Moms Are Giving Their Nervous College Daughters Advent Calendars With Gifts For 9 Days Of Sorority Rush — And The Sweet Gesture Is Making Them Cry
Rush week is no joke, but these moms came prepared.
@on_thedaily_with_morgan / TikTok As the start of the school year in the U.S. recommences, “rushing” also returns to making its rounds across many of the country’s college campuses. And if you know anything about this multi-day selection process, you’ll know it’s nerve-wracking.
Because of the time spent on the process, as well as the emotional and physical toll it can take, parents are stepping up and doing something truly sweet for their daughters.
Parents are sending their nervous daughters gifts every day for the nine days of sorority rush.
You may have come across a trend going around where young women, using the hashtags “#BamaRush” and “#RushTok,” are documenting each day of the recruitment process to join Greek life at the University of Alabama.
Back in 2021, this phenomenon centered around “outfit of the day” (OOTD) and “rush bag” videos. However, the initial craze later turned into contention revealing the recruitment journey’s incredibly strict recruitment process, which may explain the mass hysteria surrounding the prospect of getting dropped from sorority houses recruits have grown to love.
To quell some of the nerves, parents are sending surprise gifts to their daughters for each day amidst University of Alabama’s 9-day long sorority rush.
Throughout her rush experience, 18-year-old Caroline Beaudin received a series of surprise goodie bags from her parents labeled with each day of the week during Bama Rush.
On day one — convocation day — Beaudin uploaded a video of herself plucking through the contents of her first gift bag of rush essentials, earning roughly 30,000 likes.
Others have hopped onto the trend while flaunting their colorful hand-picked outfits corresponding to each day of rush.
In another video, Skylar Ehlinger, 18, can be seen dressed in day one’s white two-piece set from South Boutique as she unwraps her first gift from her mother, revealing a packaged bottle of her favorite perfume.
Another online influencer going by the name “Bama” Morgan (@on_thedaily_with_morgan) on TikTok shared her reaction to receiving a bag filled with heartfelt gifts from her mother on convocation day. She captioned her video, “Day one of rush, and an updated rush bag.”
Morgan explained that during move-in day, her parents weren’t able to stick around due to scheduling conflicts. As consolation, her mother gifted her a Vineyard Vines tote bag customized with her daughter’s initials. The kind gesture left Morgan teary-eyed and speechless.
In a previous video on her account, Morgan mentally amped herself up in preparation for Bama Rush. Unlike other content creators who have flashed high-end OOTDs and bangles of expensive jewelry, Morgan believes people should “normalize being broke” while in college.
“You’re in college. It’s expected of you,” she said. “You know what I have to eat? Ramen. You know what I’m sick of eating? Ramen.” Morgan further added, “Not all rush girls have to be rich. I’m not rich. I have ramen, and that’s it.”
According to Morgan, her mother wound up viewing this video and felt her daughter deserved something a little more lavish to take with her to college. In a fit of tears, Morgan said, “So I, um, I got a rush bag, and [my mom] also brought me some rush essentials,” adding, “She saw my video and she really wanted me to have a nice rush bag.”
Preparing for rush week can be an incredibly scary process for anyone when you’ve got to compete against hundreds of other recruits for the chance to get into your dream house. More importantly, dedicating time, money, and effort are all things most college students can’t afford to give up at the expense of their education, and it only adds another layer of stress into the mix.
Thanks to this heartwarming trend, daughters can hopefully find enough solace to make it through this pivotal time, knowing they’re never far from their mothers’ thoughts.
Xiomara Demarchi is a writer and frequent contributor to YourTango’s news and entertainment team based in New York. Keep up with them on Instagram.