A Firsthand Account of Bama Rush – Exclusive Guest Interview

In this episode of the Bama Rush podcast, hosts Dana and Naiya delve into the intriguing world of sorority rush at the University of Alabama. Joined by a guest speaker who has experienced the process firsthand, they explore various aspects of Greek life and shed light on some lesser-known details.

The conversation begins with a discussion of the number of Panhellenic sororities at the university. While there are 17 listed on the school's website, the guest speaker explains that only 15 of them are typically involved in the rush process. The remaining two sororities have religious affiliations and conduct separate rushes in the fall or spring.

Dana raises the question of why these Christian sororities have separate rushes and wonders if it implies a lack of interest from potential recruits. The guest speaker clarifies that these sororities prefer to focus on attracting individuals who align with their specific religious values, rather than having girls participate who may not be genuinely interested.

The conversation then shifts to the Divine Nine, specifically AKA (Alpha Kappa Alpha), and their separate rush process. The guest speaker explains that organizations like AKA have specific membership criteria, often centered around racial or ethnic backgrounds. They emphasize the importance of creating a sense of community and fostering connections with individuals who share similar experiences and cultural backgrounds.

Dana, Naiya and the guest speaker touch upon the historical context of racial integration within sororities and fraternities at the University of Alabama. They mention that the process of becoming interracial or more inclusive began prior to the 2000s but acknowledge that it was still a relatively recent development.

The discussion also mentions other organizations on campus that cater to specific groups, such as successful black men or black women seeking support and empowerment. These organizations operate independently of Greek life but contribute to the diverse landscape of campus communities.

The conversation takes a lighthearted turn when the topic of the "Bama Rush" documentary and TikTok trends surrounding sorority recruitment is brought up. While the guest speaker and the hosts were initially expecting more drama and exclusive insights, they admit to finding the documentary underwhelming in terms of revealing behind-the-scenes details of the rush process.

They discuss the stereotypes associated with sorority members, including their appearances and social media presence. The hosts express curiosity about the financial aspects of joining a sorority, highlighting the perception that many members come from affluent backgrounds. The guest speaker explains that sororities can be expensive, especially at larger schools like the University of Alabama, and mentions the prevalent notion that the university capitalizes on its size and popularity.

Overall, this episode of the Bama Rush podcast offers a glimpse into the dynamics of sorority rush at the University of Alabama, debunking some stereotypes and providing a nuanced perspective on the process. Listeners gain insights into the different rush experiences of religious and racially focused sororities, while also exploring the expectations and realities of sorority life.

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Transcript

Naiya: [00:00:00] I don't wanna do like the whole like, Hey y'all, welcome back. But I mean, just get into me. Hey y'all. Welcome back to Mcna. 

Dana: Now just get into it and the less information you give the better. No, 

Naiya: I was starting, that was my start. Oh, that was, I thought that was cute. 

Dana: Okay. Go ahead. Don't be, Hey y'all. Cause that's fake.

Dana: That's the 

Naiya: point. 

Dana: Okay. 

Guest Speaker: It's satire my opinion. It's not the point, 

Dana: but I know I thought it was wrong and, and bad taste, whatever. 

Naiya: Hey guys, welcome back to McKnights of Magnolia. So today I'm actually really excited about this podcast. It's a little different from anything that we have ever done ever, honestly.

Naiya: Um, so today we are gonna be talking about Alabama 

Dana: Rush, not Alabama Rush. Alabama freaking rush. Oh, period sis. I mean, period. I'm to, 

Naiya: I'm loving the enthusiasm. Yes, yes. I eating that enthusiasm up. So basically today we have a guest who [00:01:00] actually attended the University of Miami and went through the rush process.

Naiya: Uh, I didn't know I went to Miami. Right. You're so right. So today we're gonna be talking about the University of Alabama. Sure. Roll Tide. Roll tide. Navy. I'm sure you 

Dana: guys have, that was good. Big mama would be proud. 

Naiya: Yeah. Our grandma, well, My dad's grandmother, she lived in Alabama like literally five minutes away.

Naiya: Tuscaloosa, she did. She lives in Tus, well, lived in Tuscaloosa. She just recently passed r I B to 

Dana: Queen. We're getting into the documentary. We're gonna get into the rumors. We're gonna hopefully have our guest debunk a lot of the rumors because there's a lot of false information floating around. Mm-hmm.

Dana: And I personally cannot wait to get into 

Naiya: it. And I'm really excited to hear, you know, our differences in opinions. So me and mom watched the documentary on HBO and it was a hot mess, and I don't think it should have been made in the first place. Low key? Well, not [00:02:00] necessarily. It shouldn't have been made, but I just feel like if they didn't have the footage or the.

Naiya: Content behind it. It just shouldn't have been made. They weren't trying to make it into this whole thing where they were all like, Al Alabama is racist and da da da da da. But then it was about homegirl and her alopecia. Like, 

Dana: I'm really confused. Well wait before we even get into that, because I feel like we've skipped just a whole lot of information.

Dana: Okay. Some of our guests may not know about University of Alabama. I mean, I don't know how, but there are some people that really don't know. So before we get into it, I just wanna give you guys a little background. So University of Alabama, which is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, was founded in 1831. The school is known for its athletics and its Greek life.

Dana: Also, according to talk business and politics, they made 214 million from July, 2021 [00:03:00] to June 30th, 2022. The school's website says there are 17 Panhellenic sororities. Okay. To our guest, are we on the right path? Does this information sound correct thus far? 

