On this special episode drop of TCB Bryan introduces Campus Files. An Audacity original podcast that Bryan & Krissy have been listening to. College holds a mythic place in American culture, but behind the polished campus tours and glossy brochures lies a far more complicated reality. Each episode of Campus Files uncovers a new story that rocked a college or university. Consider this your unofficial campus tour. For full episodes, follow Campus Files, an Audacy original podcast, on the free Audacy app or wherever you get your podcasts. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: Why is there a special episode drop for Campus Files?
Hey, all you out there in the podcast universe. You're probably wondering exactly why I'm coming to you on a Monday. Well, there's a good reason why. As I often do, let me break down the fourth wall of the podcast universe. Sometimes podcasts like The Commercial Break will get a request for something called a feed drop.
That's when I take someone else's podcast or a snippet of someone else's show and put it on my own RSS feed, the thing that you're listening to right now. These are very common throughout the industry and nine times out of ten, I say no to these. I know your time is valuable and I don't want to waste it. But a couple times a year, a request will come across my desk and I actually like the podcast.
and I think you might like it too. And today, I've got one of those shows. It's something I've talked about before here on the commercial break. It's a show called Campus Files. For many people, college was some of the best days of their life. But if you pull back the curtain, scratch the surface a little bit, it was much more complicated and sometimes sinister than it appeared.
Chapter 2: What are the themes explored in Campus Files?
Financial fraud and abuse, sports scandals, political unrest and upheaval, admission shenanigans, and downright craziness. It seems like every other week, there's a headline about a scandal at a major university. Each week, Campus Files dives into some of the wildest scandals and stories that have taken place across colleges and universities.
I'll tell you what, Campus Files is definitely sharing some stories that you will not hear on the campus tour. So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to drop in a preview where Campus Files is taking a deep dive into a Greek life drama, more specifically, Bama Rush. And if you know me, I love a good Bama Rush drama. And this one is no joke. This is an Odyssey original podcast.
Chapter 3: What is the Bama Rush drama featured in Campus Files?
You can get it on the free Odyssey app or wherever you're listening to podcasts. Take a listen to this 10 minute preview about Bama Rush, and I'll be back to wrap it up.
Chapter 4: What historical event is associated with the University of Alabama?
I draw the line in the dust and toss the gauntlet before the feet of tyranny, and I say segregation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever.
The University of Alabama is the site of one of the most famous moments in the history of the civil rights era. In 1963, Alabama Governor George Wallace defiantly stood in the doorway of the university auditorium. He was symbolically trying to block Black students from desegregating the university.
As governor and chief magistrate of the state of Alabama, I deem it to be my solemn obligation and duty to stand before you, representing the rights and sovereignty of this state and its people.
Chapter 5: Who is Kennedy and why was she a standout candidate?
Despite George Wallace's attempts, the Black students ultimately enrolled and made history. Fast forward 50 years, and history was set to be made again at the University of Alabama, this time in the sorority system. Because at the start of 2013, during Abby's senior year, there was buzz around campus about a standout candidate for sorority recruitment. Her name was Kennedy, and she was black.
Abby says that Kennedy had everything sororities at Alabama typically looked for. A 4.3 GPA, salutatorian of her high school class, and her grandfather was a prominent Alabama judge who even served on the university board of trustees.
Everyone was like, this girl, she is well-connected. She has these great grades. People in Tuscaloosa love her. She has a bunch of friends in the sorority community.
The student paper, The Crimson White, was gearing up to write a story about Kennedy's acceptance.
Chapter 6: What happened during the sorority recruitment process?
It was expected to be this like celebratory story. Everyone was like, this is going to be a big deal. She's going to be the girl that changes things.
The Crimson White even had a photographer ready to capture the moment on bid day, the day when sororities extend invitations or bids to freshmen. Bid day is a big deal.
All the families come out and everyone's cheering for the girls that are running to each house and boys and fraternities are handing them flowers. It's a community, social thing to be celebrated.
But bid day 2013 didn't bring the anticipated celebration. Because Kennedy didn't get a bid from a single one of the 16 sororities.
Everyone was just really surprised, and people were whispering, like, wow, something definitely happened.
Abby had since dropped out of her sorority, Alpha Gamma Delta, so she wasn't in the loop about what had happened. She started reaching out to a few old sorority sisters, but no one was willing to talk to the paper. Then, she remembered a girl in the sorority named Melanie.
She was one of the few out-of-state girls in our pledge class. She was from Texas. You don't think of Bastion of liberal ideas, Texas, but she grew up in a city. And so she came not caring about the social do's and don'ts or the proper etiquette stuff. And I was like, well, if there was someone in that house who had something to say about it, it would have probably been her.
Abby was right. Melanie was willing to talk. And she shared everything that had gone down in Alpha Gamma Delta. She said the first round of rush had gone as usual. Two days of nonstop conversations with freshmen. But then things got strange. The Alpha Gamma sisters were supposed to vote on which freshmen to invite back for the next round.
But that's when they heard from their alumni that there would be no vote. The alumni had already decided who would be invited back. As odd as it may seem, it's not unusual for sorority alumni, often middle-aged women, to have a say in which girls get bids. But in this case, the alumni had decided to eliminate Kennedy without the usual discussion and input from the current sorority members.
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