Survivor is a reality television show that began in 2000. It is a social experiment to see how strangers interact with each other while also voting each other out. And then the winner getting voted for by the people that they had a hand in voting out. We have many students and teachers that would crush Survivor, but what would happen if they played against each other? More specifically if the teachers did so. Forget all your preconceived notions of any real life relationships because this was done on a randomized simulator (BrantSteele.com) and buckle up for a 4 part Survivor series where seniors, Cliffie Manuel and Addie Hanna, take on the role of Jeff Probst! In this issue, we will tackle the first five drama-filled episodes.
Airai Tribe Malakal Tribe
Mrs. Lankford Dr. Altman
Ms. Langley Dr. Cassidy
Mr. DeVenio Senora Colon
Mr. Garris Ms. Hurt
Mr. Perlmutter Mr. Jent
Mr. Percy Mr. McCormick
Mrs. Renes Ms. Orr
Mr. Cosgrove Mr. Rush
Ms. Vann Mrs. Smith
Mrs. Desbrow Mr. Stackhouse
Episode 1
In perfect Survivor fashion, this season starts with an unexpected twist! In the opening challenge, just after tribes were created, Cliffie & Addie announce “Hidden on the island across the lagoon are two Individual Immunity Idols, one for each tribe. The first person from each tribe to find the tribe’s Idol is safe at their first visit to Tribal Council.” The teachers take off. For Airai, Ms. Desbrow is victorious, winning immunity for her first Tribal Council. And for Malakal, Dr. Cassidy strides to the finish line; she now has immunity as well. As of now, no alliances have been formed. However, there is no doubt in our minds that bonds will start to blossom soon.
***IMMUNITY CHALLENGE***
Reinventing the Wheel
“Both teams will race to assemble four puzzle wheels and attach them to a cart, in which two of their tribemates will ride. Pushing the cart through a series of obstacles to a finish platform, the tribes will then disassemble the puzzle wheels and use them to complete a turnstile. Finally, they’ll wind the turnstile to raise a fire wok, igniting their tribal cauldron. First tribe to finish the task would win the challenge.”
Airai Tribe wins immunity! Over on the Airai beach, Ms. Desbrow holds all the power, as she won immunity in the opening challenge. Mr. DeVenio recognizes this, and they start to bond slightly. However, tension arises when Mrs. Lankford and Mrs. Desbrow erupt into an explosive fight that will surely have a lasting impact.
Airai’s win sends Malakal to tribal council tonight. However, things are looking up for Mr. Jent and Mr. Rush as they have formed a quick bond. Calculus whiz, Dr. Cassidy, is safe tonight and therefore resting comfortably in the tribe’s shelter. For the first time this season, it’s time to vote.. Oh no! So sorry Ms. Orr, but the tribe has spoken. While the tribe could have used her intense military background, they ultimately saw her as too much of a threat. The final vote count was 6 votes Orr and 4 votes Jent.
Vote Summary:
Orr: Cassidy, Hurt, Jent, McCormick, Rush, Stackhouse
Jent: Altman, Colon, Orr, Smith
Comments from the hosts: Wow. Intense first tribal. Some votes rocked our world. Mr. Rush and Mr. Stackhouse sticking together as always, we love to see it. But what happened to the creme de la creme that is Mr. Jent and Dr. Altman? Keep reading to see how Dr. Altman, Mrs. Colon, and Mrs. Smith will recover from being on the wrong side of the vote.
Episode 2
With a player from the Malakal Tribe voted out, let’s check in on Airai. The tribe dynamics sit at Ms. Desbrow maintaining Immunity for her first tribal council. But that’s about all, no alliances yet. Over on the Malakal Tribe, the vote last night resulted in no more immunity for Dr. Cassidy, as it only lasted for one tribal. This tribe also has no alliances yet, it looks Ms. Orr leaving didn’t shake things up too much.
