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#RTVF330 ISLAND ORIENTATION PACKET

RULES OF THE GAME
The marooning: On the first day of the quarter the class will be divided into four tribes: Kalabaw, Matsing, Tandang, and Dangrayne. For the first half of the class these tribes will compete against one another in two different types of challenges: Immunity Challenges are weekly pop quizzes that test your comprehension of course readings via between five and ten multiple choice, true or false, or fill in the blank questions. There will be a total of five Immunity Challenges: one each in weeks two, three, four, five, and six. Reward Challenges are group activities that will test your teamwork skills and your knowledge of Survivor and reality TV. Reward Challenges are not graded. However, the winner of each Reward Challenge will gain a slight advantage in the next Immunity Challenge. Wanna know what youre playing for?: After Immunity Challenge we will tabulate the average score for each tribe. The tribe with the highest average score after five Immunity Challenges (pop quizzes) will earn immunity from the mid-term exam (an automatic perfect score of 250/250 points). The hidden immunity idol: Each week you will be provided with a clue to the whereabouts of a immunity idol that has been hidden somewhere on campus. The hidden immunity idol grants its bearer immunity from that weeks pop quiz (an automatic perfect score of 5/5 points). To take advantage of the idols powers its holder must announce her or his intention to play it at the start of class before a pop quiz is announced. Play the idol wisely, as its powers only last for the duration of the week. Hidden immunity idol clues will be distributed via twitter each Monday starting January 14. Therefore, it is essential that you regularly follow the #rtvf330 hashtag on Twitter. You should register for an account on Twitter if you do not already have one. Tree mail: Twitter use is a mandatory component of your participation in this class. Throughout the quarter we will use Twitter to communicate outside of class meetings. I will use Twitter to send out brief messages about class or about events, stories, or programs that are relevant to our studies, and I encourage you all to do the same. If I send a link to an article via Twitter it is my expectation that you will read it and be prepared to discuss it in our next class meeting. Remember, our Twitter discussion is an extension of our classroom discussion. The same basic rules of respect that we observe in the classroom also apply online. A significant portion of class on Thursday January 10 has been set aside for introducing Twitter and explaining its significance to the class.

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Midterm exam (the merge): The midterm will take place in class on Thursday February 14, and will take the full class period. The exam will cover all topics addressed through the first six weeks of the quarter. The midterm cannot be made up, so if you know that you have a commitment that will require you to be absent from class on that day you should speak to me ASAP. Final project: Your final project is an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills youve acquired over the course of the quarter. Youll select a reality TV program and produce a dossier on it that will include information about its production, distribution, promotion, and reception, as well as an analysis of a sample episode. The dossier is due in class on Thursday March 14. More details about the dossier will be distributed separately. Attendance policy: Attendance in the class is mandatory. A sign-in sheet will circulate at the start of each meeting. This class has a zero tolerance policy with regards to forging the attendance sign-in sheet. If you are caught signing in a friend both you and the friend automatically fail the class. You are allowed one unexcused absence during the quarter, after which each additional unexcused absence will result in a deduction of 10 points from your final score for the quarter. More that three unexcused absences will result in an automatic failing grade. Please note: if you miss a Immunity Challenge (pop quiz) you will cost your tribe valuable points and harm your and your fellow tribe members chances of winning immunity from the midterm. In the event that you miss an Immunity Challenge (pop quiz) because of an excused absence (with an explanation provided in the form of a signed note from a doctor, advisor, etc.) your tribe will not be penalized. Participation: It is expected that you will come to class prepared to make positive, meaningful contributions to our discussions. It is also expected that your participation in this class will extend beyond the classroom via Twitter. 100 points, or ten per cent of your final grade, will be awarded on the basis of your participation in these venues. Please note that participation grades are earned, not lost. That is, each student begins with zero participation points, adding points over the course of the quarter for positive contributions to our classroom and Twitter discussions. Late assignment policy: Your final project is due in class on Thursday March 14. No extensions will be granted. Late submissions will be penalized one letter grade a day. Electronic submissions will not be accepted. Make-up quizzes/exams: There will be no makeup quizzes or tests administered. Written work: All written work must be typed, double-spaced, and printed on white, 8.5 x 11 paper unless otherwise specified. All submitted work must be stapled no folding, no paperclips. All pages must be numbered. Unstapled and/or unnumbered papers will not be accepted. No folder cover or title page is needed. Duplex printing (printing on both sides of the page) is encouraged. Save a tree. Contacting your professor and TAs We can be reached via email between Monday and Friday, and will make every effort to respond to your message within twenty-four hours. That said, we prefer to discuss paper and project ideas with students in person during our office hours. We frown upon last minute requests for assistance with assignments, and reserve the right to deny these services to students who first contact us with less than forty-eight hours remaining before an assignment is due.

