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Colin Harkins was voted “Most Likely to Be a Reality TV Star” by his high school peers. The junior television, radio and film major’s big personality is what led him to become the host of “Syrvivor Syracuse.”

“Obviously, you’re not surviving on an island, but it’s the same strategy, the social game, all that kind of stuff, which is my favorite part of ‘Survivor,’” Harkins said.

“Syrvivor” is Syracuse University’s student-run spinoff of the CBS reality TV show “Survivor.” The first episode of “Syrvivor” aired five years ago, but filming began in 2019. The club continues to produce a new season of the show each semester. The team has filmed 13 seasons and released seven on YouTube so far. The team is currently filming season 14.

Inspired by his brother, who was a fan of the show, Harkins began watching “Survivor” at just 9 years old and has been a loyal fan ever since. Growing up, it was his dream to compete on the show, but because of medical barriers being a Type 1 diabetic, he knew he’d be unable to — until he discovered “Syrvivor.”

Harkins appeared in season 11 and ended in 16th place out of 20, then returned for season 12, hoping to do better. After that, he was asked to host the next season. Harkins likes to take his own approach to hosting, often taunting players, earning him the nickname “the evil Jeff Probst.”

“I definitely have more of a playful, mean vibe with the players,” Harkins said.

Senior Nick Ventresca, the show’s co-executive producer and production manager, is in charge of managing props, coordinating filming and delegating tasks to other production team members. Production is a team effort as everyone comes together to throw out ideas for challenges, Ventresca said.

“One of my favorite things about this club is how truly collaborative it is,” Ventresca said. “We really like to hear input from everybody and see if they have any ideas, because at the end of the day, most people in this club are ‘Survivor’ fans.”

The process begins with the production team sending out a casting application for students to fill out if they want to participate in the upcoming season. They then select the players for the season from the pool they interview.

From there, contestants are split into “tribes” and go on to compete in a challenge for “immunity” each episode, just like the actual show. If they win, they avoid going to “tribal council,” but if they lose, they must vote one of their tribemates off the show. This process continues until it’s every person for themselves.

Syracuse Syrvivor’s editing helps it draw in fans. Working on the show has introduced some members to a newfound passion for video editing.Madison Cox | Staff Photographer

Registered Student Organizations are required to submit budget requests for supplies ahead of time, but “Syrvivor” decides on challenges as the show progresses. The show is then limited in funding and resources, Ventresca said. Each player is required to pay $20 before the season starts, so the production team is usually working with a budget of around $400.

Ventresca has watched “Survivor” for as long as he can remember. His parents were big fans, so the show was always on around the house. Ventresca, like Harkins, also wants to pursue a career in reality TV.

Ventresca joined “Syrvivor” as a sophomore transfer student and has made some of his best friends through their shared passion, he said. While the game is a competition, it’s also a social club. Because of this, the members have changed the process of being voted off the show. In the past, players who got voted off disappeared from both the show and the community.

“Sometimes it doesn’t just feel like you’re being voted out of the game, it can feel like you’re being voted out of the club,” Harkins said.

Now, “Syrvivor” allows eliminated players to come back and be a part of the production team where they too can share challenge ideas and stay connected with the club.

“Syrvivor” was how Bridget Backer, senior music industry major, became involved on SU’s campus. She hadn’t joined many clubs in her first year, so during her sophomore year she applied for “Syrvivor” after hearing how much fun one of her friends had playing. Unlike Harkins and Ventresca, Backer had never watched the show “Survivor” before joining.

“A lot of people take inspiration from other people that they’ve seen play ‘Survivor,’” Backer said. “Going in with an open mind really helped me develop my own game.”

Backer’s love for the club grew so much that she eventually became co-executive producer, focusing primarily on the editing side of production. Although she started with little editing experience, she discovered a passion for it through the club and now hopes to pursue a career in video editing and audiovisual production.

Backer said she’s grateful for the opportunity she gained through the club to explore a passion that differs from her current studies.

Backer tries to take her own approach to editing to distinguish “Syrvivor” from other collegiate productions. The “Syrvivor” fan base appreciates how unique the editing of the show is compared to the other colleges and universities that have their own “Survivor” spin-off shows.

To engage their fanbase, “Syrvivor” is planning to add an audience feedback form at the end of each episode to get a better understanding of what viewers want to see, who they’re rooting for, who they think will win and more.

Each new season of “Syrvivor” stays interesting because of the new group of players and exciting new challenges, Harkins said.

“If there’s anything I want people to take away, it’s just an appreciation of what an incredible game ‘Survivor’ is,” Harkins said.

Published on October 20, 2025 at 11:32 pm