Guest Speaker: Yeah, it does. Um, Those 17, it's really only 15 that people rush for because two of them are religious.

Guest Speaker: Um, when they do a separate rush than anybody else in the fall. Like for example, um, Sigma Delta TA, I believe is, um, a Jewish primarily. I don't know if it's all, I don't know my information about that. And then Alpha Delta Chi is a primarily Christian one and they do a separate. Rush as well in the spring.

Guest Speaker: So both of them do different rushes 

Dana: in the spring. Okay. So is it that no one wants to rush the Christian sororities or that your, I'm just asking, I'm just asking. I have [00:04:00] no beef against Jewish people or like, I mean, well, Jewish people are religious people, but I'm just saying I have no beef with anybody.

Dana: I'm just asking. 

Guest Speaker: No, they just do a separate thing because just during rush it's not really beneficial for them to have girls who aren't necessarily. Looking for that. They kind of want, okay. Like their crowd, they have a very specific, um, kind of list that you have to like, follow, like being Jewish or being Christian, if that's something you're interested in.

Guest Speaker: They would rather have girls be interested in it, going through it rather than like, I'll get into this later, but being stuck with someone you didn't necessarily want 

Dana: during the Totally understand, I mean, birds and as a mom feather the flock together. And as a mom, I would rather have my daughter at, right, at the, at Christian 

Guest Speaker: sororities.

Guest Speaker: I mean, and it's the same thing with um, aka, which is part of the Divine nine. They do a separate rush as well. They do? Mm-hmm. 

Dana: Theirs is. Okay, so we'll get into that because 

Guest Speaker: they also have a specific list. Sorry, but like, I'm sorry, but you really have to be like somehow [00:05:00] related African-American. No, you do.

Guest Speaker: I mean there's hundred percent. It's very strict thing. So why are they gonna have a bunch of blonde, white girls walking into their house during the rush process? And 

Dana: that is so true. So true. And I, and I know for a fact that those, the Divine nine D nine, they were formed because we weren't allowed. But wasn't it just 2013 that University of Alabama sororities and fraternities became not co-ed, but um, Inter, I guess interracial.

Dana: Yeah. Like, yeah. I didn't know. That was a long time ago. Really? 

Guest Speaker: Because I thought it was, yeah, it was in the eighties or nineties. 

Dana: I mean, that's still late. 

Guest Speaker: Oh, obviously it's still late, but, well, for us, that was like a long time ago. Right. But like, and then you look at the current, like you look at like the current atmosphere and.

Guest Speaker: No, it was not in the recent, it was not in the two thousands. Okay. Or anything like that. It was prior to the two thousands and when AKA was introduced in like other of the Divine Nine. And then there's other organizations on campus. I [00:06:00] cannot specifically remember the names. I probably should have done my research that mm-hmm.

Guest Speaker: Are like specifically towards black men wanting to be successful at the university. Yes. Not involved with Greek life, by the way. Mm-hmm. Those, and then there's another one of successful black women. Who want to be, so there's organizations truly anywhere. Exactly. Um, for the people who look, and they mentioned them actually during the, um, Bama Bound is what it's called, but it's like an introduction to the university where you register for your first year classes and stuff like that.

Guest Speaker: Get acclimated to campus. Oh my gosh. They are really projected during 

Naiya: Bama Bounds. Right? If you're looking for that sense of community, if you're looking, you're like, oh, I wanna be with sisters who look like me. I wanna like, it's accessible. It's not necessarily to the point where they're like, okay, well you can do that on your own time, but here we're gonna focus on our other sororities.

Guest Speaker: Right? But like also, those are not even affiliated with Greek life at all. 

Dana: On May 23rd, the [00:07:00] documentary Bama Rush was released. It explores the phenomenon of sorority rush at the University of Alabama driven by the influence of TikTok. Like, if y'all have not hashtag Bama Rush on TikTok, you have not lived.

Dana: It is the best. So basically, individuals who experienced this unique event firsthand have their own perspectives and reflections to share. Mm-hmm. I watched it. You watched it. What did you think? I was severely, 

Naiya: I mean, I feel like I was kinda underwhelmed. I don't know if I was expecting like, um, no, I know I was expecting more drama.

Naiya: I was expecting more tea. I was expecting like a lot more. I feel like since Greek life is such a, like, such a tight-knit, traditional oriented, Not like a secret society, but kind of in a way basic, basically like they have their secret to distant, like, you know, in every sorority, you know, when, um, I don't know the [00:08:00] proper terminology, but you know, there's things that like once you're in it, you get like initiated or whatever.

Naiya: Like what's the, like I initiation top secret. You cannot talk about that. Um, 

Dana: I wanted them to talk about what they weren't supposed to talk about, 

Naiya: basically about like what they have to go through, things like that. Well, 

Guest Speaker: sure. I mean, initiation, yes, it is a thing, but at the same time it's a thing literally every day.

Guest Speaker: Oh, it's, 

Dana: it's, but we, but it hasn't been documented. 

Guest Speaker: Well, yeah. It's not supposed to be. That's literally like saying, yeah, my family does some stuff and we want to bring cameras in and have people video, air, air your dirty laundry, air my dirty laundry. That's to say if there even is dirty laundry. And quite frankly, there's, it's really nothing.

Guest Speaker: Not even a little bit, no. I really, dude, I promise you, I really wish I could like I would because we got some, my face isn't on camera, but Right. I really wish I could tell you that it was like weird or anything 

Dana: because I feel like it's gotta [00:09:00] be, no, not drama. Drama, but just a little bit cuz I mean, if you had a camera that followed 

Guest Speaker: us, I mean, I expected, honestly, going into a sorority, I expected there'd be so much drama within the girls and everything.