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Technology in the classroom You are encouraged to use a laptop for taking notes or for research while in the classroom. However, the use of computers for activities unrelated to class will not be tolerated. Twitter can be a useful complement to classroom discussions, and I encourage you to use the hashtag #rtvf330 to share links and ideas with your classmates during class. Put your phone on the silent setting (not vibrate) before class begins. Failure to abide by these requirements will result in the following penalties: for your first offense, I will issue you a warning. For your second offense, you will be banished to Exile Island, meaning that you will be given an unexcused absence for that day. If you are sent to Exile Island on the day of an Immunity Challenge (pop quiz) your score will not count toward your tribes average. Students with Disabilities Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) as soon as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. For more information, visit the SSD website at http://www.northwestern.edu/disability. Academic integrity The faculty and administration of the School of Communications and the Department of Radio, TV and Film regard matters of academic integrity with the utmost seriousness. This class has a zero tolerance plagiarism policy: students found to have committed plagiarism will automatically receive a failing grade for the quarter, and will be reported to the Assistant Dean for Advising and Student Affairs. Students are expected to familiarize themselves with the schools policies, which can be found at http://www.communication.northwestern.edu/files/ProceduresAllegedAcademicDishonesty.pdf If you have any questions regarding what constitutes plagiarism, please see the university's website on academic integrity, or consult your professor immediately. Special events: over the course of the quarter we will be joined by a number of special guests. Some will visit in person, and others via Skype. From time to time we may discuss sensitive and/or confidential subjects during these events. Please respect our guests confidentiality and privacy and observe social media embargoes when requested. Twists: As is the case with Survivor, RTVF330 is full of twists. Over the course of the quarter you may encounter any of the twists described below in the Survivor Glossary. In the words of Big Brother host Julie Chen, expect the unexpected.

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SURVIVOR GLOSSARY
Alliance: a group of two or more castaways that coordinates its members votes for strategic purposes. Applicant: a player who applied to be on Survivor by submitting a video audition to CBS. See also: Recruit. Blindside: a tribal council vote that results in the elimination of a castaway who was unaware s/he was being targeted by fellow tribe members. Boot: fan slang for voted out. May be used as a verb (Matt Elrod was booted last nightagain.) or noun (Who was the fourth boot in Vanuatu?). Boot list or boot order refers to the order in which castaways are eliminated. See also: Spoilers. Buff: the castaways uniform. A colored tube of fabric that identifies its wearers tribal affiliation. Buffs may be worn as headbands, scarfs, tops, wristbands, bowties, etc. Car curse: each of the first fourteen seasons of Survivor featured a post-merge reward challenge in which castaways competed for a new car. The winner of the car challenge never won the title of Sole Survivor. Castaway: a contestant who competes for the title of Sole Survivor and the $1 million prize. Each season of Survivor features between sixteen and twenty castaways. In twenty-five seasons, only one season, Fiji, began with an odd number of castaways. Confessional: a one-on-one interview in which a castaway recounts an event and/or explains his/her reactions to it directly to the camera. Day 39: with the exception of Survivor: The Australian Outback each season of Survivor lasts for thirtyth nine. On the 39 and final day of the season the remaining two or three castaways enjoy a breakfast together and dismantle and burn their shelter. That evening they return to the Tribal Council area for the final time to make their cases for why they deserve the title of Sole Survivor and the million dollar prize. See also: Final tribal council, Final two/three). Dream team: the crew of production assistants that aids in the construction and testing of Survivor challenges. Exile Island: a twist introduced during season eleven in which a castaway or tribe is given the ability to banish a competitor to a remote location for a period of twenty-four hours or more. While on Exile Island castaways must fend for themselves with only the most basic of supplies. Hidden immunity idols or clues about their locations are often located on Exile Island. Also the name of the shows twelfth season, Survivor: Exile Island. See also: Hidden immunity idol.

