The Daily Orange

Media Credit: Geordie Wood

She wasn't working toward her dream job, or attempting to earn a billionaire's apprenticeship. Unlike other Syracuse University reality TV alumni this year, Eliza Orlins outwitted, outplayed and outlasted her competition through every episode of this season's "Survivor: Vanuatu - Islands of Fire."

Orlins, a senior political science and international relations major, lasted the fourth-longest of the show's 18 original contestants during the final episode of the season on Dec. 16. Though she didn't win the million-dollar prize, Orlins said her journey was quite rewarding.

"I'm pretty excited to have lasted 37 out of 39 days," Orlins said.

So were her friends and her sorority sisters in Alpha Phi. And in their white house on Walnut Avenue, groups of Eliza supporters gathered at 8 p.m. just about every Thursday to root on their sister and friend.

"It was definitely an exciting few months," said Sarah King, Alpha Phi president and one of Orlins' best friends. "She went so far and did so well. It was so much fun to know someone on national TV."

Alpha Phi held gatherings of about 30-50 people each week, with a dinner before and the viewing of the current episode afterward. The notable guest, Orlins, sat quietly and watched the episode as well, reacting to the editing and plot. King said the reactions from the group were "intense." Orlins agreed.

"They'd show people talking bad about me behind my back and all my friends would be like 'That bitch!'" Orlins said. "They were definitely a big support."

And Orlins' friends had a lot to react to. Since the very first episode, Orlins was made out to be one of the major characters on Vanuatu islands. In episode two, Orlins voted against her group of friends when she voted out Dolly, who Orlins described as a "flip-flopper."

A few episodes later, the talk of Orlins' annoying mannerisms heated up, with contestants like Rory and Twila suggesting she needed to be voted out.

"I really was almost getting voted off every episode," Orlins said.

The jabs at Orlins didn't bother her mother, Susan Orlins, very much.

"She's very articulate and has some spunk," Susan Orlins said. "And she does talk a lot, but talking a lot is a good thing."

While nearly being ousted from the show on a weekly basis, the time finally came when Orlins was set to be kicked off with seven contestants remaining. Arguably her best friends on the island, Ami, Julie and Leanne, were ready to vote off Orlins that night. In the hours before Tribal Council, Orlins maneuvered to keep herself in the game.

"Twila came up with the idea for the final four (of me, her, Chris and Scout). Chris said, 'If you don't vote with us tonight, you're going home tonight because you're friends are voting for you,'" Orlins said.

Orlins voted with her biggest foes in the game, Twila and Scout, and ousted Leanne. From there, the pecking order brought Eliza to a fourth place finish. Robert Thompson, professor of popular culture in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, saw Orlins as one of the stars of the show.

"She was a good character," Thompson said. "She was a powerful, articulate young woman. I think she came off an awful lot better than a lot of people that have been on a reality show."

But being on the Vanuatu islands was not entirely about the competition for $1 million. During the same episode when Leanne was voted off, Orlins won a reward challenge which allowed her mother to spend a night with the contestants at their camp. Susan Orlins said the opportunity was a once in a lifetime experience.

"It was so thrilling," Susan Orlins said. "I'm a fan, so it was so great, you really had to pinch yourself."

Susan remembers watching "Survivor" with Orlins since the show's premiere season in 2000. During the last season, however, Susan watched the episodes with quite a few more people. Susan held a potluck dinner for family and friends at her home in Washington, D.C., every Thursday, with a viewing of the episode to follow.

Orlins won two other notable reward challenges. With Ami, Chris and Chad, Orlins was able to attend a ceremony and meal with a local tribe on the Vanuatu islands. She also was awarded a new car as a reward for a later challenge.

"It was so nice," Orlins said. "The game was always going on, but it was nice to get away. I loved the rewards I got to go on."

Media Credit: CBS

Orlins was a big fan of "Survivor" before starting the show, but she was a little surprised by some elements of the game.

"I never realized how much I appreciated things like toilet paper and soap and a toothbrush," Orlins said. "Once they take those things away you really know how much you appreciate things."

For the final episode, Orlins traveled along with many members of her family and friends to Los Angeles for the live finale, wrap-up show and after party. Susan Orlins and King were both in attendance.

"Everyone was so great," King said. "We got to watch the finale on a huge screen with Ami, Chris and Twila's family."

Susan Orlins remembers how Eliza's sisters got pictures with the entire cast, and she was able to get a picture with Mark Burnett. Some people even recognized her from her one episode.

"At the party a few people even wanted a picture with me and asked for my autograph," Susan Orlins said.

Now after the show, Orlins is thinking about the future. Her immediate plan is to go to law school in the fall, and has applications in at 10 law schools. But she still wants to keep her options open for other opportunities in the future. Television acts might be tough for Orlins to snag in the future, though - Thompson said the reality TV show celebrity-status can be tough to achieve.

"Rich Hatch, arguably the number one reality TV star, is now at best a novelty act," Thompson said. "On the other hand, Elizabeth Filarski from 'Survivor' got the plum job as the young woman on 'The View.'"

One path that Orlins won't be following is that of fellow "Survivor" woman Jerri Manthey and previous winner Jenna Morasca, who went on to pose for Playboy after their "Survivor" fame.

"I wouldn't do it," said Orlins. "I'm going into a serious career, and people would look down on that. But for Maxim, Stuff, for sure, no problem."

Whatever the future holds for this former "Survivor," Thursday nights just won't be the same for Orlins, her family or friends without the chance to watch her in action.

"Now I don't know what I'm going to do on for fun on Thursdays," said Susan Orlins.

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