Guest Speaker: I've never been like, uh, hang out with girls all the time. Person. Mm-hmm. I mean, That's a lie. I have been, but even when I do, there's always somebody who talks deep, but you know, but even like, is it because you're really pretty? Probably 

Dana: tell it girl. 

Guest Speaker: Um, but I mean, honestly, it's just my view on a sorority now is a group of girls who have the same beliefs, values, and views.

Guest Speaker: Who bond over that. Mm-hmm. Now it's nothing like people think it's seriously so deep and culty like, I mean, even your sister said to me today, is it as culty as it really is? And I was like, honestly, I wish I could tell you Yes. But it's kind of boring because it 

Dana: looks, if you, to be honest, it just seems to me [00:10:00] like when I watch, when I put in hashtag Bama rush, it seems like I.

Dana: All the girls look alike. It looks like they all look like El Woods basically with, you know, a couple variations. They all look like they come from means so, Money. Yes. They all look like they come from money and they can all dance. I don't know how you all get all that in one big forward, because I mean, seriously, y'all damn TikTok talking about TikTok dances.

Dana: I was like, how do I be a part? And if they do not. Graduate, they can always become like a TikTok influencer. They can always become our social media managers. Because I'm trying to get the camera word out well, about 

Naiya: the money thing. There's one thing that I did wanna add. So, I mean, sororities are expensive in general.

Naiya: How expensive are they? And at the, you know, especially at your larger schools and everything like that, it is going to be more, I think that Alabama really does get the butts like the, um, But out of things because of how [00:11:00] large the campus is and how many people attend there. I wanna say I'm, I'm not familiar with Alabama.

Naiya: Um, if you could, you know, help me out with that in a minute. Um, but I do know at other universities in North Carolina, um, the dues, I want to say they were like $1,600 a semester. You miss, um, You miss philanthropy, you have to pay another fine. You don't show up to a certain event that your sorority is throwing.

Naiya: You get fined again. Like there's okay, 

Dana: what? 

Guest Speaker: Nothing. No, she's correct. Yeah, that's correct. Some sororities do do that. Sure. And then there are others who choose not to find their members cuz they're very accepting and understanding that people do make mistakes and not everybody has time. So to be there all the time and like, I mean there's also what you said about seeing on social media [00:12:00] everybody look like, and like you think that of Bama Rush, that has more to do with the social media algorithm than it does anything with Greek life.

Guest Speaker: If I'm being a hundred percent honest with you, I mean, during the rush process I saw a lot of diversity. Mm-hmm. There's a lot of different people going into Rush. Um, and quite frankly, like. I promise you, not any sorority really cares. I mean, it's just about who you know and the reputation you have, honestly.

Guest Speaker: And like grades. Yes. Yeah. Like grades are a big part of it that nobody talks about. It doesn't really matter if you come from money. If you have a 1.5 GPA coming out of high school, they're not gonna rush you. And if you try and blame that on the way you look, then honestly that's just not taking responsibility.

Guest Speaker: That sounds, and 

Naiya: that's so true because I do know, um, and, and all, I mean, Greek life in general across all schools, but especially at Bama, I do know like the, isn't it like the first round they look at your gpa. 

Dana: So how much does it cost roughly to [00:13:00] join a sorority per semester? 

Guest Speaker: Um, every sorority and fraternity is different.

Guest Speaker: Cause this isn't just about sororities. Fraternities have dues too. What about 

Dana: the top sororities? Roughly? What are we looking at? Um, 

Guest Speaker: That's another thing I'll get into in a minute about top sororities, but truly all of 'em are roughly the same, whether you consider them a top or not personally. Um, but I mean it's all around the same range, but you have like cheaper ones, which is not to say they're cheap at all, cuz none of them are cheap.

Guest Speaker: You have multimillion dollar houses that you're paying for. Um, I know some of them can go up to $4,000. A semester. There are some on the lower end, that's about like 3000, 3,100, but on average around per semester, every fall semester is higher dues. Okay. Um, not including the monthly installment that you also have on top of it.

Guest Speaker: Oh, um, [00:14:00] usually they do like a one big thing to kind of control. Mm. Kind of not like control, but to pay like what you need, like house fees because you have multimillion dollar houses and you have to pay the campus, you have to pay your philanthropies and stuff like that to keep up the support and relationship that you have.

Guest Speaker: Because truly half of the more than half are philanthropy based, and that's something I love about it. But then you also pay the kitchen staff that every single house has. Every house has a kitchen staff. Every house has a 

Dana: cleaning staff. Are there members that live? Yeah. In the house. How many, I guess members roughly can live, 

Guest Speaker: I mean probably 50 to 60.

Guest Speaker: And how 50 to 70. How do you get? Probably depending. Um, well, every sorority is different on how they do it. Um, some houses do seniors only. Okay. Some houses do juniors only. Some houses do sophomores only. And then there's like a lottery system where they literally pick your name out of a thing if you wanted to do it.

Guest Speaker: Okay. Or not. [00:15:00] Um, 

Dana: and then do you pay more if you live there or is it just you still pay your same amount, but you get to live there? 

Guest Speaker: Honestly, it might be a little more, actually, yes it is. Okay. Usually it's just like, um, Because the girls in the house have full access to all the snacks. They have people who clean upstairs their bathrooms and everything like that.

