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Written by Giana Scafide
“Not to be dramatic, but this HBO special could be the end of Greek life as we know it.”
That is how Bama Rush starts off — a daring statement from a young, chronically online girl, that is, unfortunately, a complete exaggeration. If the ongoing exposure of the many incidents that have occurred hasn’t eliminated the fraternity and sorority system in America, then a one hour and forty minute documentary definitely won’t do the trick.
Director Rachel Fleit, an award winning director and writer, reports on Greek life, specifically the now-notorious sorority recruitment at the University of Alabama. Fleit spent over a year filming both current sorority members and potential new members at the university, offering viewers an inside look at the competitive culture. At the start, it is crystal clear what each girl was in search of. It isn’t the pretty white-pillared mansions, the fancy outfits, or even the fraternity parties, but the overall acceptance that makes them feel needed.
The sorority, like any other sorority, has specific dress codes that need to be followed. With this being said, the recruits’ outfits convey their personalities, privileges, good manners, and any other qualifications sororities value the most. The clothing choices are what brought people into #RushTok. #BamaRush was viewed about 2.6 billion times on TikTok, and with that, millions of eyes were on this perplexing ritual that — despite the access provided by TikTok — still remains suspicious. These posts included each girl’s OOTD, an acronym for “outfit of the day.” Users quickly became invested in what these girls were wearing for each sorority event, from the variety of colorful dresses to the many athletic skirts. Frequently seen brands included big retailers like Lululemon, Lulus, and Kendra Scott.
In addition to sharing their OOTDs, some girls documented what was in their “rush bag,” full of essentials they lugged with them from house to house, which often included anything from bandages and hair spray to sewing kits and rain ponchos.
Certainly, a handful of individuals now know the style and the essentials to every recruit’s bag, as well as the cultish chants sororities seem so devoted to, but what the hashtags seem to lack are the emotional and psychological effect recruitment has on those so mesmerized by it.
The four girls featured in the documentary — Shelby, Isabelle, Hailey (also referred to as Holliday), and Makalya — each explain their experience of rushing and being part of sorority culture. These four girls all had their differences, but the one thing they all shared was they each wanted to be a part of something where they could meet new people and make new friends. They thought that the girls they met would be their best friends forever, and that the sorority would be their home, but some were sadly mistaken.
With every “day in the life of a sorority girl,” comes the lingering questions of how sorority life came to be. There are history lessons to be taught on how sororities formed, especially in the South — much of which is already familiar when talking about racism.
What also seems to raise some eyebrows is Fleit’s sudden inclusion of “The Machine,” a partnership of selected fraternities and sororities that was once concealed in secrecy but now holds serious authority on campus and even elsewhere. This is something that is always talked about with fraternities and sororities, but not so much in the documentary.
Towards the end of the documentary, Fleit discovers that there is a possibility of two machines in Alabama: the first made up of said elite students, and those who wish they were elite students. As rush time approaches, Isabelle and Makalya work extremely hard with consultants, Hailey exercises and diets to the point of counting out exactly how many chips she will eat, while Shelby organizes her rush outfits in a neat and organized fashion through Google slides.
A thought may rush through many college students’ minds — pun intended — about whether or not they should join a fraternity or sorority. Clinging to a dress code and becoming friends with girls just so they can talk about you behind your back isn’t intended for everyone. In a matter of months, those groups of people have something that many struggle with to find in their college years: a community.
