Latest news with #sorority
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Eye-watering cost of sorority hopeful's rush outfit sparks fierce backlash: 'Four months of my rent'
It's that time of the year again - rush week at the University of Alabama. Back in 2021, a series of women who were trying to join the University of Alabama's Panhellenic community documented their road to being accepted into one of the 18 different sororities at the school, and uploaded it all to TikTok. Their videos quickly exploded, and many people on the web became enthralled with watching the lengthy process play out. Since then, every time August rolls around, #BamaRush goes viral once again, as a whole new set of freshmen hopefuls at University of Alabama and other Southern schools put their best foot forward to vie for the chance to get accepted into sororities on campus. And many of them figure that the best way to do this is to make sure that foot is covered in a designer shoe. Tons of the women rushing this year have been showcasing their daily outfits throughout the process on TikTok and Instagram - and some of them have donned ensembles worth thousands of dollars. And while their stacks of expensive jewelry and name brand skirts used to elicit awe from their audiences, now it seems as though they only stir disbelief and anger. One Instagram creator recently broke down some of the sky-high prices of these girls' rush looks, and it sparked immense backlash for the students. Destinee Wilson, who calls herself 'your favorite price breakdown analyst,' has been reposting videos of girls rushing sororities in the South and detailing the prices of each article of clothing they wear. Tons of the women rushing this year have been showcasing their daily outfits throughout the process on TikTok and Instagram - and the ensembles worth thousands of dollars. The outfit featured Shila Fijal earrings, a Tiffany necklace, a Tory Burch watch, a Hermes bangle, and a Farm Rio skirt, amongst other things. After finding all of the individual products and their prices, Destinee revealed that the outfit costs a whopping $4,776. And viewers were shocked to say the least. 'She spent four months of my rent on that outfit,' one Instagram user pointed out. 'How much money does she HAVE?!' another commented, incredulous. Some users even had choice words for the parents of the student. She also donned a Tiffany T white gold bracelet, which is priced at $1,350, and the $350 Tory Burch Small Eleanor Watch She sported a $135 Farm Rio skirt, amongst other things. And after finding all of the individual products and their prices, Destinee revealed that the outfit cost a whopping $4,776 'Unless these girls are making their money on social media… their parents are failing them by buying them all this shit that's so damn expensive,' one outraged person said. 'They will never understand the true value of a dollar.' Others even made fun of the outfit, claiming it looked cheap despite its high cost. 'Meanwhile the whole outfit looks like it came from Old Navy,' another user added. Destinee herself did not mock the outfit or its price. In fact, in one of her other videos, she captions her price breakdown: 'The GSU girls were absolutely rocking rush week.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pushy moms are blowing $10K on Gucci bags, Cartier rings to give their daughters a leg up during sorority rush: ‘I want it more than her'
Don't mess with these mamas. Colloquially known as 'the NFL draft for women,' sorority rush has officially begun — and a new reality show is honing in on the overbearing moms who'll stop at nothing to get their daughters into their desired house. 'For every girl going through rush, there's a mom behind her that wants it as bad as she does,' Brandis Bradley says in the trailer for the new series, 'Sorority Moms Guide To Rush,' which premieres on Lifetime next Monday night. 'I might want it more than [my daughter],' one mom admitted in the trailer, while another said, 'I'm living vicariously through her.' Money-minded mamas are sparing no expense, splashing serious cash on clothes, bags and jewellery, so their girls get a leg-up during the grueling process. 'A rush budget to me is non-existent,' one mother declared in the trailer of the reality show. One girl — or rather, her mother — spent over $10,000 in preparation for it, which had her father rolling his eyes and her brother declaring: 'You could buy a car with that.' Once girls snag a spot in one of the coveted clubs, the expenses don't stop. Dues to stay in sororities, paid each semester, are often thousands of dollars on top of initial rush costs. The University of Alabama is no doubt the most notorious for its elaborate Greek life recruitment, but the girls on the inside say it's not just 'Bama — it's basic protocol at any SEC school worth its salt. 