Guest Speaker: Um, I believe it's just like, A double or like one and a half times their typical dues. Okay. Just to keep up regular, like house living stuff. But even then, it's still cheaper than getting a place on your own, especially in Tuscaloosa. 

Dana: But anyway, I did, I did wanna ask too, I realized, I did learn in the documentary that, um, new pledges are called p and m's.

Dana: Potential, uh, potential new members. Mm-hmm. So I did pay attention, I did do my homework. Roughly how many girls would you say start that process, that p and m process at the beginning, 

Guest Speaker: my [00:16:00] year, the year that I rushed, um, it was roughly. 1500 girls to 2000 for your house or for the entire process? 

Dana: I don't know.

Dana: Okay. And then how many girls 

Naiya: like your, your, the specific number in your rush class? 

Guest Speaker: Gosh. Um, like that's a question. You have a Yeah. Nobody goes into it. Okay. Thinking they want to have a specific sorority and the people who do the, they're the ones you can hear screaming, crying down the hall cuz they were stupid and got there.

Guest Speaker: Hope set. Okay. For specific place. And even if that place like wanted you, there's no guarantee but you that they can keep it because you may not have, there's a line for each house. Mm-hmm. And there's, depending on the house, I mean, pledge classes can be as low as 50 for like the Jewish and Christian, um, sororities as low as 50, and then there's.

Guest Speaker: A sorority [00:17:00] at Alabama who got in some trouble last year because of a controversy whose pledge class this year was 230 because they had to make up for the members that dropped. Okay. So it, it's truly just depends on how many people, um, or if you're old row or new row, how many people you have in your sorority at that time.

Guest Speaker: How many you can take in as new. Um, because then you have to take into account the ones who just graduated. Yeah, and stuff like that. And how many people you have. I would say on average there's per sorority, there's probably 400 to 500 girls. Wow. And I have a 

Naiya: quick sorority, quick question for you as well.

Naiya: Do you feel comfortable talking or shutting? Just like a little bit of light on that scandal that happened with a certain sorority or, 

Dana: oh, yeah. Okay. Can we name, can we name the sorority or no? Oh, 

Guest Speaker: everybody knows it. It was alpha fee. Okay. Um, that's not to say that every girl in that sorority is racist.

Guest Speaker: There's been a lot of famous on TikTok girls such as like Marissa AERs, who are your exact description of what you see. [00:18:00] Bama Rush as blonde, skinny, and post-workout videos. Like that's how they got their body. When respectfully, we all know you got a surgery to shrink your stomach. Um, But it burns 

Naiya: when you pee.

Naiya: It's alpha 

Guest Speaker: fee. I mean that's 

Naiya: another thing we is every sorority, like they have their different reputation. It true burns. When you pee, it's alpha 

Guest Speaker: fee. That's the thing is there's, it's a fee. Hurts to pee, but, oh, okay. Sorry. So fine. I mean, every sorority has a reputation, right? And that negative. That's true.

Guest Speaker: That is so true. Which is why I think to say there are top and bottom sororities is absolute crap. Reputations don't. It could have been 15 years ago when people are still gonna think about it in that way. 

Dana: So if your mom was, I. Delta. Delta. Delta. Mm-hmm. And you wanted to pledge? Delta. Delta Or try Delta?

Dana: Cuz I'm trying to be cool. Tridel, would that give you a leg up? Is there a legacy clause? Is there a legacy pro? That's not every campus. That's on every campus. Okay. I mean, I know it is with [00:19:00] Deon, but I just wanted, 

Guest Speaker: well cause you also have recommendation letters. Yeah. Um, and this goes for every single university, not just Alabama.

Guest Speaker: And I think it's kind of crap, but it only, people only think this is at 

Naiya: one university. And personally, I don't see the issue with the legacy clause at all personally, because 

Guest Speaker: it's like, no, your mom was a part of an institution. Your mom or your aunties, you should, 

Dana: and that was your choice. That she, I was 

Naiya: thinking, you know, way back when I was like, oh, maybe college is my vibe, like before I dropped out and everything like that.

Naiya: Um, Right. I honestly was thinking, I was like, oh, when I go, like, you know, I would probably, you know, join a sorority. Like I would probably rush, aka my aunt was an AKA and I would have her see if she can, you know, talk to some sisters about putting me in. Things like that. I don't see the issue with that at all.

Guest Speaker: Um, how it works. This is for every school you have a resume you send in Yeah. To the Paralytic Association to sign up for Rush. There's a fee you pay to sign up for Rush cuz they [00:20:00] give you free T-shirts. Mm-hmm. In quotations free because you are paying to rush. Right. For Alabama example, it's like $500 to rush.

Guest Speaker: Okay. Um, and go through the process which have that for half the girls, it goes down the drain cause they end up not liking what they end up with and they just drop before they can. Have bid day Right. Or something like that. And that does happen, which is fine because you can rush it any time if you want to.

Guest Speaker: Truly. And then some sororities, of course have, um, continuous bidding. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Um, So like in the spring, they'll just offer a girl a bit cause they have extra space in their pledge class. 

Dana: Right? So is it true? This is so crazy, but I just thought about one of the tos I watched. So is it true that Alabama's rush is.

Dana: Or it was pretty early so that if I were trying to get into, try Delta, and I just say that because that's the one I'm most familiar with because of pop culture. But like if I wanted to get [00:21:00] into that, um, sorority, I didn't make it because the pledges go early or the PNMs go early, I would pack up my things transfer to Ole Miss.

