Imagine this: the only currency and possessions you have to travel through Europe are the clothes on your back, one backpack, a cell phone and 24 cans of Red Bull.
Red Bull’s “Can You Make It,”is a competition where college students engage in a Amazing Race-style adventure where there only bargaining tool is an energy drink.
“Krewe de LSU,” comprised of mass communication junior Parks Vincent, film and media arts junior William McCray Sutherlin and mass communication and international studies sophomore Avery Raines, vied for a spot within the competition.
One hundred teams will begin at a starting point in London, Paris, Milan or Vienna. Each team will receive a welcome kit, a mobile phone and a sealed envelope with emergency funds, just in case. Lastly, but most importantly, each team is equipped with 24 cans of Red Bull. All teams will have the same one-week timeline beginning on April 4, 2014, and ending at the finish line in Berlin by 5 p.m. on April 11, 2014.
“McCray found the challenge on Twitter and we just thought we could do it,” Vincent said.
Each team competing was faced with the task of creating a video that highlights personality and individuality. Out of the teams in the south, Krewe de LSU came in third in the region.
The Krewe’s video was made over Mardi Gras weekend, depicting the team’s experience in New Orleans. The group cut it down to a single minute, showcasing Louisiana culture exhibiting Red Bull.
The video showcases New Orleans Mardi Gras with floats and beads, and it shows the Krewe de LSU partaking in a traditional Louisiana carnival season. At the end of the video, it shows the three of them on the roof of a house laughing together with Red Bull in their hands.
“Rather than crushing Red Bull and doing flips, we felt that we should highlight ourselves,” Vincent said.
The group said the love and support they received from family and friends kept them optimistic throughout the entry rounds.
“My parents were nervous, but after my dad met my teammates, he felt much better and extremely supportive,” Raines said.
Though Krewe de LSU was not chosen to compete in the final round, its members still feel proud of their success in the first few rounds of the competition.
“Honestly, we are impressed by the work we did in the amount time we did it in,” Raines said. “It’s been a great experience and awesome.”
Submissions were viewed and evaluated by Red Bull and are narrowed down to the best and most outstanding teams.
“We know that we wanted to represent Louisiana the fullest. … We know we wanted to represent that purple and gold, baby!” Raines said.