By Markus Mann
Ashlee Ashby, former BYU student, thought she had what it took to be a winner on the show ?Survivor,? but was unwilling to compromise her beliefs. She was voted off the show Thursday night.
Although Ashby had a great experience in Palau, South Pacific, she was relieved as the other contestants voted her off in only the second episode of the series.
?I was the happiest I?d been since the first day I?d got there,? Ashby said. ?It?s a fabulous game to watch but it?s a game I cannot play.?
Ashby was not willing to give up her LDS standards. She said modesty was a challenge for her on the show. Wearing appropriate clothing was tough because the contestants were tricked in the first episode. They were asked to wear nice outfits because they thought they were attending a press conference. They were then asked to swim to the island, and were left there with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Many of the contestants decided to walk around in nothing but their underwear. Luckily Ashby wore a tank top underneath her clothes.
Ashby said modesty was not the only challenge. She said there was a lot of flirting because of raging hormones. She said although she found some of the contestants attractive, controlling her hormones was not a problem.
?I was all dirty and gross, and that is the last thing I wanted to do was to hook-up,? Ashby said. ?Being Mormon, I?m used to controlling my hormones.?
Tyler Ellgen, 22, a junior from Craig, Colo., majoring in international relations said Ashby handled herself very well and gave the LDS church a good name.
?She was appropriate and respectful to everyone,? Ellgen said.
Ashby also thought she could handle all the negativity, backbiting and conniving that went on between contestants. It just didn?t feel right, she said.
?If you act the part, you become the part,? Ashby said. ?Where do you draw the line? When does the make-believe person turn into the real person??
In order to be successful in ?Survivor? you have to be a bad person, she said. Ashby previously thought this was something she could do, but soon learned she did not have that in her.
?I learned that I?m not as bad of a person as I thought I was,? Ashby said. ?I thought I could be a bad person.?
When Ashby had had enough she asked the other contestants to vote her off.
?It was a wild and crazy experience, a lot crazier than even I could handle,? Ashby said. 'I thought it was just a game show. I couldn?t do it.?
Although you?re not supposed to be friends with the other contestants, Ashby found it hard not to be. She even spoke to cameraman and the production crew, which was also forbidden. Her friendliness was another reason why she found the game difficult. However, she was not too concerned what other contestants thought of her.
?It?s nice to be liked by people, but most important is that you like yourself,? Ashby said.
Ashby said she would consider doing it all again if they would only change some aspects of the game.
Most BYU students did not even know Ashby was on the show. Many have lost interest in watching ?Survivor? and say it is getting old.
Adrienne Tougas, 20, a senior from Vancouver, Canada, said ?Survivor? is going down hill.
??Survivor? is not cool anymore,? Tougas said. ?Now it?s one of the worst reality TV shows ever. At least with ?American Idol? you get new bad talent every year.?
Kelly Baker, 19, a freshman from Mesa, Ariz., majoring in education liked ?Survivor? to begin with, but agrees with Tougas.
?The first one we watched was good, but by the 90th, it got old,? Baker said.
Christa Hunter, 20, a sophomore from Westchester, N.Y., majoring in print journalism said although she doesn?t watch ?Survivor? anymore she finds it entertaining.
?I think it?s a cool idea,? Hunter said. ?It?s a very interesting concept. It breaks people down to their natural state, like a caveman.?
Ellgen, also a fan of ?Survivor,? finds the show interesting.
?I find it a fascinating mix of psychology, sociology and politics in a microcosmic setting,? Ellgen said.
Since being home, Ashby has been looking after her four other younger brothers and sisters, which has given her time to reflect. Ashby said before her ?Survivor? experience, being a mom was not a priority but recently has felt differently.
?All I want to do is get married and be a mom,? Ashby said.
Ashby graduated in journalism from BYU, and said she still remembers her favorite teacher, Robert Walz and the influence he had on her.
?He motivated me in really wanting to do something in broadcasting or in the entertainment industry,? Ashby said. ?He was such a support.?
Ashby has decided she wants to pursue a career in acting. Through ?Survivor? she has gotten the exposure she needs to launch her career, Ashby said. She is currently waiting for her contract with CBS to come to an end so she can pursue other avenues within the industry. Her contract expires in May.