Max's documentary Bama Rush breaks down the sorority unreserved programme astatine the University of Alabama that became a TikTok sensation successful 2021, amassing much than fractional a cardinal worldwide views.

So, however does it each work? The week-long lawsuit is made up of 4 rounds: Open house, philanthropy, sisterhood, and preference, the last circular often referred to arsenic "pref."

All of this culminates successful bid day, wherever the aspiring members stitchery astatine Bryant-Denny Stadium and person an envelope containing the sanction of the sorority they person been invited to join. 

Potential caller members are referred to arsenic PNMs and are expected to conscionable the pursuing criteria successful bid to beryllium picked: impression, conversation, values and academics.

In lawsuit you were curious, New York University professor Dr. Diana B. Turk explains the root of the process aft Greek beingness was founded successful the U.S. successful 1904.

"The full conception of unreserved came due to the fact that they were rushing to amusement themselves arsenic the champion sorority connected field to pull the champion members," Dr. Turk details. "They would conscionable the trains that the caller students were taking to get to campus, virtually whisking them disconnected and trying to woo and triumph implicit the champion members of the caller class."

Yes, determination are truly coaches that PNMs tin prosecute to usher them done the unreserved process and 2 are prominently featured successful the documentary.

Trisha Addicks explains that her unsocial acquisition of being dropped her freshman year—only to beryllium recruited by her apical prime arsenic a sophomore —makes her the cleanable advisor for aspiring members. Per Trisha's Instagram, a mentorship with her costs $3,500, portion attending a seminar will acceptable a PNM backmost $650.

Sloan Anderson, who calls her coaching programme "Crush," offered proposal connected however to nail tiny talk during the unfastened house, which includes staying distant from "the 5 Bs": boys (do not sermon fraternities), booze (no alcohol), Bible (religion), bucks (money) and Biden (a.k.a. politics).

While Sloan explained that a PNM is "more than invited to speech astir diverseness and Black Lives Matter," she adds, "you conscionable don't privation to inquire them circumstantial questions astir their governmental affiliation. It conscionable puts radical successful a country and makes them uncomfortable."

"A affirmative cognition and precedence for section tone is indispensable and expected."

Once you are accepted into a sorority, the supra edict, pulled from Sigma Kappa's authoritative C.O.C. from 2020, is conscionable 1 of the galore rules sisters indispensable follow, on with not drinking portion wearing your Greek letters. And, according to 1 rumor, 1 unnamed sorority stressed that you whitethorn not permission your dorm unless you person two of the 3 done: hair, constitution oregon outfit.

"Something that is engrained successful america aboriginal connected is that, 'Yeah, you're a idiosyncratic but you are a Sigma Kappa first,'" Sigma Kappa sister Rian Preston explains. "You're a woman, but you're a Sigma Kappa pistillate first. That's a batch of what being successful a sorority is. It's branding."

While there's nary authoritative ranking of the sororities astatine University of Alabama, it's wide accepted that determination are top-tier houses. (Example: Zeta Tau Alpha, Phi Mu and Alpha Deta Phi are considered the astir desirable sororities, per the doc.)

"Rush is simply a societal ritual stratification, barroom none," Elizabeth Boyd, writer of Southern Beauty: Race, Ritual, and Memory successful the Modern South, says. "It's a proving crushed of competitory femineity."

According to Rush advisor Sloan Anderson, the ranking strategy is based connected the fraternities.

"Essentially, they person a societal calendar, and they get to premix with definite sororities, but it's lone a constricted amount," Anderson shares. "And the fraternities privation to beryllium mixing with the hottest sororities. They privation to marque definite the girls that are wearing their letters are up to their standards."

Sigma Kappa subordinate Rian is alert that her sorority is considered 1 of the less desirable houses.

"The hierarchy of sororities that exists present truly determines however your acquisition successful the Greek strategy is going to be," she admits. "There are a batch of things that you are entitled to erstwhile you are successful a top-tier sorority: Test banks that are going to assistance you connected your exams, radical successful your sorority that person amended connections, a antheral regard that mightiness beryllium much beneficial to you."

The sororities astatine the University of Alabama were lone formally integrated successful 2013, though the Panhellenic Association remains predominantly white. According to the university's paper The Crimson White, achromatic students accounted for astir 89 percent of imaginable caller members but made up astir 85 percent of the UA undergraduate colonisation successful outpouring 2021. Roughly 1.3 percent of pledges identified arsenic Black, per the paper, with 97 percent of the Black PNMs who completed the recruitment process receiving bids—"a higher complaint than immoderate different radical group," The Crimson White noted.

Bama Rush concisely goes into the past of the Divine 9, which are the 9 historically African American Greek-letter organizations, including Alpha Kappa Alpha, the archetypal African-American sorority connected sorority row. 

Still, Rian noted she had dealt with microaggressions, portion 1 of the doc's featured PNMs, Mikalya Miller, opens up astir the conflict of being a biracial woman. 

"Everyone conscionable looks astatine you, if you person immoderate driblet of colour successful you," Mikalya says. "It's conscionable awkward, I guess."

One of the astir taboo topics addressed successful the documentary is the Machine (also referred to as Theta Nu Epsilon), a concealed nine made up of representatives from each of the 27 Greek houses. The assembly meets successful the basement of a fraternity's location to marque decisions astir field politics, including elections, homecoming tribunal selections and shot tickets, according to the doc.

The radical was investigated by the FBI successful 1983 after newly-elected autarkic Student Government Association President John Bolus discovered someone was tapping his phone. And the university unopen down the SGA from 1993 done 1996 aft a non-Machine campaigner for pupil assemblage president was reportedly attacked, according to the Associated Press.

At the time, school officials said determination was impervious the Machine is to blasted and the group's leaders denied immoderate role. "When the contests are marked by violence," Harry Knopke, vice president for pupil affairs, said astatine the time, "that's conscionable a wide denotation that thing has to happen." Though helium later added, "There is an undercurrent involving the alleged Machine, and it volition beryllium discussed."

While The Machine's adage is "Little is known, and what is known is kept secret," its interior workings were exposed by a erstwhile member, Phi Mu alum Alex Smith, who wrote an op-Ed for The Crimson White astir her acquisition arsenic a legislator successful 2015.

"Something conscionable felt truly acheronian and disfigured astir it," Alex says successful the documentary, adding that she felt similar "a puppet" being persuaded to marque definite decisions.