'Bring your pocketbooks, because you've got to pay to play on sorority row,' Bradley warned. Brand-new Gucci bags, Cartier rings, and Golden Goose sneakers are all must-haves for sorority sisters-to-be — but these trendy favorites come with a hefty price tag. Even these accessories alone set families back over $5,000. Some parents even hire rush coaches to ensure their girls get a spot in a 'top-ranked' house. The counselors guide the girls through every step of the process — interviews, social media presence and outfits, among other things. While there are budget-friendly options for frugal freshmen, some parents are willing to spend as much as $4,000 for a top-tier tutor. 'Maybe I need counseling or something,' one mom reflected in the trailer. Parents in the series explained that Greek life has been a component of the SEC college life for generations, but others say that Southern sorority life hasn't always been like this. 'It's like 'Toddlers and Tiaras' but make it college,' one commenter wrote under the trailer, while another remarked, 'Thank God I rushed in 2003 and didn't need all this! It's so superficial.' Despite the noise, many college gals are still psyched to rush. 'It's not this deep. Anyone and everyone can rush. It's an amazing opportunity to meet friends and people you'll know forever. I didn't know a single thing about rush, went in with an open mind, and ended up where I was supposed to,' one gal gushed in the comments. Solve the daily Crossword
Fast Company
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fast Company
RushTok is back. TikTok still can't get enough of sorority recruitment
The internet's favorite programming is back on: #RushTok season is officially upon us. If this is your first time tuning in, 'rush' is the informal name for the recruitment process in which college students in the U.S. vie for a spot in a Greek organization at their campus. On #RushTok, potential new members (PNMs) document their experience rushing different sororities, typically those affiliated with the National Panhellenic Conference. The phenomenon first went viral in 2021, thanks to the University of Alabama. The hashtag #BamaRush now has more than 1.3 million posts, setting the blueprint for how pledge week plays out on TikTok. Since then, #RushTok has evolved into a full-blown internet subculture, with more than 67 million posts at the time of writing. Across the world, people tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at the recruitment process. Current pledges are building excitement, while viral personalities return for their fourth and final year. RushTok has essentially become its own reality TV show (think Dance Moms or Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders but in bite-size content). Young women try to get into their dream sorority, and the internet comes along for the ride. 'Bama rush tok is my superbowl,' one TikTok user posted. 'Guys who are we rooting for?' another asked. With 2025 recruitment well underway, content ranges from simple OOTD videos to high-energy choreographed dances. Brands are swarming the comments to get in on the action (as are plenty of confused Europeans). Peripheral content ramps up during this time, too, including parodies that highlight the homogeneity of the content. One creator, DestineeMoreh, returns each year to break down the costs behind the flood of 'outfit of the day' posts on the For You Page. The phenomenon has even inspired its own Lifetime documentary, set to premiere later this month. A number of schools are involved, but ask anyone—Bama Rush is the main event. While major players are already warming up, recruitment events at the University of Alabama don't officially begin for a few more days. According to UA's Panhellenic Association, recruitment runs from August 9 through 17. If last year's content is anything to go by, it'll be over-the-top, chaotic, and very American.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Bama Rush moms' extreme lengths to get daughters into sororities as they declare 'budget is non-existent'
The moms of Bama Rush and their desperate measures to ensure their daughters get into their dream sorority are front and center of a new 10–part documentary series – and it seems there's no expense they're willing to spare. It's almost rush season at the University of Alabama, and thousands of newcomers will soon be vying for a spot in one of the colleges coveted alliances. Behind them are their mothers, who are sometimes more hellbent at getting their children in than they are. New Lifetime series A Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush! is set to shine a light on the moms who are so eager to make sure their daughters get a spot that there's nothing they won't do. 'If I have to bake cakes and slap her face on the front and deliver them to every single sorority house, I'm doing it,' one declares in the first look trailer while another laughs as she says, 'maybe I need counseling or something.' Parents are known to splash thousands of dollars on Bama Rush to ensure their daughters are decked out with designer goods such as Gucci purses, Dior bags, and Cartier jewelry. 'You've got to pay if you want to play on sorority row,' says one mother. 'A rush budget to me is non–existent,' one mom proudly boasts, while one dad leaps up to grab his check book. 