***IMMUNITY CHALLENGE***
Smash and Grab
“Five castaways are chosen to swim, one at a time, to a platform, grab a club, and leap off the platform to smash a tile that releases a key. The swimmer then retrieves the key and swims back to shore with it, allowing the next tribe mate to go out. Once the five keys are collected, another castaway uses the keys to open a locked box containing a set of puzzle pieces that form a map of Micronesia. Three other castaways put the puzzle together.”
Guess who wins? Airai, once again! Hard to chalk it up to beginner’s luck as they have now excelled in two in a row. Addie & Cliffie now announce a plot twist: Exile Island. Each tribe must send one player into the unknown. Airai chooses to send Mr. Jent. Interesting plot twist, we’ll see if he comes back with an advantage. He will be joined by Malakal’s choice of Mr. Cosgrove. Maybe they’ll bond, exchange some laughs, who knows? But what is certain is that they won’t be gone long as they will return before the next tribal council.
Back at the Malakal camp, there is still a hidden Immunity Idol out and about but not at the Airai tribe, as Ms. Desbrow still holds the power until her first tribal. Alliances brewing? You guessed it. Mrs. Lankford and Ms. Langley are bonding strongly though neither of them have put the “alliance” label on it. Over at Malakal, Mr. McCormick and Mr. Stackhouse are becoming closer and closer. We’ve got some other coupling too with Dr. Cassidy and Mr. Rush. Lots and lots of strategizing around the camp, how will it affect the votes?
Hate to say it but the tribe has spoken Dr. Altman. The final count was 5 votes Altman, 3 votes Colon, and 1 Vote Rush. We’ve got a divided tribe on our hands.
Vote Summary:
Altman: Cassidy, Colon, Hurt, Smith, Stackhouse
Colon: Jent, McCormick, Rush
Rush: Altman
Comments from the hosts: Oh buddy, was Dr. Altman out of the loop! But the bigger shock is the pairs votes. Even after their bonding, Mr. Rush and Dr. Cassidy as well as Mr. Stackhouse and Mr. McCormick are NOT on the same page. Oh well, keep reading to see if Malakal can get it together.
Episode 3
As Airai has yet to endure tribal council, Ms. Desbrow continues to hold her immunity close. Malakal have just been cruising along, yet to make enemies but also yet to make friends. No alliances have been formed as of late. Over on Airai, no secret advantages are in play and no alliances have been formed. These hosts are seriously bored. Let’s stir up some drama.
***REWARD CHALLENGE***
Beach Bash
“In a playing area similar to a football field, the tribes start at opposite ends of the playing field with three canvas bags. The tribes have to battle their way to their end zone. The challenge ends when one tribe has their three bags and two of the other tribe’s bags in their end zone at the same time”
Malakal Tribe wins reward: three sets of items chosen from a catalog by the tribe!! Finally! Maybe this will give them some momentum for the immunity challenge coming up. However, Exile Island continues to throw a wrench in tribe plans. Again, a player is sent off. For Airai, Mrs. Renes is the chosen one. Stackhouse volunteers himself for Malakal, desperate to make something happen other than tribal councils. However, this backfires when Mrs. Renes comes away with a hidden Immunity idol.
***IMMUNITY CHALLENGE***
Nut Bucket
“Two women and two men from each tribe hold onto ropes that support a large net. One at a time, the other castaways will attempt to toss coconuts into the other tribe’s net. The tribe who holds up their net for the longest time wins the challenge.”
Airai Tribe wins immunity! Looks like Malakal was still in a food coma from their reward.
Finally, groups begin to arise. On the Airai beach, Mrs. Lankford, Ms. Langley, Mr. DeVenio, and Ms. Desbrow form Alliance #1, vowing to take each other to the final four. Malakal takes strides towards friendship as well when Senora Colon, Ms. Hurt, and Mr. Stackhouse create Alliance #1 for their tribe. With this came lots of conspiring for the upcoming tribal council. But how long will these alliances hold true? When it came time to vote, all roads led to Mr. McCormick for Malakal. Sorry science fans, the tribe has spoken. The final vote count was 5 votes McCormick and 3 votes Jent.
