In August 2021, thousands and thousands of TikTok customers found the social phenomenon of Alabama Rush, aka the weeklong sorority recruitment course of on the College of Alabama. Though the nation’s largest Greek system had been the topic of nationwide reporting earlier than, TikTok supplied an inside take a look at the outfits, Rush Luggage, and sky-high hopes of dozens of potential new members (PNMs) who documented their experiences all through the week. With all of the hype, it was no shock when HBO Max and Vice Studios introduced that they have been making a #BamaRush/#RushTok documentary, simply in time for Rush Week 2022 (which was dubbed “season two” on TikTok).
Directed by Rachel Fleit, the newly arrived doc Bama Rush discover a number of aspects of Alabama Rush, together with the super-secret machinations of the Greek system and the unique society The Machine, in addition to the wishes for sisterhood, social belonging, and acceptance that propel 1000’s of younger ladies to participate in Rush every year . Along with interviewing specialists and present Bama sorority members, Fleit adopted 4 younger ladies—Shelby, Isabelle, Holliday, and Makayla—over the course of a 12 months, as they assembled outfits, suggestion letters, and even paid consultants in preparation to hurry in August 2022. Though the movie timeline ends shortly after Bid Day, viewers can examine in with the celebrities of the doc with the assistance of social media.
Learn on for what every of the celebrities of Bama Rush have been as much as since filming the documentary, together with their reactions to the finished movie.
Shelby
Shelby Rose, a brilliant and cheery highschool senior from Quincy, Illinois, is without doubt one of the PNMs we meet as an incoming freshman. She had competed in pageants for many of her life, and had occasions based a nonprofit to assist foster youngsters and households in Illinois throughout her time in highschool. Shelby was all about being “stylish, cool, and calm all through the method, organizing her utility paperwork binder and Google spreadsheets for her outfits. As soon as Rush arrived, she turned an early favourite on TikTok, gaining tens of 1000’s of followers on the platform.
As soon as rumors began spreading across the campus concerning the documentary, Shelby selected to cease filming previous to Rush, although we did be taught on the finish of the movie that she received to be her best choice, Phi Mu. After the trailer for Bama Rush dropped on Might 5, the coed posted a TikTok explaining why she left the challenge, saying that “what they have been doing didn’t align with my morals and values.”
“That is one thing that has made me mentally and bodily sick for a really very long time,” she wrote within the caption. “I’m grateful I left once I did and pray for each UA lady in a sorority proper now. I all the time need to unfold a optimistic gentle on the planet.”
Shelby lately completed her freshman 12 months at UA, the place she is majoring in public relations with a minor in digital content material engagement. She additionally companions with main manufacturers on her TikTok, which has over 64,000 followers.
Holliday
Hailey Holliday, or Holliday as she’s referred to within the doc, was a freshman at UA when the doc started filming, and was planning to hurry a second time in 2022 after being dropped by an unnamed sorority after changing into a pledge the prior 12 months. After making it by Rush, Holliday was kicked out after she was seen carrying the “incorrect sticker,” aka carrying a sticker that includes one other sorority’s letters, which is a serious no-no in most sororities’ codes of conduct.
After a number of months of filming the doc, she determined to drop out forward of Rush after listening to a rumor that she was blacklisted from all Bama sororities. The faculty scholar remains to be a UA scholar pursuing a legislation diploma, and she or he can also be concerned in magnificence pageants. After successful Miss Orange Seaside 2023, she lately competed within the Miss Alabama pageant.
Makayla
Makayla Miller (to not be confused with Makayla Culpepper, who was a part of the 2021 wave of #RushTok) additionally deliberate to hurry at first of her sophomore 12 months at UA. The then-freshman initially hires sorority coach Trisha Addicks to assist her with the method, however she ultimately decides to drop out throughout Rush Week.
“I spotted that since being a sophomore now, you do not have to be in a sorority to take pleasure in your life,” Makayla mentioned within the doc. “It is simply me personally. I do not suppose I might do it, however I do know different ladies who find it irresistible.”
Nonetheless at UA, the incoming junior is learning criminology, a profession path she was impressed to pursue after her father, who was a police officer, died when she was 13. It appears that evidently Makayla is retaining a low profile after the doc dropped, although her Instagram is public.
Isabelle
Highschool senior Isabelle Eacrett from Rancho Cucamonga, CA, admitted within the doc that she seemingly would not be going to the College of Alabama if “it didn’t blow up on TikTok.” She was passionate and “nervited”—a combo of nervous and excited—about speeding all through her senior 12 months, even working with Rush advisor Sloan Anderson.
“Being in a sorority will assist me work out who I need to be,” she mentioned within the movie. “I’ve all the time wanted a factor to be part of as a part of my id. It has been arduous for me to discover a sense of self-worth as a result of I do not actually know who I’m.”
Isabelle stayed on with the documentary and filmed all through Rush Week, which culminated together with her getting a proposal from her best choice, the Alpha Delta Pi. She is at present an promoting main.
Isabelle opened up about her expertise with Bama Rush on TikTok this week, explaining that she needed to “share her story and to indicate what it is wish to be a lady in 2022.” Within the documentary, Isabelle opened up about being sexually assaulted two weeks earlier than Rush, and in her social media put up, she mentioned she nearly determined to drop out of the movie and Rush altogether after assaulting her.
“I didn’t know the way I used to be going to fake to be blissful and even make pals at school after being damage so badly,” she mentioned. “And (director) Rachel Fleit advised me all I needed to do was myself and she or he by no means pressured me to say something about my story. However I needed to share it as a result of that was, actually, throughout Rush Week all that I might take into consideration .
Nonetheless, Isabelle added, “I made it by and located folks that I had superb, real and deep conversations with.” She ends by advising any ladies who undergo Rush to “belief the method” and attempt to have real conversations.
Gracie O’Connor
O’Connor, one of many authentic #BamaRush influencers who rose to fame in 2021, seems within the documentary as an interviewed skilled. She was an energetic Pi Beta Phi member when she filmed the doc, and she or he later graduated from UA with two levels in Might 2022. On the time she shared a photograph together with her fellow senior sorority sisters, captioned, “thanks Jesus for giving me the BEST ladies to have by my facet these final 4 years.
Since leaving the College of Alabama, Gracie has been documenting her world travels on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Per her bio, she has visited 63 international locations and counting.
When the trailer for Bama Rush was first launched, Gracie posted a TikTok video of her response to the footage. “I can not consider it, I am actually shaking,” she mentioned, earlier than admitting. “Wait, I sort of find it irresistible!”
