Search #BamaRush on TikTok and you will find an immense number of videos of college freshmen at the University of Alabama sharing their “OOTD,” or “outfit of the day,” while they tell their million viewers where they bought each item. For the sorority girls at The University of Alabama, these outfits and videos are an essential part for rush week. This incredibly popular process has managed to secure a spot in the height of social media gossip. Rush Week is the process that begins each year in August before the start of the fall semester with thousands of prospective pledges visiting the universities sorority houses and attending parties. These social events are what help spark new friendships for girls arriving at new colleges. One of the main reason’s freshmen want to join sorites is to find a group of people and make friends.
“I think I am most excited about being able to meet a bunch of different girls,” senior Lilly Phipps said. “And to be able to find friends so it gives me a good start to my college experience.”
The intense recruitment process at Alabama has gotten much attention over the last couple of years as HBO Max has decided to produce a documentary following the entire process.
The Bama Rush documentary will be produced by Vice Studios for HBO Max and will be directed by Rachel Fleit. The documentary explores college life, sisterhood and all the joys and complexities of what it means to be a young woman today, following several women from the University of Alabama. The documentary is currently in production in Tuscaloosa, where the University of Alabama’s rush week recently finished. Throughout the documentary, there will be three girls narrating their experience during rush and giving their personal experience.
“This film is a thoughtful and compassionate portrayal of young women in 2022 as they rush the sorority system at the University of Alabama,” Fleit said.
According to the New York Times, the university is not in favor of these documentaries and is not allowing filming in places such as resident halls or sorority house.
“I think that it is really interesting that they are following sorority recruitment,” junior Emma Zaidan said. “I think it can also give girls who are thinking about joining sororities a better idea on how it all works.”
With the long awaited suspense for this documentary, much controversy will be sparked throughout the Greek Life community. Once it finally hits the world of social media, the documentary will give an inside look at the recruiting process at the University of Alabama and will give incoming freshmen a different view of the process.