Vote Summary
McCormick: Colon, Hurt, Jent, Rush, Stackhouse
Jent: Cassidy, McCormick, Smith
Comments from the hosts: Uh, Mrs. Smith and Dr. Cassidy, get it together. Being on the outside of the vote by the third tribal doesn’t cut it on Survivor. It looks like Mr. Rush got his act together and is back on the majority with the trio of Mrs. Colon, Ms. Hurt, and Mr. Stackhouse leading the charge. The real one in trouble is Mr. Jent, only escaping elimination by 2 votes. Go on to Episode 4 to see if he can stay afloat in the game of Survivor and if the trio continues to put this alliance into effect.
Episode 4
This season is truly moving along quickly, and Malakal is rapidly making moves in the wrong direction, losing challenges (and tribe members) left and right. Meanwhile, Airai is leading the way with challenge W’s and a full roster coming into this week’s show. Mrs. Renes and Ms. Desbrow remain powerful, with hidden immunity idols under their belts. The Airai alliance continues to get stronger, adding Ms. Langley to their already powerful foursome. And the Malakal trio continues to impress, holding true and banding together as fellow losers (Sorry guys… win some challenges!)
***REWARD CHALLENGE***
Diver Down
“Four members of each tribe would swim out to a floating platform. One at a time, a castaway would dive down to a 30-foot (9.1 m) long steel cage that contained coconuts painted in tribe colors and with letters on them. The coconuts would have to be placed in a floating bin and the bin pulled back to shore. The four remaining castaways would unscramble a word puzzle using the letters on the coconuts.”
Malakal Tribe wins reward: three chicken hens and one rooster, along with chicken feed! I bet they are hungry, but they need to learn their lesson from last week: focus on immunity!
Each tribe now sets one tribe member free to experience Exile Island. From Airai, Mr. DeVenio takes the bait. And for Malakal, Mr. Stackhouse goes back for revenge. However, nothing comes of it as the Hidden Immunity Idol is not currently hidden.
****IMMUNITY CHALLENGE***
Crosswalk
“Six tribe members would race to six-point, sliding hub and harness themselves in. The six would then pass around a key-ring to find a key to their individual lock that secured the hub to a stand. Once unlocked, the hub would have to be maneuvered through the forest where six puzzle piece necklaces were hanging on trees. The two remaining tribe mates would use the necklaces as keys on a decoding wheel, which would decode a three-word phrase.”
As hosts, we never thought this day would come. Malakal Tribe wins immunity!
While Malakal seemingly should have a night of peace, tension still arises when Mr. Rush and Mrs. Smith get into it. How will this affect their chemistry in next week’s challenge? Well, this snafu has a lasting impact and alliances begin to shift. Now, Dr. Cassidy, Mr. Rush, Senora Colon, and Ms. Hurt form Alliance #2 for Malakal. Looks like the dynamic trio is no longer. For Airai, it’s time to face the music at their first tribal council. Ms. Desbrow is immune so there is no giving her the boot. However, everyone else is up for elimination. Mrs. Renes holds power in her pocket: a Hidden Immunity Idol. However, if the tribe makes her feel safe enough, who knows if she’ll jump to waste it. Who’s on the outs?! When push came to shove, Mr. Perlmutter just wasn’t in the loop. Sorry administrators, the tribe has spoken.
Vote Summary
Perlmutter: Langley, DeVenio, Garris, Lankford, Percy, Cosgrove, Vann, Desbrow
Percy: Renes
Vann: Perlmutter
Comments from the hosts: This week, the teachers truly demonstrated their right to overthrow. With almost an unanimous vote, Mr. Perlmutter was taken down by his underlings. Wow, this one was truly a shocker. While Ms. Vann remained loyal to her superior, she’s clearly on the bottom with his disappearance. Looks like Mrs. Renes has a bone to pick with Mr. Percy.
