Bloomsburg Survivor season 2 is here! With all new challenges and more castaways than the inaugural season, season 2 is shaping up to be more energetic than audiences may expect. From the new host to the potential future of the show, The Voice got an inside look at how the game is played.
Survivor’s first season entertained current students, as well as alumni, bringing together multiple generations of BU students. This competition gives Bloomsburg a lifeline to other schools who have their own Survivor competitions and allows for collaboration with universities around the country.
Last semester, Bloomsburg Survivor premiered with a positive reaction from students past and present, and now the show is back with an all-new cast and host. This season, the stakes couldn’t be higher, with a grand prize of $1,000. The castaways will face off against all new challenges with some unexpected twists.
A chat with Josiah Du, the new Survivor-Bloomsburg Host
Survivor is back and better than ever. The Voice was given the opportunity to sit down with Student Activities Clerical Assistant Justin Geleskie, faculty advisor George Kinzel (who also serves as the Director of Student Involvement), and this season’s host, Josiah Du, to discuss all things BU Survivor.
Du is an accounting major in his junior year. In the premiere season of Survivor, he worked on the camera crew, but this time he’s stepping up to the plate and hosting. “I see myself adding more energy and passion to the challenges and tribal council by digging deeper into the raw emotions of the castaways. In doing so, I hope to set a precedent and raise the standard on what hosting Survivor at the collegiate level looks like,” Du stated in the interview.
When asked about the transition from crew to host, he responded, “There’s some differences and learning curves but I feel like being there last semester; I picked up on the things that Jacob did last year.” Du feels confident in his ability to host this show, especially after watching and learning so much from Jacob Dill, the host last season. Dill was last year’s beloved host, who will be taking a break from hosting this season. Fans shouldn’t despair though because Director of Student Involvement, George Kinzel, gave us a nod at his potential return when stating, “Jacob will be back this season; he’ll be back at the merge… He is still involved.”
A new host isn’t all this season is bringing to the table; with one season under their belt, the production staff is ready to deliver. Kinzel stated, “Well, I can tell you there will be no repeats of any challenges… The challenges have been raised in terms of the bar.” We won’t spoil all the details, but it’s sure to be an unforgettable season, with a few returning castaways.
Excitement is growing for Season 2 of Survivor-Bloomsburg
On campus, Survivor-Bloomsburg has been very well received. Du had this to say about the campus culture, “I would say it’s definitely been a positive opinion from the campus; in my opinion, it’s gotten more publicity than I thought it was originally going to going into the first season. It definitely met expectations and even exceeded them.”
Geleskie also had his take on the community and spirit of the games, stating, “I think what this game really shows is the Office of Student Involvement and how we try to put our fingers on the pulse of the campus community. If students didn’t want this and wouldn’t support it, it wouldn’t happen.” This year every aspect of the games will be live and viewable to the public. Kinzel explains that the tribal councils and the events themselves will be open to the public this year.
Du concluded the interview with his feelings for the start of the upcoming season, stating he is “anxious, ready, ramped up and ready to go; we put a lot of time kinda planning everything out.” Make sure to keep up with Bloomsburg Survivor at the Student Involvement Instagram page (@bustudentinvolvement), and get ready for an amazing season.
