Katie May Turner Photographer
In August 2021, the University of Alabama’s #BamaRush took over the internet. Many potential new members (PNMs) recorded videos showing their attire and talking about the week-long recruitment process.
During Baylor’s Spring Recruitment in January 2022, the #BamaRush craze snowballed a few months ago, boosting the popularity of #BaylorRush on TikTok. His hashtag has over 32.4 million views, has grown outside of the Baylor community and has become a viral phenomenon on multiple social media platforms.
#BaylorRush videos on TikTok have received mixed reviews due to their wide range of views and trends. Over the past few years, video creation has provided entertainment not only for those conducting recruitment, but for those watching from virtual onlookers around the world.
Charlotte, North Carolina sophomore Katie Boatwright was part of the success of the 2022 #BaylorRush. She and her friend Sarah Beaute, her sophomore at Cypress, made a video showcasing her outfit before the sisterhood round. When they got home that day, they found that the video had gotten more views than they expected.
“When I got home that day, I saw it blown up. It was a quick one-take video,” Boatwright said. “Everything was hilarious and I thought some of the comments were pretty creative.”
Boatwright’s videos currently have over 4.1 million views, 314,600 likes and 13,200 comments.
Former Baylor Panhellenic External Relations and Engagement Coordinator, Mikayla Olson wasn’t going to miss out on the fun of TikTok as a new graduate. Now with over 110,000 views, she created a series where she ranks chapter themes throughout the week based on her Instagram posts.
“Honestly, I just wanted to make a silly little TikTok because when I was in Baylor, it was all about me talking to my friends all week,” Olson said. “After I graduated, all my friends were scattered, so I would send TikToks and chat about it.”
Due to the virality of these videos, users across social media had mixed opinions. Some were good and some were not.
“I spent $600 on a rush dress for the Southern SEC Culture Rush. Can these girls wear the dress I wore when I was 10 and come inside? said TikTok user @thoughtswgracie. “If I had worn this in Mississippi, the building would have laughed at me.”
Potential Baylor students used this week’s visibility to meet current students and learn more about Baylor.
“They all wear these awful costumes. What’s going on in Waco?”
Others made better comments, pointing out that fashion is about personal style and opinion.
“I don’t understand why TikTok hates all the Baylor RushTok girl outfits. At least they have the original style.” Twitter user @marciac95_ Said.
TikTok user @jessicapeltzman defended many PNM outfits.
“They wear unique things and experiment with fashion,” she said. “These girls are in college, right? They’re still learning about their style.”
With so many different schools recruiting for sororities, why has Baylor become so popular? said.
“Greek life at Baylor is very different compared to other schools, with spring recruitment, no home, strong religious influence, especially Baylor language and fashion trends,” said Olsson. Told.
