Behind the Scenes of Bama Rush

Summary

Behind the Scenes of Bama Rush

Kennedy Saves the World
Host: Kennedy
Guest: Morgan Cadenhead
Release Date: August 14, 2025

Introduction

In this compelling episode of Kennedy Saves the World, Kennedy delves into the intricate world of sorority rush at the University of Alabama (commonly referred to as Bama). Joining him is Morgan Cadenhead, affectionately known as "Bama Morgan" on TikTok, who has become a notable figure through her docu-series, A Sorority Mom's Guide to Rush. Morgan shares her personal experiences, challenges, and insights into the competitive and often tumultuous process of sorority recruitment.

The Greek Life Landscape at Alabama

Kennedy opens the discussion by highlighting the prevalence of Greek life at the University of Alabama, noting that 36% of undergraduates are part of sororities or fraternities.

Kennedy [01:25]: "Greek life is a big part of matriculation at Alabama, and 36% of undergrads are in sororities or fraternities."

Morgan expresses her surprise at this statistic, emphasizing her unique position as the first in her family to attend university and only the second female in her family to pursue higher education.

Morgan [01:41]: "I'm the first person in my family to go to a university, and I'm like the second person female to ever go to college in my family."

Morgan's Rush Journey

Morgan recounts her initial foray into sorority rush during her freshman year, a period marked by uncertainty and a lack of resources.

Morgan [02:15]: "I did not have any [sorority resources]. I didn't even buy a new dress for Rush the first year that I did it. So I really was balling on a budget the first year."

Despite her efforts, Morgan did not receive any bids, a blow that left her devastated.

Morgan [02:31]: "I was crushed... at the very last minute, I was dropped on the last day. The first time that I rushed, and that was really hard for me because I had already built it up in my head."

The Rise of Bama Morgan

Morgan's journey took an unexpected turn when she gained prominence on TikTok, thanks in large part to Brandice Bradley's support. Her relatable content about rush resonated with many, skyrocketing her to fame and leading to her feature in the docu-series.

Morgan [04:21]: "Brandice Bradley, she gave me a ton of shout outs my first year. She really is the reason that I am where I am today."

However, her second attempt at rush was markedly different. Without her usual social media engagement and operating on a tighter budget, Morgan faced new challenges.

Morgan [04:50]: "The second year I did not post on social media like I did the first. I really feel like that is a huge contributing factor to why I was dropped."

Financial and Social Challenges

The financial burden of sorority life becomes a focal point of the discussion. Morgan details the exorbitant dues required to maintain membership, citing $10,000 per semester as a significant barrier.

Morgan [06:24]: "The problem is the dues once you do get in, because dues are like 10k. You pay that a semester for a house, and that's a lot."

Kennedy echoes these sentiments, highlighting the systemic issues tied to the cost and exclusivity of Greek life.

Kennedy [06:37]: "College is already expensive enough. I mean, if that is your room and board, that's great."

Additionally, Morgan shares personal anecdotes of hostility within the sorority community, including vandalism of her scooter, underscoring the toxic environment she faced.

Morgan [09:40]: "They really don't like me... they egged it and smeared dog crap on it."

The Role of Social Media

A significant portion of the conversation centers around the impact of social media on sorority rush. Morgan clarifies a common misconception about TikTok monetization, revealing that her earnings are insufficient to cover her expenses.

Morgan [08:29]: "I make about a dollar for every thousand views I get. That's pretty much it."

Kennedy and Morgan discuss the disparity between the perception of social media fame and the reality of its financial benefits, emphasizing that only a select few achieve substantial earnings through brand deals.

Comparative Rush Processes Across Institutions

Morgan provides a broader perspective by comparing the rush processes at different universities. She notes that while over 3,000 girls rushed at Alabama this year, other schools like Ivy League institutions or Auburn may have significantly fewer participants, making the competition different.

Morgan [14:14]: "Almost 3,000 girls rushed this year. And at another school, it's probably like five."

This comparison highlights the regional and institutional variations in Greek life dynamics, showcasing how the intense competition at Bama differs from other settings.

Personal Reflections and Future Plans

As the episode nears its conclusion, Morgan reflects on her experiences and the personal toll they have taken. She confirms that she will not be pursuing rush a third time, citing ongoing unpopularity and negative experiences within the sorority houses.

