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Bama Rush: One Old Lady's Opinion

 I thought Bama Rush was going to be an insipid, brain-dead watch for me to wind down my week with.  It may even give me a laugh as I recalled my own short-lived sorority days.

I was so wrong. 

This documentary is quite insightful and lovely.  


And scary.  And sad.  And painful.

First off, some background of many things I had no idea about:

*Rushing today is nothing like it was in the 90's when I was in school.  Young ladies sometimes actually choose their colleges based on sorority options.

*University of Alabama's rushing activities have become very popular on TikTok in the last few years with the hashtag #bamarush.  Apparently all kinds of people (except me) have been following this with devotion.

*There are consultants available to help young PNM's (Potential New Members) achieve a bid from their preferred house.

*The use of iPhones has dramatically changed everything we once knew about college life, Greek life....and well.....life in general.  

This documentary includes all the things about the University of Alabama that one would expect: beautiful young coeds, the stately historic sprawl of campus, discussions of racial overtones of The South, discussions of the changing role of women in college, and of course the part that traditional standards of beauty play in the Greek selection process.

Here are the parts I didn't expect: the extremely open and honest discussions about body issues and weight, the heartbreaking memories of girl bullying and lack of acceptance, the whole-hearted belief that several of the young ladies had that once they got to college and pledged that the depression and anxiety of their teen years would somehow disappear in the acceptance of "Sisterhood".

Needless to say, my heart started breaking about halfway through it.

I was also not aware of the special circumstances of the director and writer, Rachel Fleit.  And side note, I could be lulled to sleep by her soothing voice for the rest of my life. In a good way!

I don't want to give all this away because I think every viewer needs to experience it for themselves, but I can tell you that there is a plethora of articles and pics online that will help you make up your mind before you ever start streaming.

If you're wondering about my own Greek experience, I don't mind telling you I didn't rush.  That scene was not for me.  I went to a school that was much smaller and less competitive in nature and it was also a MILLION years ago.....okay.....1993 - 1997.  I didn't rush but I was as spring pledge to Zeta Tau Alpha.  Yeah.....where those Zetas at, for sure.....


I was interested in being in a sorority for the actual sisterhood.  Yeah.....I actually was.  I thought I would make friendships for life.  I was invited by a Sister to the interest meetings and then was courted HARD to pledge.  I knew I wanted friendship, and I knew what they wanted from me: a good reputation and good grades.  I could be a "good girl" in a group of young ladies that could use a few.  They could also use my stellar GPA.  We were all in it for what we wanted.

It didn't take me long to figure out it wasn't for me.  I wasn't a big partyer and didn't have time for all of their required mixers and activities.  It's also an expensive endeavor created for girls from (let's be real here) wealthy families, and that definitely was not me.

I dropped out of pledging just ahead of my initiation.  My decision was met with some disappointment, but I also thought a bit of understanding.  I was a hard-working scholarship student.  Surely, my "sisters" could see I didn't have time for all of this extracurricular garbage.  They all said we'd stay friends.  They all never spoke to me again.

I'm not against Greek Life, per se, but I do think it contributes a lot less to community activism and philanthropy (a credo they all push hard in the backlash of public opinion) and a whole lot more to alcohol overuse, dangerous partying and collegiate division.

Even saying all this, Bama Rush really did hit me in the feels.  I wanted all the girls to be happy....to be accepted.....even Ms. Fleit.  I realized while watching and hearing their stories that a lot of women share a couple of milestones and memories no matter what their age: the need to be accepted by other girls and women.  It's too bad that most of us don't ever feel it until we're much older.  And it's definitely not in the Sorority House. 

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