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Fake hidden immunity idol: any object used by a castaway to deceive his or her fellow competitors into believing that s/he is in possession of a hidden immunity idol. These fake idols may be as elaborate as the beaded talisman made by Bob Crowley during Survivor: Gabon or as crude as the stick hidden by Ozzy Lusth on Exile Island during Survivor: Fans versus Favorites. Family visit: a post-merge reward challenge in which castaways compete for the right to spend time with a visiting family member, loved one, or assistant coach. Fan favorite: a $100,000 prize determined by a fan vote. Fans versus Favorites: a twist in which a tribe of returning players squares off against a tribe of first-time players. Final tribal council: the culminating event of each season of Survivor, during which the remaining two or three castaways make their cases for why they deserve the title of Sole Survivor and the million dollar prize. During the final tribal council the members of the final two or three make opening statements and respond to questions and comments posed by a jury consisting of between seven and nine castaways voted out since the merge. See also: Final two/three, Day 39. Final two/final three: the last remaining castaways who compete with one another in the final tribal council on Day 39 for the title of Sole Survivor and the million dollar prize. Between seasons one and twelve two finalists competed in the final tribal council. Eleven out the thirteen season since then have featured a final three. See also: Final tribal council. Fire making challenge: in the event of a tie vote during a tribal council in which only four castaways remain the two votereceiving castaways compete against one another in a fire-building challenge, the loser of which is eliminated from the game. Flint: a magnesium fire starter that produces a spark when struck with a machete or knife. The tribe that is victorious in the first challenge of a season is typically awarded fire in the form of flint. Full intro: a full credit sequence featuring shots of all members of the seasons cast. While full intros were the norm for Survivors initial seasons in recent years they have appeared infrequently. Goat: a castaway who is perceived to have little or no chance of winning a jury vote, and who is therefore kept in the game for strategic purposes. The Hantzes: a Texas family whose members have appeared on a combined total of six seasons of Survivor and Big Brother without claiming victory in a single jury vote. Hidden immunity idol: a talisman that grants its holder immunity from the vote in tribal council. Hidden immunity idols may be hidden at a tribes camp or on Exile Island. In the event that a castaway plays a hidden

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immunity idol, no votes cast for him or her are counted, and the castaway with the second greatest number of votes is eliminated. A hidden immunity idol may only be played once, and by one person only. However, the holder of a hidden immunity idol may give it to another player at his or her discretion. The hidden immunity idol was first introduced in season eleven. In order to gain immunity the holder of the hidden immunity idol was required to present it to Jeff Probst prior to the vote at tribal council. During seasons twelve and thirteen the rules of the game allowed castaways to play the idol after the outcome of the vote had been read. Since season fourteen, however, the rules have stipulated that the hidden immunity idol must be played after the votes have been cast, but before they have been read. Hidden immunity idols may only be used until the point at which five players remain in the game, after which they are no longer accepted at tribal council. Immunity: safety from elimination at tribal council. Castaways may gain immunity in a number of different ways. In the pre-merge section of the game immunity is contested between tribes approximately once every three days. The winning tribe (or tribes) takes possession of an immunity idol; the losing tribe must attend tribal council and vote out one of its members. During the post-merge section of the game immunity is contested on an individual basis. The individual winner of an immunity challenge is awarded an immunity necklace which grants him or her immunity from elimination at the next tribal council. Additionally, up until the point at which five players remain a castaway may gain immunity by playing a hidden immunity idol at tribal council. See also: Hidden immunity idol, Immunity challenge. Immunity challenge: a competition held approximately every three days over a talisman that makes its holder(s) ineligible to receive votes at the next tribal council. During the pre-merge portion of the season immunity tribes compete against one another for immunity. The winning tribe is spared from attending tribal council; the losing tribe must vote one of its members out of the game. Following the merge immunity challenges pit castaways against one another. Immunity challenges may involve races, obstacle courses, tests of strength, endurance, or balance, or puzzles. Island, The: a generic term used for the game location, regardless of whether or not a season was actually shot on an island. Jury: a group of between seven and nine castaways who have been eliminated after the merge and whose votes determine the outcome of the game. The jury resides at Ponderosa and attends tribal council for the purpose of observing the dynamics of the game. See also: Ponderosa. Laying down ones torch: to voluntary exit the game. Host Jeff Probst places the torches of castaways who quit the game on the ground of the tribal council area (or, in Survivor: Nicaragua, leans them against the wall) as a reminder of their decision. Luxury item: an item brought to the island by a castaway that provides him/her with psychological comfort. Famous examples include Colby Donaldsons Texas flag (Survivor: The Australian Outback), Rob Cesterninos Magic 8-Ball (Survivor: The Amazon), and Sonia Christensons ukulele (Survivor: Borneo).