Morgan [09:32]: "No, no. I'm convinced you wouldn't find my body if I rushed a third time."

Looking ahead, Morgan shares her academic progress, mentioning her upcoming graduation in December after dual enrolling in high school to minimize student debt.

Morgan [15:19]: "I actually only have. I graduate in December."

Kennedy commends Morgan for her resilience and encourages her to continue on her chosen path, free from the constraints of the sorority system.

Kennedy [16:10]: "If you're not part of their little club, who cares... Find really cool, fun, interesting people, focus on school, be rabble rousers, be into music and all that stuff and have a way better time."

Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Kennedy praising Morgan's authenticity and courage in challenging the status quo of Greek life. He underscores the importance of forging one's own path and finding genuine community over adhering to societal expectations.

Kennedy [16:56]: "What a breath of fresh air you are, Morgan."

Morgan reciprocates the appreciation, emphasizing the value of honesty and self-advocacy in her journey.

Morgan [17:04]: "Thank you so much for having me."

Key Takeaways

• Greek Life Prevalence: Nearly one-third of undergraduate students at the University of Alabama participate in Greek life, highlighting its significance on campus.

• Financial Barriers: The high cost of sorority dues presents a substantial obstacle, limiting access and perpetuating exclusivity within Greek communities.

• Social Media Influence: While platforms like TikTok can amplify one's presence, they do not necessarily translate to financial stability, and reliance on social media can impact personal experiences and outcomes.

• Personal Resilience: Morgan's journey underscores the importance of perseverance and self-acceptance, advocating for alternative paths to community and success beyond traditional Greek systems.

• Institutional Variations: The rush process and Greek life dynamics vary significantly across different universities, influenced by regional culture and institutional priorities.

This episode offers a candid and insightful exploration of the complexities surrounding sorority rush at a major university, presenting both the allure and the challenges inherent in Greek life.

Transcript

[Morgan Cadenhead]

Foreign.

[Kennedy]

Hello, and welcome to this episode of Kennedy Saves the World. So all anyone can talk about is Alabama Rush. All those sorority girls and their Gucci bags and their swag and their monetization and their nil money. If they're making that, I know. They're making so much money off of tick tock and rush talk. And it's, you know, for some people, it is the ultimate aspiration in collegiate life. For others like me, I tried to rush when I was 31 and seven months pregnant, and I was not successful at UCLA. That's okay. Greek life is not for everyone. But there is a dark side to all of this, as you can imagine. Morgan Cadenhead joins me now, AKA Bama Morgan. She has become famous for her Greek pursuits at Alabama because she. She did not make it into a sorority two years in a row. She's part of a sorority mom's guide to rush, and that is a docu series that has catapulted her in a totally different kind of fame. Morgan, welcome to Kennedy Saves the World.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here.

[Kennedy]

So obviously, the Greek system, Greek life is a big part of matriculation at Alabama, and 36% of undergrads are in sororities or fraternities. What did you first think going into Rush your freshman year?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

Well, first of all, I'm surprised it's only 36%. I feel like it's higher than that. But I'm the first person in my family to go to a university, and I'm like the second person female to ever go to college in my family. So I was really like a fish out of water the first year I did. I watched the HBO Bama Rush documentary, and that was everything that I had to prepare me. That was all I knew going into it.

[Kennedy]

And did you have fancy clothes? Did you have a sorority coach? Did you have all those things the first year?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

No, I did not have any of that. I didn't even buy. I purchased one new dress for Rush the first year that I did it. So I really was balling on a budget the first year.

[Kennedy]

Okay, and. And it. You were not successful. You did not get any bids. How did that feel?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

I was so. I was crushed. Such a long process. It's like 10 days at Bama and you. You're doing this every day. You're waking up and you're like, okay, I'm going to be a part of the sisterhood. I'm going to get in. I'm going to do this. And then at the very last minute, I was dropped on the last day. The first time that I rushed, and that was really hard for me because I had already built it up in my head. And they were also late to call me. So I thought. I got in and I got ready and I was like, I get it. We're gonna. We're running home somewhere. But obviously not. It was really hard for me.

