The $5 challenge sounded simple enough; Jordan Young and her class group had to find a way to create as much value as possible from a miniature Indiana University foam finger.
What followed was a trading chain that ended with a signed poster and football from Indiana football head coach Curt Cignetti and over 140,000 views across Reddit and X.
On Feb. 25, Young’s assistant marketing professor at the IU Kelley School of Business, Kate Christensen, gave each student group in her Creativity and Communication class a choice: take a $5 bill or one random IU-branded item.
Christensen then told the teams they had five days to “create as much value as possible before next class,” by trading, selling, offering services or creating something new with their item of choice in exchange for money or something else.
Christensen drew her inspiration from Tina Seelig, executive director of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars at Stanford University, who posed the question, “What would you do with $5 and two hours?” to her own students.
The challenge also mirrors blogger Kyle MacDonald’s 2005 “The One Red Paperclip Challenge,” in which MacDonald traded a red paperclip on Craigslist 14 times before receiving a house.
Christensen said she hoped the assignment would let her students focus on people’s stories instead of money.
“The first question for this assignment is, ‘Do you want the money or do you want the story?’” Christensen said. “To me, the exercise is really about IU and what it means to people.”
Young’s group of three chose the foam finger and posted it to multiple Reddit forums, asking users to trade for “literally anything slightly better,” “something funny or chaotic” or “something from your junk drawer you’re ready to part with.”
Jordan Young holds up a miniature Indiana University foam finger during an IU Kelley School of Business class Feb. 25, 2026. The foam finger was the starting item in a trading chain that got over 140,000 views on Reddit and X.
By March 2, Young said all those posts and updates had accumulated over 140,000 views.
“I just love Reddit,” Young said. “I thought it would be a smarter idea to have people potentially come to us with things they wanted to trade, rather than us seeking out people.”
Young first traded the foam finger for two 1950s solid cherry wood twin headboards. Young wasn’t able to trade the headboards, but that didn’t stop the group.
Then, on Feb. 26, Young reached out to IU graduate and entrepreneur Mark Cuban through email, and he suggested getting an item from the IU football team.
“I would try to trade it up to something from the football team to make the point that value isn’t just something defined by a price on eBay,” Cuban wrote in the email. “Something with an emotional connection can be even more valuable.”
The next day, Young's group received a drum from a user on Reddit, keeping the headboard. They traded the drum for a trombone.
A brass trombone and its case are displayed Feb. 27, 2026. The trombone was traded for a mandolin in a parking lot exchange.
The next day brought a flurry of trades: trombone to mandolin, mandolin to stitched artwork and stitched artwork to a 1950s silk wedding dress. The dress came from IU alumna Rita Carlberg, who wore it for her own wedding, telling the Indiana Daily Student she was glad to be part of the project.
“I liked the idea of participating, helping a student and giving a wedding dress pretty much away to someone who could use it,” Carlberg said.
A 1950s silk wedding dress hangs on a mannequin Feb. 27, 2026. IU alumna Rita Carlberg traded the dress with Jordan Young for a piece of stitched artwork.
Indiana football offensive lineman Carter Smith then reached out to the group through email and gave them a Rose Bowl championship hat.
Young also reached out to IU President Pamela Whitten through email. Executive Director of Presidential Engagement Sarah Tosick responded, agreeing to give four College Football Playoff commemorative pin set.
A Rose Bowl championship hat and a College Football Playoff commemorative pin set rest on a wooden surface Feb. 28, 2026. The items came from Indiana football offensive lineman Carter Smith and IU President Pamela Whitten's office.
Earlier in the trading process, Young emailed 2025 Heisman Trophy winner and Indiana football quarterback Fernando Mendoza and Cignetti. On March 2, Assistant Director of Football Operations Jake McDonald offered the group a football signed by Cignetti and a 2025-26 season poster. Young went to pick up the items from McDonald, when she was able to took a photo with Cignetti.
The group ended up giving the wedding dress away to someone who will be married in March, officially ending the challenge.
“We just wanted the wedding dress to go to somewhere that was going to be used, because it’s such a beautiful dress,” Young said.
Young gifted the pins and championship hat to Upland Brewery, which will include the items in a mural expected in April, Young said.
“Even though we love IU and love IU football, we just know that someone else would enjoy these items more,” Young said.