Dana: To try to catch their rush to get into my sorority house of choice. 

Guest Speaker: In my personal opinion, if you chose a school just to rush, you're an idiot. Oh, definitely. I 100% agree. You're so true. If you saw that on social media, the only reason you saw it is because of the social media algorithm, cuz that's what they want you to think.

Guest Speaker: Yeah, but I mean, quite frankly, people think they go into it knowing everything about every sorority there are people like that. I was not one of those people. Mm-hmm. Um, but there are people like that, like the stuff I know now, I have no idea going into it. Right. Um, like cuz I mean obviously the sorority girls, once they find out that you're going to Alabama, they will try and like talk to you throughout the year and stuff like that, just to like become familiar with you so you don't feel so alone going into it, which is truly all it is.

Guest Speaker: People call it like dirty [00:22:00] rushing, but she just about to say dirty people call it dirty rushing. But quite frankly, it's. Some of these girls are coming from like Massachusetts, right? Right. They don't know people down there, and it's just, honestly, yes. Does it make their sorority look better that these girls reached out and they feel like a big sister to you and feel like they can help you when you get there?

Guest Speaker: Yes. Yes. However, most of the time when people do that, it's because they genuinely want to be there for you and they don't really care if you go your sorority or not. They're gonna be. W like still friends with you and still 

Dana: with you. So you, you mentioned philanthropy. How important is that for each sorority?

Dana: And I know each sorority is different to your sorority, and I'm not asking you to out your sorority, but how important? 

Guest Speaker: In my experience, it's highly valued. Good. Um, As a freshman, I remember that we were su like required to go to these events. They didn't care if we were [00:23:00] hungover. Mm-hmm. They didn't care if we just didn't want to go.

Guest Speaker: We had a test. You are required to go to this event because you joined this sorority because you wanted to be a part of this philanthropy. That makes sense. But I will say not all of them are like that.

Guest Speaker: Oh, well, yeah, I guess we'll touch on this now. Oh, I guess, um, that kind of plays into the documentary, which was so simple-minded. Mm-hmm. In my opinion, it's very simple-minded. Mm-hmm. Um, they went into the whole racism issue. Yes. Um, and I think what a lot of people don't realize is the people who spoke on that documentary were paid.

Guest Speaker: [00:24:00] Really? Yeah. Mm-hmm. Um, depending on the money is kind of depending on what they were gonna say. What did they want to hear? They wanted to hear that Greek life is racist and all of it is every university is gonna have some bad nuts. Definitely every university is, and do I think there are some bad nuts?

Guest Speaker: Sure. Is it the entirety of specific Greek life things? No, they went through this entire documentary claiming that it's racist, Alabama. The university as a whole has one of the most like interactive and incredible diversity, equity, and inclusion departments that I've ever seen. How so? Every single Greek life.

Guest Speaker: Mm-hmm. Specifically sororities. I don't know about fraternities. You are required your freshman and sophomore year to have completed your D E I certification. Okay. Which involves going to nine [00:25:00] points, which are like nine different events of D E I events that talk about not just racism. Mm-hmm. It's L G B LGBTQ inclusion, it's women gender equality.

Guest Speaker: It's African American rights. It's treating people with equality. It's truly every spectrum that there is, there's. Culture, there's diversity, there's gender opportunities and everything. Um, and I think that the fact that the documentary said that it was just inherently like racist is complete bold because we have to like, Have this certification or else we cannot continue in our sorority.

Guest Speaker: I think in 

Naiya: my opinion, and I don't want this to come out the wrong way, I'm trying to kind of, you know, pick my words carefully, but in my opinion, I feel like there is a lot of history. In Alabama and the esp, especially in Alabama, um, the, the state as a whole. Mm-hmm. [00:26:00] Not necessarily just the university, but the state as a whole.

Naiya: And the university is a hub of the state, so I feel like it is very easy for. Someone of color to have a very negative 

Guest Speaker: experience, Lee. But what about Texas? What about Florida? What about Louisiana? What about Mississippi? What about Georgia? What about North Carolina? Even what about South Carolina? But I think they're not 

Dana: as, America has a history notorious as, right?

Dana: Like ua Todd, Alabama is like this. Big and not saying like, also, let 

Guest Speaker: me clear it up. I'm not defending it. No. At 

Dana: not at all. 

Naiya: No, not at all. We never 

Dana: thought, no, we never thought that. But it's just that I think the University of Alabama as a whole is this big entity. Like it's it because of social media, not just, I mean because even before Bama Rush and all that stuff, like we knew like roll Tide was this big, it was huge.

Dana: This big, you 

Guest Speaker: know, cause Alabama is 

Dana: a family. [00:27:00] It. True. And I guess one would have to go there to know that, or to feel that, because I mean like when we would go to lunch or we'd hang out, you know, around that area. I mean, we didn't feel that, but again, we weren't looking to go there. It's not, I went to Johnson c Smith, this small Hcu U in Charlotte.

Dana: Mm-hmm. You know, whatever. So, I did not have this big school experience, but when people generally look at University of Alabama, it's this big university and because of the state's history, not even the school's history mm-hmm. There, there is this little cloud that that follows, you know, around. And like even in the documentary, the, um, she was part of the Dina and she was an aka.

Dana: She talked about how, I believe they were one of the first. Or they were the first house on, what is it, old row? 

Guest Speaker: Uh, it's not based on location, on Magnolia Drive, which is one of the [00:28:00] roads on university, or which is one of the roads of sorority 

Dana: row. Sorority row. And they were the first, um, sorority of color to have a house there.