Episode 5
Woohoo! Malakal doubled down on the wins last week. Will they keep up their momentum? Plot twist! Cliffie & Addie announce that they won’t get the chance, Drop your buffs — Addie & Cliffie
Each tribe stands together and a captain is randomly selected. Ms. Vann will lead the schoolyard pick for the Airai Tribe and Ms. Hurt for Malakal. They must choose from the other tribe if possible and who they pick will then choose the next person from the alternating tribe to join the tribe they have been chosen for. Here are where the tribes stand (in order of schoolyard pick):
New Airai Tribe: New Malakal Tribe:
Ms. Vann Ms. Hurt
Dr. Cassidy Mr. DeVenio
Mr. Cosgrove Mr. Stackhouse
Mr. Rush Mrs. Lankford
Mr. Percy Mrs. Colon
Mrs. Smith Mrs. Desbrow
Ms. Langley Mr. Jent
Mr. Garris Mrs. Renes
With no secret advantages on the Airai Tribe, the islanders are falling back on alliances. The first consists of Mrs. Lankford (now on the Malakal Tribe), Ms. Langley, Mr. DeVenio (now on Makalal Tribe), and Mrs. Desbrow (now on the Makalal Tribe). Over at Makalal, Mrs. Renes has the Hidden Immunity Idol. We also have some alliances carrying over from before the tribe swap of Dr. Cassidy (now on Airai Tribe), Mrs. Colon, Ms. Hurt, and Mr. Rush (now on Airai Tribe).
And another one of Mrs. Colon, Ms. Hurt, and Mr. Stackhouse. These are all existing alliances from before the twist, so some members of alliances are on different tribes. But the trio is all on the same team, can they stick together?
***REWARD CHALLENGE***
Cat & Mouse
“The tribes would divide into pairs that are harnessed together. Taking turns in rounds, one pair from one tribe would chase a pair from the other tribe through an obstacle course in the forest and attempt to grab a flag attached to the backs of the pair being chased. There would be a time limit of one minute to chase down the pair. If the chasing pair succeeded in grabbing the flag, their tribe would receive one point. If the chasing pair did not succeed, the other tribe would receive one point. The first tribe to score three points would win the challenge.”
And… Airai Tribe wins a reward! They win steak, sausage, vegetables, spices, and wine. Huge game changer, more than enough to go around.
****IMMUNITY CHALLENGE***
A Stone’s Throw
“Four members from each tribe would alternate at throwing rocks at hanging tiles. When the tile is broken, it would drop a bundle of puzzle pieces. Three tribe members and a direction caller would assemble a color-coded puzzle from the pieces.”
Airai Tribe wins immunity! Get out of Airai’s way, they’re on a roll. What’s going on at camp to produce such a successful squad? It’s not secret advantages because there aren’t any there, maybe that’s the trick. But they do have some drama! Mr. Rush and Mrs. Smith have an argument, but it’s nothing compared to the blowup fight between Mr. Garris and Mr. Rush. Watch out there might be some tension in the History hallway tomorrow. In terms of alliances, Malakal Alliance #2 is experiencing some intense turmoil as a result of the new tribes. While the former 4 consisted of Dr. Cassidy, Ms. Hurt, Mr. Rush, and Senora Colon, Mr. Rush is seeming to burn bridges with everyone and is leaving the squadron. How will this affect his fate tonight? Mrs. Renes has all the power with an idol in her pocket.
It’s time to vote. But first, Addie and Cliffie state the famous words “If anyone has a hidden immunity idol and they’d like to play it, now is the time to do so.” Now, Mrs. Renes makes a BIG move in playing her idol. All votes cast against the algebra academic will not count. Shocked faces scurry across all players’ faces, but Mrs. Renes remains with a smirk. Mr. Jent, the odds just didn’t fall in your favor. The tribe (a.k.a. Mrs. Renes) has spoken.
Vote Summary
Renes: Colon, DeVenio, Lankford, Hurt, Jent, Stackhouse, Desbrow (did not count)
Jent: Renes
Comments from the hosts: Round of applause for Mrs. Renes. All that time doing math led her to calculate the right time to play her idol. Mrs. Renes’ one vote sends Mr. Jent packing. But while she’s saved herself this time, she’s sure to have the whole tribe against her now. Come back to the next Talon Issue to see how it all plays out.
