Eliza Orlins spent much of her summer on a tropical island, cut off from the stresses of Syracuse University and the constraints of summer jobs.

She also competed for $1 million.

Orlins, a senior international relations and political science major, is a competitor on the latest season of the hit CBS show ‘Survivor,’ squaring off against 17 other survivors for the prize of a million bucks and the title of ultimate survivor. This season premieres tonight at 8 on CBS.

Orlins, 21, is the youngest cast member since the show’s inception in 2000. But people close to her are convinced she can handle whatever challenges she faced during the game show.

A dean’s list student, Orlins plans on attending law school after she graduates this spring. Orlins is also a member of the Alpha Phi sorority on campus, having formerly served as vice president of New Member Recruitment last year.

Sarah King, Orlins’ best friend and current president of Alpha Phi, thinks Orlins has all the tools needed to make it big on ‘Survivor.’

‘She’s an amazing person,’ said King, a senior in The College of Arts and Sciences. ‘She’s intelligent, enthusiastic and has a lot of drive and motivation.’

In January, shortly after she turned 21 on Christmas Day and became eligible to become a contestant on ‘Survivor,’ Orlins sent in her audition tape for the show. Her tape must have impressed the casting directors, as Orlins was called back for several more rounds of auditioning, including a 10-day trip in Los Angeles at the end of last semester. By July, Orlins had earned a spot on the cast and was on the Vanuatu Islands in the South Pacific competing on her favorite reality show.

Orlins’ first interest in ‘Survivor’ began when she was a high school student at Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. There she met her boyfriend, Justin Hall, a junior at Cornell University.

‘She has watched every episode since the first season,’ Hall said. ‘I would consider her one of the biggest fans out there.’

Hall, Orlins’ boyfriend of four years, sees her youth as something she can use to her advantage.

‘She’s going to be underestimated, so she can slip under the radar,’ he said. ‘People might have thought they can mentally outwit her but she’s a very smart girl and she knows the game as well as anyone else.’

In addition to her appearance on the dean’s list each semester, Orlins is also a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Orlins’ Friendster profile describes herself as ‘a really big dork,’ according to SurvivorNews.Net, a ‘Survivor’ gossip site.

Eliza’s father, Steve Orlins, saw his daughter gain hands-on ‘Survivor’ experience while growing up. In high school, his daughter ran the Marine Corps Marathon and attended several ‘extended camping trips’ to Colorado for three weeks or more. This stamina and outdoor training should help with the harsh conditions the contestants will endure, Orlins’ father said.

But intelligence and athleticism only account for two-thirds of the ‘Survivor’ creed: outwit, outplay, outlast. As has been seen in previous seasons, the mental aspect of the game-alliance-building and deception-is a necessary skill for becoming the ultimate survivor.

‘She’s witty and sassy,’ her father said. ‘She’s a determined young woman.’

Reviewing the past season winners indicates that a precedent has been set which might bode well for Orlins. Two of the three winners, Jenna Morasca from the Amazon season and Amber Brkich from last season’s all-star challenge, were both females under the age of 25.

The online community has taken note of this trend. Bodog.com, an online sports notebook which handicaps the chance of every ‘Survivor’ to win the million, has Eliza’s odds at 11-1, somewhere in the middle of the pack. SurvivorNews.net predicts Eliza to at least make it through the third episode.

Due to contractual obligations from CBS, Orlins is not allowed to talk about her time on Vanuatu until she is either voted out or wins the million-dollar prize. Still, some of Orlins’ friends have indicated that she did not return to campus with significant weight loss, which could mean an early exit for the SU survivor. But considering that taping wrapped up in early August, a million-dollar finish isn’t out of the question.

One of the more interesting parts of watching Orlins compete will be seeing how she is portrayed on the show, King said. If things go well for Orlins, there will be many more gatherings at Alpha Phi to watch her outwit, outplay and outlast her competition.

‘We’ll all be at Alpha Phi watching the show together,’ she said. ‘We’re all pretty excited and want to be here to support her. She’ll probably do everything she can to end up on top,’ King said.

If Orlins does manage to outlast her 17 other competitors for the ultimate prize, Hall hopes she won’t forget him.

Said Hall: ‘Hopefully she can take me out to dinner or something.’

Published on September 15, 2004 at 12:00 pm