Dana: And then, you know, she's like, everybody's out. And then they come back and there's a cross being burned mm-hmm. On their. You know, and it, it said, you know, prank gone bad. Mm-hmm. I don't know that I would feel that that was a prank. I don't think that's a prank. 

Guest Speaker: That's not a prank that is blatant, that is blatant racism and harassment.

Guest Speaker: However, history is there for a reason. Mm-hmm. And I think that yes, that history is there. But because that history is there, it makes the university work that much harder to 

Naiya: prove that they're 

Dana: not, to prove that it's wrong, to prove that 

Guest Speaker: it's wrong. Which even walking the brand new dorm that was just built, um, I think they've redid Julia Tut Weiler.

Guest Speaker: Um, I walked in it just cause I wanted to see it. Cause I've seen the old one [00:29:00] too. I walked in just cause I wanted to see it. And every single floor has a quote from like, First woman, Amelia Gail gogi, the biggest library on campus. She was like the first woman employed at the university. You have quotes from like Harper Lee.

Guest Speaker: Who wrote to kill Mocking Jay? If you're uncultured, but 

Dana: Mockingbird. Mockingbird. Got it. You're mocking people for being, know what I mean? But you know what I mean. You know who Harper is. Exactly. 

Guest Speaker: Rock Living Under and who went to Alabama and graduated and stuff like that and was very successful. One of wrote one of the most iconic books that people read in schools to this day.

Guest Speaker: Right. Um, has first black student and it talks about the history of the first black student or first black woman mm-hmm. To be more specific, who attended the university and was expelled a week later because of the riots that were caused. Mm-hmm. And it's a constant reminder of that history that we have to be better.

Guest Speaker: Which I don't even think just applies to Alabama. It applies to everybody. 

Dana: Everybody. And it does, [00:30:00] and this is not to pick, we're definitely not picking on U of A. We're definitely not doing that. Right. But how much of that do you think deters people like, okay, so. Just let me put this out here. First of all, all, I think there was a young lady in the documentary, Ryan, maybe was her name.

Dana: I think that's how you pronounce it. She was raised by white people. She said she was, she was either adopted or the mom or she was biracial or one of the check that said something about diad. I think so, yes. Okay. First of all, loved her. That was funny as though terrible. She said die. I was like, So 

Guest Speaker: funny.

Guest Speaker: I do remember that though. I do remember that though. And I think one of the best things that she said was, people now because of the history try to be so woke. Yes. And start saying, did you use a relaxer? Your relaxer ran out? Something like that. But people don't realize, dude, it's offensive. I'm sorry. And then it's the people who are [00:31:00] like, we don't see color.

Dana: Yes, you do. You do. And that's okay. I think. I think it's 

Guest Speaker: okay. Yeah, that is perfectly fine because then you also know that you recognize that you have been through something way different than I have ever experienced, and I respect you for that. 

Naiya: We, you know, you and things like that and you know, backgrounds and everything like that, but, And we would know how you would perceive those certain types of, you know, the mandatory like meanings, the mandatory, you know, this, that, and the third and we know how you would perceive that.

Naiya: Mm-hmm. You would look at that as it's a reminder of the history and how we need to be better and how we need to move past it. Because you see 

Guest Speaker: the importance of it. And I will be honest with you, some people see it as a burden cuz they don't wanna do that Exactly. When they also have parties and stuff going on.

Guest Speaker: I'm a hundred percent honest with you. Yeah. I mean, if again, though, I think where the documentary in [00:32:00] the role that social media has played has had a very negative impact, not only on just the University of Alabama, but honestly just anybody in Greek life as a whole. And then on top of that society as a whole.

Guest Speaker: Mm-hmm. You're just assuming that everybody has to think this way. Without realizing other people are gonna have opinions whether you find them offensive or not. Right? That's true. And that's okay because you can't silence someone's opinion, which is fine. Yeah. Do you wanna be an A-hole? Great. Doesn't affect me.

Guest Speaker: Mm-hmm. But I think what social media has kind of done is it's made everybody so sensitive to that and cancel culture has happened. Now, am I defending people who I, in my opinion, think are absolutely ignorant? No. God no. But I do think it's creating a sense of sensitivity and, and in capability of hearing [00:33:00] people's opinions.

Guest Speaker: That 

Dana: differ from your, but what about the allegations of homophobia, fatphobia? Oh, sexism or, yeah, like, like, like definitely. I really do want to get into that because the reason I say that, talking about grant likes, yes and no. Him, her, she, they binary. They, they are nine binary. Thank you. You got it. Period.

Dana: Since, thank you. And so, um, they 

Naiya: canceled today? No. 

Guest Speaker: However, at the time of them rushing, I do believe that they were simply gay. Okay. 

Dana: And I do, I, I do believe, They were transgender then, right? Mm, mm-hmm. Because I think it's, but then again, transit, depending on what I don't, I don't know, but I don't believe, but I, but they, and I think non-binary.

Dana: I 

Guest Speaker: know I always, if I don't know Cause I haven't done my research. It 

Dana: is, they, I try, I prefer to use, they definitely, but I don't wanna be offensive. Well, they said that it [00:34:00] definitely is. Um, it was a homophobic environment. Sure. It was a fat phobic. Environment and they also had claims of racism. 

Guest Speaker: Um, I do, I did see that video.

