Survivor: It's a jungle out there
Can Jaime Dugan use the communications skills she’s learned in her PR classes to “outwit, outlast and outplay” the competition for a million dollars on Survivor: China?

by Anna Groos

Senior public relations major Jaime Dugan can't say a lot about how she spent her summer vacation.

She will tell you this much: It was in the remote Jiangxi province of China. And she spent it battling to outlast her 15 fellow castaways on Survivor: China.

But until the conclusion of the 15th season of the CBS reality show, which premieres Sept. 20, Dugan's contract says she can't say a word about what happened. However, she was allowed to discuss the events leading up to her selection and the strategy she employed on the island.

Although she had watched Survivor since the first season, Dugan says she never imagined herself as a contestant. But in October 2006, she mailed an audition video and application to the show.

“As a matter of fact, I remember telling my mom, ‘Wow, I can't believe these people are going through all of that for $1 million,’ " she said.

"But since I started college, I missed competition," said Dugan, who enjoys wakeboarding and kickboxing and played varsity softball at Spartanburg High School. "I wanted to test myself mentally and physically. I thought Survivor was the perfect chance to do that.”

CBS saw promise in Dugan’s application but suggested she audition for Pirate Master, a reality show similar to Survivor. Dugan took the advice, but didn't make the cut.

But she found out CBS was holding final auditions for Survivor: China in Los Angeles in May, so she flew there and auditioned. In early June she got the news: She was headed to China.

Survivor, which takes 16 strangers into the wilderness, divides them into tribes, pits them against each other and each week votes one player off, isn’t for the faint of heart. And, on first appearance, Dugan might not seem like a natural contender. The Florida native, who moved to Spartanburg when she was 14, is disarmingly friendly and has a huge smile.

She explained in her cast interview that her outgoing personality would play a part in her strategy on the show. “I’ll try to be everyone’s friend,” Dugan said.

And when circumstances are grim, she said she would try to build the others up. “I’ll try to bring a smile to everyone’s face when they … haven’t eaten for three days,” Dugan said.

Her credentials suggest she wouldn’t have to rely on her personality alone. She is smart, having received an academic scholarship from USC and been on the Dean’s List nearly every semester. Perhaps most importantly, Dugan feels at home in the outdoors. She has taken many camping trips to Canada with her family.

Speaking after the show finished taping, Dugan said the communication skills gained from her public relations classes helped her on the island.

“My classes have taught me how to deal with the public in a crisis situation. Out there I knew how to deal with problems that arose; I was able to help other members of the tribe talk out problems.”

In a recent interview with TV Guide, Survivor host Jeff Probst described Dugan as the “tribe mediator.” Probst’s interview and assessment of the show’s cast is available at http://www.tvguide.com/News/survivor-china-tribes/070820-02.

Smart, athletic, and a good communicator: We think Dugan has what it takes to make it all the way. But will she be the sole survivor of Survivor: China? Tune in to CBS at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20, to see how she does.

And keep an eye out for Dugan after Survivor: China. Dugan hopes to go into sports broadcasting after she graduates in May.

“My dream is to be an announcer for the NFL,” Dugan said. If not, she plans to work for a public relations firm or the marketing department of a large corporation.

	Anna Groos is a graduate student in the School of Journalism and Mass Communications working on her Masters of Mass Communications degree. A 2004 graduate of Wake Forest University, she worked for several years as an outreach counselor for Child Care Resources, Inc., a non-profit organization in Charlotte.