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Mactors: a pejorative portmanteau used by fans to identify castaways who are aspiring models and/or actors. See also: Recruits. Maroon: the unique manner in which a cast is transported to the island. Some maroonings involve castaways rowing to shore, and others long hikes through a desert or jungle. Medallion of power: a twist used in Survivor: Nicaragua centering around a talisman that granted the tribe that held it an advantage in challenges. After using the medallion of power a tribe was required to forfeit it to their opponents. Medivac: a portmanteau of medical evacuation. Over the course of Survivors twenty-five seasons a total of eleven castaways have been removed from the game by the shows medical staff because of serious or life-threatening injuries. Sometimes also spelled medevac. Merge (or merger): the point in the game in which tribes are dissolved and castaways begin to compete against one another for individual immunity. Typically the merge takes place between the seventeenth and twenty-first days of the season. However, merges have occurred as early as day sixteen (Survivor: Exile Island) and as late as day twenty-seven (Survivor: Gabon). The merge is commemorated by a feast at which castaways come up with a new name for their merged tribe and create a tribe flag. Mixed season: a season which features a mix of returning and first-time castaways. Mutiny: a twist in which castaways are offered the opportunity to switch their allegiances from one tribe to another of their choosing. In the shows history only two castaways have accepted the offer to mutiny: Jonathan Penner and Candace Woodcock, both of Survivor: Cook Islands. One World: the twist that lent its name to the shows twenty-fourth season in which two tribes, divided by gender, inhabited a single beach. Outcasts: a twist employed in Survivor: Pearl Islands in which six eliminated castaways returned to the game to compete as a tribe against the games two original tribes. After winning the challenge two members of the Outcasts tribe were voted back into the game. Pagonging: a word coined by fans to describe the series of events that occurs when a tribe that enters a merge with greater numbers eliminates all remaining members of the opposing tribe. The term is a verbification of Pagong, which was the name of one of the two tribes from Survivor: Borneo, and which was the original victim of this tactic. Ponderosa: the location where eliminated jury members are housed. Since Survivor: Fans versus Favorites clips of the castaways lives at Ponderosa have been made available on CBS.com. Sometimes also known as the Losers Lodge or the Jury House. See also: Jury.

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Pre-merge: the portion of the game that occurs in the period prior to the merging of tribes. Pre-merge boot refers to castaways eliminated in this period. Probst, Jeff: host and executive producer of Survivor. Host of the Jeff Probst Show. Director of two feature films. Owner of blue shirts. Purple Rock: a tie-breaking mechanism used to resolve stalemated votes during tribal councils at which there are five or more remaining castaways. In the event of tie vote, a revote is held. In this second vote only the tied castaways are eligible for elimination; they themselves do not vote. If the revote again results in a tie all castaways with the exception of the two vote-receivers blindly draw rocks from a bag. The castaway who draws a purple rock is eliminated from the game. See also: Fire making challenge. Recruit: a castaway who was invited to audition for the show by casting agents, as opposed to one who applied through standard channels. See also: Mactor. Redemption Island: a twist employed on the shows twenty-second and twenty-third seasons in which eliminated castaways competed against one another in a series of one-on-one challenges for the opportunity to reenter the game at a later point. Returning player: a castaway making his second (or third or fourth) appearance on the show. Reunion: the hour-long special during which host Jeff Probst announces the winner of the season and interviews castaways about their time on and off the island. Reward challenge: a competition in which the victorious tribe or castaway wins survival essentials, food, comfort items, or other prizes. See: Immunity challenge. Rites of passage: th a ceremony, usually held on the 38 day of the season, during which the remaining castaways travel between a series of stations, each containing the torch of an eliminated competitor. Sometimes also known as Fallen comrades. Rob Has a Podcast: podcast produced by Rob Cesternino of Survivor: The Amazon and Survivor: All Stars covering Survivor and the world of reality TV. Also known as RHAP, the podcast offers weekly previews and recaps and frequently features interviews with former Survivor luminaries. Sole Survivor: the title earned by the castaway who receives the greatest number of jury votes during the final tribal council. See also: Final tribal council.