[Kennedy]

So that is heartbreaking. Did you think about transferring? Because I've. I've read about other young women who. Who don't get into the sorority of their choice or don't get into any sorority, and they just. Some of them just up and leave. Did that occur to you? Was it. Is it that important there?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

For me, personally, I'm fine where I'm at now. I find I found, like a community that I really love on campus. Transferring never occurred to me, even after things got really hard after my second rush. Like, the. The general consensus on campus was that I was not liked. I had, you know, I feared for my personal safety at some time.

[Kennedy]

Why do you think. Why do you think they didn't like you the second time around? What happened?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

I think they were upset. And my. My dad said this, and it really made me think. They were upset that the first year I rushed, it was kind of like the kid that rocks up to class and didn't do their homework and still aces the test. Like TikTok blew up. A lot of people were talking about me. And then the second year I rushed, that was kind of the same deal. So a lot of people kind of were upset about that, I think because I had a really hard time on campus after rushing, which was not what happened the first year.

[Kennedy]

How. How did you blow up so much on TikTok the first time around?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

Brandice Bradley, she gave me a ton of shout outs my first year. She really is the reason that I am where I am today. I have her to thank for everything. She also got me onto the show a Sortie Mom's Guide to Rush. And Fee just. He really liked my story. She really liked my. My relatable Rush videos. And she kept on talking about me throughout the week. And she has like half a million followers, so.

[Kennedy]

Oh, that's. That's amazing. So you get all this attention. What did you do differently the second year?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

The second year I did not post on social media like I did the first. I really feel like that is a huge contributing factor to why I was dropped. Um, the second year I also shelled out completely. We bought the dresses. Um, I had a rush coach the second year. His name is Bill Alverson. He's technically a pageant coach.

[Kennedy]

There's a lot of crossover killing. Who is a Zeta at Bama, who is, you know, has a million and a half tick tock followers. Yeah, she. She's a pageant girl. She was Ms. Teen USA Ohio, and she used a lot of her pageant gear in order to rush and get into her house. So that's not rushing this big crossover. Yeah, I. I saw that. So Killen is a senior. Her sister is a freshman. And, you know, obviously her sister's gonna sail through and probably amass even more followers.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

Probably. Yeah.

[Kennedy]

So you did it. You did all that. You got. You got the fancy stuff, you got the dresses, you got the coach. What went wrong.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

I feel like it was just a bad first impression. You can't ever really recover from a bad first impression, honestly. Um, and I think that was just really what did me in. That combined with a semi low GPA probably was the nail in the coffin. But I just think it was a large. That was a huge contributing factor.

[Kennedy]

Yeah, but some of those houses, they're not really into grades.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

Come on.

[Kennedy]

It's just a social tool. I mean, it's very easy to make fun of the whole process when you're disconnected from it. Yes. You know, I look at that and I'm like, okay, so it's a bunch of pretty rich girls just advertising how. How much prettier and richer they are than you.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

I think, you know, they're The. The richness aspect of it, I feel like, is not what it once was. I will say that a lot of girls do it low budget. There. There's places where you can rent clothes now in rent bags and accessories. Um, you can totally do it on a budget. I don't want that to be like the general consensus, because I do feel like a lot of the girls could do it. The problem is the dues once you do get in, because dues are like 10k. You pay that a semester for a house, and that's a lot.

[Kennedy]

College is already expensive enough. I mean, that's. If. If that is your room and board, that's great.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

I think that's in house.

[Kennedy]

A daughter who's. Who's going into her junior year, she. Before she got to school, she's at a pretty big school in the Midwest. Before she got there, she. She wanted to rush. And then she got there and she was like, oh, this is stupid. They want to know everything about my life. And it's really expensive. And, you know, she was already on a meal plan and already in a dorm. And I'm like, I was fine with that.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

Yeah, it is really expensive. And that's what kills a lot of girls. I mean, just this week I think I saw where three girls that I personally rushed with dropped their stories because they just couldn't pay to play anymore. I mean, it's. They would. They do events every week and imagine having to buy a new outfit for that event every week and you're dropping like 2, 300 bucks on outfits and it's just hard to keep up sometimes.

