DC ExtraTime: Preston's Story

Contains excerpts originally posted in DC ExtraTime sections of DCBLOG's MTV Trifecta coverage

on November 2015 and this past week, re-posted here for the interest of readers.

BY DC CUEVA                     

> @DC408Dxtr / @DC408DxNow

As you prep for tonight's new episode of The Challenge Invasion, DCBLOG would like to present to you this bonus edition of ExtraTime to focus on a member of the Real World/Challenge alumni who we originally featured in one of our posts back in November 2015, but who resurfaced in an article that appeared in The New York Times over a week ago that brought into light the growing problem of homelessness among college students in the U.S.
   Because of the timeliness of that article being posted earlier this month, we are reposting not only our original article from November 2015 on Preston Roberson-Charles from Real World Back to New Orleans and three Challenge seasons when he traveled to Asia that summer, but also our Follow-Up on him which we presented at the end of our 'Pulse diary of last week's Challenge episode. We're doing this for the sake of those of you who don't want to scroll all the way down from our weekly episode coverage to those posts.
   Enjoy these two pieces of ExtraTime as we catch up with Preston.

Rivals II Countdown: Real World NOLA Inspires

By DC Cueva

With The Challenge: Rivals II premiering next week - 5 days from now to be exact, the anticipation is only building for the wildest season yet for the so-called 5th major sport, which, along with a trip I'll be taking to Las Vegas two weeks from tomorrow, highlights this summer for me, the 2nd in twitter world. As the trailer & all the promos have shown us these last few weeks, it sure promises to be an exciting Challenge, starring an all-star cast and T.J. Lavin, who's billing this as "the best season ever." But while we continue to count the hours down to the season premiere July 10th at 10 PM on MTV, let's take a moment to think about something other than the upcoming action & drama in Thailand and learn more about a feel-good story involving a trio on this cast and the impact they & their fellow castmates had on one of my followers on Twitter.

For me being a huge Real World fan, I have a lot of memories with virtually all of the Rivals II cast from watching them take their first MTV steps on the show I love most. And one of my favorite parts of every season is when the show takes the opportunity to depart from the usual hook-ups, conflict & fun of today's Real World for a touch of yesteryear and showcase social issues that were prevalent early on & are those the MTV audience can relate to & are passionate about. From equality and war, to casting unique people outside of the usual stereotype of good looking young adults and those single & ready to mingle, the show hasn't let go of this one aspect that was groundbreaking when it started & remains the single thing that separates it from the other reality shows it helped spawn in the last two decades.

Just as their predecessors did back in 2000, The Back to New Orleans cast of three years ago had the opportunity to ride a float, throw beads & have lots of fun during the madness known as Mardi Gras. Plus, they sampled crawfish, Cajun cuisine & jazz, rode the buggy on the Bayou and got to celebrate right down on Bourbon Street when the Saints won the Super Bowl. And there was a romance that blossomed between a hockey player & a southern girl, an encounter with the cops over a toothbrush, and a basketball player who eventually became a radio host (and current girlfriend of a Rivals II competitor). But the memory that sticks out to me of that season was one whose impact was felt on one of my twitter followers last year, just before the NOLA cast made their long-overdue debut on The Challenge, when Jemmye, Knight, Preston & McKenzie competed on Battle of the Seasons in Turkey.

And that would be of the cast taking a break from having fun in this 24/7 party city to help in the rebirth of New Orleans, just five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city. Among the things they did included taking a first-hand tour of the devastation in where the damage was the greatest - in the Lower 9th Ward, teaming with Habitat for Humanity to help rebuild a house for a family affected by the tragedy, and volunteering time to help out at a soup kitchen in the New Orleans Mission where homeless people displaced by Katrina went - and some still go - to this day. Even the house's resident hairstylist & drama starter Ryan got to learn more firsthand from one of those people about the harsh reality of post-Katrina life that many still face in the greater NOLA area. And towards the end of their experience, the cast even slept for one night in the cold homeless to put themselves in the shoes of those less fortunate.

One person who was watching that season was a young teenage lady & basketball fan from Canada's Maritimes provinces named Alison Cassidy. Here's her letter to the cast from last July, just after filming of that Challenge wrapped up:

TWEET from @AlisonCassidy from Canada:
@AlisonCassidy: @JustJem24 @OfficialSahar @Knight_MTV @PrestoMagic24 @MckenzieCoburn @TheEricPatrick @AshleeFeldman I hope you guys can read this note from me. 

"Hi I'm Alison. I'm 17.

I know you guys don't know me but I wanted to say thank you. A lot of people might talk crap about the Real World (and any other reality show for that matter) But what I didn't know when I started watching your season, is that it would actually change my life.

What I really loved about your season, was the work you did at the soup kitchen and with the house building. Your time in New Orleans made me inspired to go there myself some day. Well that day is coming a whole lot sooner than I thought. Saturday I'm leaving my small town in Eastern Canada, headed to New Orleans. I'll be volunteering for a week at various places. Even though it's only a week, this is a huge deal for me. I've had extremely bad anxiety since I was 8 years old and have recently dealt with depression after my grandmother died last year. I spent an entire 3 weeks barely leaving my room. Although New Orleans will be the scariest thing I've ever done, I can hope that it will be a life changing experience. It will push me to start overcoming a lot of things I've been scared of for a very long time. 

I really don't know who else to thank besides those of you from RW:NOLA. I wanted you all to know that I am so thankful for each of you, though we've never even met. Although many other people have been involved with putting this trip together, you guys are the ultimate reason behind it. 

I can't thank you enough.

-Alison"

Upon reading that letter, Preston & fellow roommate Ashlee replied to Alison:

- @PrestoMagic24: "@AlisonCassidy you're the sweetest person ever I'm so very happy we could help you on your journey, we appreciate your kind words! <3 RWNOLA"

- @AshleeFeldman: "@AlisonCassidy that is beautiful and I am so happy the show could do that for you. Enjoy new Orleans (smiley face w/ tears)"
- @AlisonCassidy: "@PrestoMagic24  Thank u again for being on RW. My week volunteering in NOLA was the BEST. RWNOLA changed my entire life, oddly enough :)"

After writing that heartfelt note, just a few days later Alison flew down to New Orleans to follow in their footsteps and do her part in the city's rebirth. While there, she volunteered for a week in various places in the Crescent City, and even saw the same Mission where the RW NOLA cast worked at. To say the least, it was indeed a life-changing experience for her, and she grew to have the same type of enormous love for the city as the cast had back in 2010, one that lingers just a year after that trip to the Gulf Coast.

So, when Knight, Jemmye & Preston represent Team New Orleans once again, part of an all-star cast coming together for The Challenge: Rivals II starting Wednesday on MTV, then also think about Alison and the impact that they & the rest of the RW Back to NOLA cast had on her & others who were touched by them. And for every voyeuristic or crazy moment we see on every RW season, there is always the feel-good story of those who were moved and/or inspired by the show & the cast, and Alison's is one of them.

With a week left until that Challenge, I will be all over it here on DC Blog & @dc408dxtr on Twitter. From tweeting with the cast & fellow fans to doing recaps & more on here, I'll be following the drama & action on the playing field, in the house and throughout Thailand, As DC Sees It. Can't wait for Wednesday, it will be crazy. Until then, thanks for reading, enjoy Rivals II and have a fun & safe rest of this holiday weekend.

- DC

@DC408dxtr

For more on the New Orleans Mission, visit http://www.neworleansmission.org.