Guest Speaker: Um, it popped up on probably everybody's for You page if you've seen the documentary and aren't currently living under a rock. But, um, I did see that video. Mm-hmm. And there's also a case going on in Wyoming, I believe. Okay. Um, I saw it the other day. It involved, um, the. Kappa Kappa Gamma chapter of the Wyoming University, where they had a in, I don't want to be insensitive here.

Guest Speaker: However, there was a transgender woman mm-hmm. And the sorority. And now girls have felt extremely uncomfortable because they, she had not, No had [00:35:00] gender reassignment surgery was not currently on hormones, I don't believe was caught aroused around. The girls was attempting to live in the house with all the girls, which, here's the thing, if gender reassignment and hormones were in the picture mm-hmm.

Guest Speaker: And making a genuine effort, this would be a mute point. But the fact that they, the transgender woman was seen aroused. With a boner. Let's just be real. Yeah. Let's be 

Naiya: blowing. 

Dana: Can you help around that? That's something you've, I, 

Naiya: here's, here's my opinion though. 

Dana: Let's, yeah, let's do, cause I'm like, 

Guest Speaker: I feel like we're, every sorority has a nationals thing.

Guest Speaker: They also have bylaws. Mm-hmm. Majority, if not all, have a rule that no biological male can be a member of this organization. Whether you identify as a transgender woman, And that's your thing. You don't want to go under hormone [00:36:00] replacement. You don't want to go under gender reassignment. Mm-hmm. That is completely your decision and I support that for you.

Guest Speaker: However, these sororities can't go against their national bylaws, which were made years ago. Agreed. Like years ago. They can't go against that and have them changed like this just to let you be a part of something because unfortunately there is always a risk, 

Dana: but it seems antiquated. Maybe some of. The rules or some of the COCs maybe.

Guest Speaker: Right. And do I think that should be changed? Absolutely. But then unfortunately you see the case in Wyoming where it puts a very negative light on that transgender comu community. Correct. And that's the unfortunate part in my opinion, because you also have people who are transgender who genuinely. Felt displaced as their born 

Naiya: sex.

Naiya: I have a lot of friends in the LGBTQ community. I have a lot of friends who you know, who might identify as something [00:37:00] different than they were assigned at birth. And we were speaking, well, Alabama, right? We were speaking about it and especially about the case in Wyoming, and they were just saying that I couldn't imagine wanting.

Naiya: To be in that situation, correct? Correct. And the trans, I, I don't know, um, I'm gonna say their, in their shoes. I wouldn't, you don't want to be somewhere where it's obvious you're not wanted, and if you see the picture of all of them together, they were like, I have no issue with, well, I guess she goes by her, with her being in our sorority.

Naiya: I have no issue with that. The only issue is that she is in the house. If you see the picture, 

Guest Speaker: I'm also fairly certain that in that Wyoming case, the transgender woman also identified as lesbian. 

Dana: But I'm pretty sure she's not the only lesbian in the house, whether she's out or not. Right. But the difference 

Guest Speaker: is she still has a penis.

Dana: She does, but, but you can see her 

Naiya: sticking out like a sore [00:38:00] 

Guest Speaker: thumb. There was no attempt. There was, I'm sorry. There was genuinely no attempt to even try to be a woman. I'm not familiar 

Dana: with the case, so that's why I'm really quiet, because I don't know everyone's journey. Everybody's journey to. Whatever is totally different than the next.

Guest Speaker: Right. Oh my gosh. And that's not to say that they shouldn't be allowed. Exactly. No, absolutely not. Let me just put this out there. There's so many other things involved. Sorry. 

Dana: Yeah, the documentary definitely was I, 

Naiya: I think the documentary was, I think that it was a necessary and would 

Dana: love, I don't think a documentary about alopecia, but this, I was looking, I wasn't looking something different, if that makes any sense.

Dana: A documentary on alopecia. I was looking for something on Bama, find 

Guest Speaker: that you're not allowed to be different at the university. When she was just like, I felt like I needed to wear a wig, baby. I promise you, nobody's looking at you that hard. We're sweating running to the houses. That [00:39:00] we're going to. She nobody 

Dana: said your bald when she said, when she said, no one knew I had a wig on baby.

Dana: I said, I didn't even need my damn readers. What edges? I was like, Tell 

Guest Speaker: me it was synthetic without telling me. Literally that was a 

Dana: damn wig. Stop tripping 

Guest Speaker: baby. Went to Party City and said you'll do. 

Naiya: She got that off Sheen. Have you seen those Sheen wigs? But I was laughing. I was like, I was like, she could have got like a glueless lace or something.

Guest Speaker: I do like, before we get into like the disappointment of the documentary, cuz it was a major one, especially coming for someone who's in it. I was like, I wonder what they know and then going like, During rush this year. Mm-hmm. Um, I just remember like I looked on yak, which was so funny. Not yak. Yak is such a big thing down there.

Guest Speaker: You don't dunno. Yak, yak. I was just like, I'll explain it. Yak. It was like a downtime night where like nobody had to do anything. Right. And I was like scrolling through yak. And that's when like the president, like Texas was [00:40:00] like, We might have mics coming in cuz HBO is like filming a documentary and stuff like that.

Guest Speaker: So I was like fully expecting. I was like, oh my God. The trailer made it seem like those rumors were true. And then they were like, no, we only had one girl. Finish 

Dana: rush. My other, this was totally off, not really off topic because it's all about. You know, bam. A rush. But what was in your rush bag? I 

Naiya: mean, I really need, I, I know I really wanted to sound like, know about the, for 

Dana: stuff, like I'm getting laid out.

