rate, Survivor Florida is more difficult to get into than the university itself.
Wahl, the vice president of the club, said an ideal candidate is excited to meet new people and try new things. But they should also be mentally prepared for the challenges to come.
“Survivor is definitely a very difficult game to play,” Wahl said. “It can definitely take a toll on your emotions.”
The game did just that on the first day of Season 16. Emotions ran high as UF psychology and criminology freshman Lauren Clark was the first contestant to be eliminated. Shocked, she started to cry.
Part of what makes this game so emotional is how much the original CBS show means to those involved, Wahl said. He has seen every season more than once and considers himself a “superfan.”
On Survivor Florida, each contestant receives a bandana printed with the name of their tribe, called a “buff,” just like players on the reality series. Tribal council even features torches, where the contestant voted out has their fire “extinguished” (although the torches on Hume Field remained unlit).
The games Survivor Florida hosts, too, reflect members’ commitment to the TV show. While many of the games are original, they are all inspired by the “Survivor” franchise.
Megan Schlossmacher, a 21-year-old UF geomatics senior who serves as head of challenges for the club, said she coordinates with the rest of the Survivor Florida team to develop the tasks on something they call Day Zero.
On that day, game organizers can work out any kinks in the design, as well as adjust challenges to make sure they are appropriately difficult. Among their key concerns: ensuring a balance between mental and physical challenges in order to give every contestant a chance to shine.
Schlossmacher also manages the physical toll of the games. One challenge involved running back and forth across the field to collect PVC pipes in order to complete the next phase of the challenge. While the original concept was to have them on complete opposite ends of the field, Schlossmacher decided to place them a bit closer together
“We don’t want people passing out.” Schlossmacher said. “There is a mental and a physical push, but we’re not trying to completely deplete these people like the actual show.”
Survivor Florida players do not have to live off of the land while they compete. Nevertheless, the brutal heat of the Florida sun is its own challenge.
Kaelyn Malloy, an 18-year-old UF sports management freshman, said participating in the games gave her a new appreciation for the show. Dealing with even a “diet” version of the show made her appreciate the dedication and passion the contestants of the real thing have, she said.
“I'm out here [with] eight hours of sleep,” Malloy said. “These poor people who are actually playing get like four hours of sleep. There's bugs all over them. There's snakes everywhere.”
But at the end of the day, some contestants are just excited to be a part of the fun.
For 19-year-old UF wildlife ecology and conservation sophomore Elizabeth Pall, being part of Survivor Florida gives her a break in her typical routine.
“It adds some excitement to my life,” said Pall. “This is something to look forward to beyond just the typical schoolwork, go to the gym, go to sleep, kind of routine.”
Applications for the next season of Survivor Florida are due Sept. 21, and the club’s Survivor season premiere watch party will take place on Sept. 24.
Contact Christopher Rodriguez at crodriguez@alligator.org. Follow him on X @ChrisRodri29386