[Kennedy]

Yeah, I mean, you. You have to. You have to be a Nepo baby or a trust fund baby or have parents who. Or really good kids don't care about money at all. Yeah, but that was the other thing. Is, is it not everyone is going to be a giant TikTok star. Now, with your increased profile from the videos that you posted your first year and being on the show, are you able to put yourself through school by monetizing your social media?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

Absolutely not. The. The general, I will say this is a huge misconception about TikTok and being paid in order to make a living or like, for me personally, I have student loans and stuff. Like, I still struggle semesterly with finances. I make about a dollar for every thousand views I get. That's pretty much it. So I will make more in August, which is obviously rush month. And with the show coming out, I will probably make more, but it's still not enough to bring me out of the deficit I'm in the rest of the year, if that makes sense. It costs money to make videos. It costs money to buy the outfits for the outfit of days, the makeup for that. Get ready with me. Like, it all costs a lot of money, only bigger. Tiktokers with like millions of followers, followers can really say they make a ton of money. And the only time you really make massive amounts of money is when you do brand deals, which I don't do a ton of.

[Kennedy]

Oh, but you've got some. That's kind of cool. So in terms of rushing this year, are you going to rush for a third time?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

No, no. I'm convinced you wouldn't find my body if I rushed a third time. So unfortunately, no.

[Kennedy]

Why is that?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

They really don't like me.

[Kennedy]

The girls in the house makes me dislike them. I can't stand this mean girl bull.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

The girls within the houses really don't like me. I'm not very popular. They found my scooter last semester and they egged it and smeared dog crap on it and like spray painted it. It was really bad. So they really don't like me.

[Kennedy]

I will say, wow, so you've got like Zeta Beta. I don't know if I can say that word.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

They really did.

[Kennedy]

What a bunch of superficial, miserable witches. Don't go anywhere. More Kennedy saves the World right after this.

[C]

This is Jason Chaffetz from the Jason in the House podcast. Join me every Monday to dive deeper into the latest political headlines and chat with remarkable guests. Listen and follow [e-mail] or wherever you download podcasts.

[Kennedy]

That bums me out so badly. It's like who cares if you weren't part of their little club? Who cares if you found your own pack and you're running around having a great time with like minded people. That's what you should be doing in college. That's what everybody should be doing. And if your, your little pack is anorexic blondes, the greats. Have at it. Have fun. You, you have peaked in life. It's all downhill, it's all going to suck and you're going to be miserable. Or you could find really cool, fun, interesting people, focus on school, be rabble rousers, be into music and all that stuff and have a way better time. I think that you have picked the better course. Yeah. That is, you know, more sustainable for much longer into your life.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

The problem now is I run my mouth too much to be in a sorority. That's kind of the running issue right now.

[Kennedy]

You should work in cable news. It's very lucrative.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

I, I run my mouth. I recently did like a little series talking about what brush is really like. I like, look, it's not fun, it's hard, it's hot. You're going to probably faint a couple times. Like you, it's really not enjoyable. And I would be beside myself if I sat on this app and I pretended like it was amazing. It was magical and they really didn't love that. That was really kind of the beginning of the end.

[Kennedy]

So okay, so you say that and is there drinking? Is there a lot of, you know, for people on the outside and what is it really like on the inside?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

I will say bar hopping is pretty popular during game day season. There's quite a few popular bar. Like any college kids when you give a bunch of 20 year olds unfittered access to alcohol what it is, I wouldn't say that it's any more so than another school like Auburn or Ole Miss or something like that.

[Kennedy]

Oh, yeah, no, the big SEC schools are. They're, you know, they're dtp. They're down to party.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

Yeah.

[Kennedy]

So I. I have visited my daughter the last couple years at mom's weekend at her school, and the moms were wild. Like, I was tame by comparison, and I thought that I was going to be the troublemaker, and I was tame. Is mom's weekend wild at Alabama Mom's weekend?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

I wouldn't see wild per se, but there are some that are a little bit crazy. Similarly, when I was on the show, I was worried that my mom was going to look crazy. And then I saw other moms, and I was like, well, my mom wants. Wanted me to be in a story, but she wasn't, like, forcing me to rush, so.

[Kennedy]

I agree. But are there crazy? So in the show, do you. Are the moms crazier than the actual college students?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

I will say I don't want to call anybody Chris's name, but they are. They're very. A lot of them have deep family ties to sorority, so it's worth a lot for them for their kids to hear.