'These parents are willing to drop thousands of dollars on clothes, jewelry, even Rush consultants,' Brandis Bradley, who is known as the Queen of #RushTok, reveals. Each episode of A Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush! will follow two mother–daughter duos as they prepare for Bama Rush, which is the process where sororities recruit new members. Bringing guidance, glam and a lot of honesty to the journey are two breakout names from the world of Rush: New York Times profiled consultant Bill Alverson and The Queen of #RushTok, Brandis. 'With their expertise, they help these families prepare their daughters to make a lasting impression to land a spot in their top–tier house,' the synopsis teases. 'These moms, daughters and even grandmothers and siblings will do anything it takes to help get them accepted into their legacy sororities, making them sisters in every sense.' While viewers will have to wait to see the coaches' invaluable advice, it's clear that social they hold a no–holds–barred approach. 'I am the ultimate authority when it comes to Rush on TikTok,' Brandis says in the trailer. 'If you're going through Rush, you're going to want to get on my radar.' The University of Alabama figures are not for the faint-hearted. For those joining a sorority for the first time a lump payment of $4,750 is charged on average in the fall semester for new member fees, plus another sum the following semester. Living in-house is much more expensive and costs on average $8,400 per semester, which includes room, chapter meal plan, local chapter fees, and inter/national fees, while living out of house costs on average $4,100 per semester. Last year, Daily Mail spoke to former pageant queen Kylan Darnell, who revealed she had spent close to an eye-watering $100,000 to be in an elite sorority at the University of Alabama. 'It is pretty expensive to be in a sorority,' she said, 'but at the end of the day I feel like it's more of a networking experience,. 'And I love that I found my future bridesmaids doing it. I could not imagine what my college experience would have been like without Greek life, it has definitely changed my life for the better.'
News.com.au
5 days ago
- News.com.au
Cops investigated Bryan Kohberger for eerily similar break-in before University of Idaho killings
University of Idaho killer Bryan Kohberger was investigated in connection to an armed, late-night break-in of a home full of college girls in a case that eerily matches details of the quadruple murder he pleaded guilty to last month, according to newly released documents. Police in Pullman – where Kohberger later attended Washington State University (WSU) – investigated him after an October 2021 report that a knife-wielding masked man broke into a house of four sorority sisters at 3.30am and stood over one of their beds, according to documents released by the City of Pullman and reported by The New York Post. A 20-year-old student was startled in the middle of the night when a man in a burgundy ski mask with a knife entering her bedroom, the records showed. The man, seemingly unaware she was awake, was then kicked by the student in the stomach, the documents said. According to the student, the intruder fled without saying a word. Her roommate called police after being informed of the alarming break-in and hearing her scream. The burglary occurred over a year before Kohberger broke into an off-campus University of Idaho house of six co-eds and stabbed three of them and one's boyfriend to death in their beds. After several leads in the Pullman case went cold, police eventually identified Kohberger as a possible suspect on January 10, 2023 – two weeks after he was arrested for the Idaho murders. The case had alarming similarities to the killings, which Kohberger later confessed to. The Idaho murders also occurred in the middle of the night at a home full of college students, and a knife was used to commit the heinous acts. The Pullman intruder also wore a ski mask, which Kohberger supposedly wore during the Idaho murders, the victims' surviving roommate, Dylan Mortensen, previously told police. The incident in Pullman occurred eight months before Kohberger moved to study criminology at WSU, but on the same weekend that the school's Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology hosted an incoming students event. However, the investigation into the Idaho killer was shut down over a week later, after WSU officials said there was no record that Kohberger had attended such events, the documents said. The newly released documents also revealed that Kohberger had emailed back and forth with the Pullman chief of police about a PhD graduate research position. He interviewed for the position in April 2022 and wrote a follow-up email to share his 'excitement' regarding the position. Kohberger is currently housed in a maximum-security prison after being sentenced to four consecutive life terms for the killings of Madison Mogen, 21, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, Kana Kernodle, 20, and Ethan Chapin, 20.