Dana: Seriously. What was in it? You were gonna laugh 

Guest Speaker: your asses off was just like before all. Like I saw the videos and stuff like that. So I actually really funny. I actually had a cooler that like my cousins got me and everybody was like walking around with these like, nice ass Louis. And stuff like that. I just had like a basic little, like Lulu cooler or something like that.

Guest Speaker: I don't even think it was Lulu. It was something like not cute. Right, right. Random shit. Right. Um, I had a hairbrush because Yeah. Duh. You're sweating. It's [00:41:00] 90 degrees outside. Um, I was an idiot and I did not have a fan. If I have any advice to anybody, you were in August Heath in Alabama, Southwest Alabama.

Guest Speaker: Need a fan, just bring a fan. Don't be an idiot like I am. Cause I was like, oh, I won't need it. I need one 

Naiya: of those ugly ass, like Disney neck fans. 

Guest Speaker: God, you know what I'm talking to shampoo and um, powder. Seriously Bring powder setting powder. Yes. 

Dana: Mm-hmm. 

Guest Speaker: Really? Um, I brought oil, I brought like tissues because I didn't have the facilities to get like oil blotting pads.

Guest Speaker: Cause I'm not that, you know? Right. But I, um, I quite literally just had a notebook that I never used. Everybody's like bringing notebooks. You write down notes and remember the house. When you walk into a house, you will know, you know, you know when you know, you know. Um, I never wrote down anything, although I would say bring like a notepad to like convocation, right?

Guest Speaker: Which is just videos that you're watching about the certain things. Cause it goes real [00:42:00] quick and you're not gonna remember anything. Um, so let's see. I had hairbrush notebook, which I never used. Um, I did not bring an extra pair of shoes. Okay. 

Dana: Why you didn't need it, 

Guest Speaker: baby. It's heels. You can't walk in heels.

Guest Speaker: You shouldn't be rushing. 

Dana: So you talked about your, what did you call her? Roki or your, yeah. So is that the same as a, um, rush consultant? 

Guest Speaker: Uh, no. No. Right. So I don't even know. 

Dana: Is there a person that helps you? With the recruitment process or the rush process? Oh 

Guest Speaker: yeah. That's your Roki. They're just like a person.

Guest Speaker: You can 

Dana: talk to bias that's not someone that you pay because they made it seem like, no, so 

Naiya: like I'm From what I know of 

Guest Speaker: a roki. Correct. They made it seem like everybody needed a rush consultant. I was like, don't do that. That's a waste of money. I'm 

Naiya: sorry. Oh, what sorority Rocha is in, or [00:43:00] they don't. Yeah, which is 

Guest Speaker: more fun.

Guest Speaker: No, you don't. Which is more fun because then you spend the whole time trying to figure it out, right. And everything. 

Naiya: Figure it out. Because they don't want you to be like, oh, well let me not talk about this certain sorority, because I don't want them to be like, think like, you know, I'm biased, or like, whatever, like that.

Naiya: So they, you don't know what sorority they're in. They're literally just like an unbiased person that you can talk to about your rush 

Dana: experience. I mean, I did wanna ask, what are the top sororities. At U of A, 

Guest Speaker: uh, I, there's, I personally, I wouldn't say that there's any specific tops. Mm-hmm. Because there's old row and new row.

Guest Speaker: Yes. Which people? You don't know the extent of it though. Mm-hmm. I mean, new row is things that are like Greek life that isn't as deeply rooted in the university. Old Row has been there since the 

Dana: start, so it's kind of like old money, new money. 

Guest Speaker: [00:44:00] Mm-hmm. Okay. I mean, at the end of the day, this entire thing started because of a documentary Y that claimed that it was going to go in on Alabama, Greek life and change.

Guest Speaker: It's Greek life as as we know it. Why did they hype it up so much? Cause hated that pissed people, completely honest with you. All my friends, we were, we were a little nervous really? Cause we were like, what? What are they gonna expose? Cause we didn't know what they were gonna expose because we didn't know what there was to expose.

Guest Speaker: Honestly. 

Dana: Turns out there was nothing. 

Guest Speaker: That's nothing. And they got a whole lot of clout because now everybody's still gonna watch it. It's gonna be nothing. They're gonna watch all turn off all attention. Whether it's negative or positive is good attention in the eyes of the media.[00:45:00] 

Guest Speaker: I feel like Soror, 

Naiya: like the sorority life in general is not for everyone. No. Like some people are gonna hate it. No, no. Like there's, there's a lot of rules and regulations and a lot of dos and don'ts and you have, if you have issues with authority and being told what to do, I don't. Thank is for 

Dana: you babe.

Dana: So thankful and we are thankful that you would even take the time out of your day to debunk our rumors. I'm [00:46:00] just 

Naiya: really thankful that you would travel all this way and come talk to us, cuz we really don't know people who are at the University of Alabama or people who we do know. They would not agree to do this out 

Guest Speaker: whatsoever.

Guest Speaker: Well, guaranteed. Some of them did, but they're not allowed to. I mean, I'm not. Not supposed to either, but like quite frankly, y'all are family and have been for a very long time and whoa, whoa. And it has been hurting me for a while to see like all of the rumors and stuff or something that has changed me for the better over the years.

Guest Speaker: So if 

Dana: you had a positive Greek rush experience, we would love to hear from you. So you guys know how to reach us, uh, McKnights of Magnolia on all platforms, and we hope to hear from you soon. 

Guest Speaker: Bye. Bye y'all. Thanks for sitting with me.