[Kennedy]

So they are living vicariously through their daughters.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

Yes. I think a good way to put it, yes. My mom's not personally like that. She was kind of scared at the end of the second rush. She was kind of like, let's not do this again. But it's really interesting to see the differences between the moms and. And, like, what I've got and then what the other girls have got and, like, how. And I also think it's really interesting to see how Rush works at the other schools. That's one thing I really like about the show. They're. They went to all ton, like, a ton of schools across the country. And it's just so crazy to me how different Rush is at Bama versus at, like, Ole Miss or Auburn or somewhere else.

[Kennedy]

How is it different?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

It's not as big of a deal at some schools. Like, at an Ivy League, I think they went to. They went to an Ivy League. I don't remember which one. And it wasn't huge. Like, it wasn't a big deal. Not as many girls rushed. It's not as competitive. It's not as competitive as at other schools as it is at Bama. Almost 3, 000 girls rushed this year. And at another school, it's probably like five.

[Kennedy]

How many. How many spots are everywhere? Three, 500 spots.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

500. No, 500 girls probably rushed in another school. But as far as.

[Kennedy]

But how many. How many actually make it. Of the 3,000, how many actually get into a sorority?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

I would say most of them do get in. Now, I don't know about this year. There was a huge influx of girls this year, but in the packed about 20, about a hundred people would probably not make it in or drop for a variety of reasons. Okay, so it's not.

[Kennedy]

You are not alone.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

Horrible. It's not. I'm not alone, but it's not a lot. There's a really good chance that you could get in.

[Kennedy]

All right, well, are you going to finish your. Your last two years of school at Alabama?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

I actually only have. I graduate in December.

[Kennedy]

Oh, good for you. That's great. You're almost done.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

Yeah, I dual enrolled in high school so I graduated with my two year degree and I was only at Bama for two and a half years. Technically.

[Kennedy]

That's a good. That's what a way to do it. Because that way you get to launch into your career. You have way less debt than the average person. Are you from Alabama? Are you paying in state tuition?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

I have a scholarship with Alabama, but I am from Florida technically. All right. Which I mean is good because my AA degree was free.

[Kennedy]

So that's awesome. Then you got, you got two years out of the way. I think that's fantastic. Now you have a raised profile. You. You can give the official reality check and warning to people who get wrapped up into a system that might chew them up and spit them out and make them very, very sad needlessly.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

Yeah, you, you'll do it. You'll be. If you don't get in, it's not the end of the world. There's other chances and there's other places for you to go.

[Kennedy]

Absolutely right. Like the bars on game day. Well, enjoy the rest of your time at Bama. I kind of hope you have a great football season. But no one, people who didn't go to University of Alabama, they don't like Alabama football at all are going to suck this year. So it's not like I'm like, oh yeah, well we'll fight you for the championship. That's not going to happen. But I do hope you have a great time. I know you can roll Tide. You can have a great time. I'm so happy to get to talk to you. I'm so proud of you for forging your own path and making people really, really mad where they strive for this phony baloney. Perfection. What a breath of fresh air you are, Morgan.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

Thank you. I appreciate it.

[Kennedy]

You can find her. Bama Morgan on Tick tock correct?

[Morgan Cadenhead]

Yes.

[Kennedy]

That's awesome. I'm going to go watch all your videos. Thank you so much Morgan Kaden Head.

[Morgan Cadenhead]

I really do appreciate it. Thank you so much for having me.

[Kennedy]

Yes. I can't wait to watch the show. This has been Kennedy Saves the World along with Morgan. I'm Kennedy Listen ad free with a Fox News Podcast plus subscription on Apple Podcasts and Amazon Prime. Members can listen to this show ad free on the Amazon Music app. Oh go ahead and leave me a review while you're there. I'd love to hear what you have to say. You've been listening to Kennedy Saves the World on the Fox News Podcast Network.

[C]

Listen to the all new Brett Bear podcast featuring common ground in depth talks with lawmakers from opposite sides of the aisle along with all your Brett Bear favorites like his all star panel and much more. Available [e-mail] or wherever you get your podcasts.