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Split the vote: also known as flushing out an idol. A strategic distribution of votes that accounts for the possibility that a hidden immunity idol may be played at tribal council. Rather than casting all votes for one castaway, the members of an alliance divide their votes between two castaways. If one recipient plays a hidden immunity idol the other recipient would then be eliminated. Spoilers: information about the boot list, the events of an individual episode, or the outcome of an entire season that is leaked prior to the shows airing. Spoilers may come from a variety of sources, including past and present castaways, production personnel, or people who live in or visit the location where a season is shot. Alternatively they may be the products of extensive detective work by individuals or groups. Survivor auction: a post-merge reward challenge in which castaways are presented with $500 to bid on items that include food, luxuries, and immunity challenge advantages. Torches: the staffs castaways take with them to each tribal council, and which represent their life in the game. Upon a castaways first visit to tribal council s/he dips her/his torch in the fire. Upon his/her elimination from the game host Jeff Probst snuffs the eliminated castaways torch. See also: Tribal council, Laying down ones torch. Tree mail: a message from production to the castaways about an upcoming challenge which is deposited in a basket or box at the outskirts of the tribes camp. Tree mail may offer cryptic clues about forthcoming competitions, instructions, or news related to the game. Tribal council: the ceremony held approximately every three days during which one or more castaways are voted out of the game by their peers. During these ceremonies host Jeff Probst interviews castaways about the events that have transpired since the last tribal council before inviting them to cast their votes by writing down the name of an eligible peer on a piece of parchment. These votes are deposited into an urn, counted, and read aloud by Probst, after which the castaway whom has received the most votes must leave the tribal council area immediately. During the premerge portion of the game only the tribe that is not in possession of the immunity idol must attend tribal council. During the post-merge portion of the game all remaining castaways attend tribal council, and only the castaway in possession of the immunity necklace is immune from the vote. The jury observes these post-merge tribal councils in order to gain insights that will help its members decide their votes in the final tribal council. See also: Final tribal council, Immunity Idol, Merge. Tribe: a group of castaways who live together and compete as a unit against one or more opposing units. The majority of seasons begin with two tribes of equal numbers. However, in two instances seasons began with three tribes, and in two instances seasons began with four tribes. Tribe swap: a twist in which the composition of two or more tribes is altered by intermixing their members into two or more new tribes.

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Twists: alterations to the basic structure of the game. Twists may occur on a one-off basis (see: Medallion of Power) or may occur in multiple seasons (see: Exile Island).

SURVIVOR SEASONS
Title
Survivor Survivor: The Australian Outback Survivor: Africa Survivor: Marquesas Survivor: Thailand Survivor: The Amazon Survivor: Pearl Islands

Location
Pulau Tiga, Borneo Queensland, Australia Shaba National Reserve, Kenya Nuku Hiva, Marquesas Islands Ko Tarutao, Thailand Rio Negro, Brazil Pearl Islands, Panama

Winner
Richard Hatch Tina Wesson Ethan Zohn Vecepia Towery Brian Heidik Jenna Morasca Sandra DiazTwine Amber Brkich Chris Daugherty Tom Westman Dani Boatwright Aras Baskauskas Yul Kwon Earl Cole Todd Herzog Parvati Shallow Bob Crowley J.T. Thomas Natalie White Sandra DiazTwine

Survivor: All Stars Survivor: Vanuatu Islands of Fire

Pearl Islands, Panama Efate, Vanuatu

Survivor: Palau Survivor: Guatemala Survivor: Exile Island

Koror, Palau Guatemala Pearl Islands, Panama

Survivor: Cook Islands Survivor: Fiji Survivor: China Survivor: Fans versus Favorites Survivor: Gabon Survivor: Tocantins Survivor: Samoa Survivor: Heroes versus Villains

Aitutaki, Cook Islands Macuata, Fiji Zhelin Reservoir, China Koror, Palau Wonga-Wongue Reserve, Gabon Jalapo, Brazil Upolu, Samoa Upolu, Samoa

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SURVIVOR SEASONS (CONTD)
Survivor: Nicaragua San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua Jud Fabio Birza Rob Mariano Sophie Clark Kim Spradlin Denise Stapley ???

Survivor: Redemption Island Survivor: South Pacific Survivor: One World Survivor: Philippines

San Juan del Sur, Nicaragua Upolu, Samoa Upolu, Samoa Caramoan, Philippines

Survivor: Caramoan (Fans v Favorites) Caramoan, Philippines