“Wisconsin is coming in hot!” wrote one fan below the latest Alpha Phi recruitment video, which sees the sorority chapter performing a flawless rendition of Jennifer López’s Jenny from the Block in their pajamas.
The video has gone viral on TikTok, with more than 1.5 million views, and it has been shared on other platforms like X thousands of times, where one repost in particular has more than 4.1 million views.
Two girls start by performing perfect cartwheels in front of their fraternal house in Madison, Wisconsin, followed by an ensemble of 5 dancers who replicate J-Lo’s famous choreography while being cheered on by the rest of the sorority in the background.
“Only a few more sleeps until we meet you, PC ‘24!” the clip’s caption reads, inviting new members to become part of this year’s “pledge class.”
Wisconsin’s Alpha Phi sorority went viral on TikTok and X for perfectly replicating Jennifer López’s Jenny from the Block dance routine in a recruitment video
The dancing routine was uploaded on August 29, 2024, just a few days before the registration phase for the recruitment process to become part of Alpha Phi and other similar fraternities closed on August 31.
The first stage of the recruitment process, known as “rush,” has every interested girl go through every organization, making each of them put their best foot forward to get ahead of other chapters.
A simple search on TikTok of the term “PC’24” will fill the feed with hundreds of elaborate videos of sororities dancing to their own versions of Jenny from the Block while dressing up in different thematic outfits.
Tennessee’s Kappa Delta, for example, posted a clip of their members in bright pink skirts, and it has amassed more than 2.8 million views.
Another video, this time by the University of Georgia’s Kappa Epsilon chapter, also had their girls in pajamas, some even wearing hair rollers, dancing to J-Lo’s tune and garnering an impressive 10.4 million views.
One of the most popular clips by Alpha Omicron, with 4.8 million views, decided to try something different, and it had its members wearing sports shirts while doing a cheerleading routine with AC/DC’s Thunderstruck as background music.
Oklahoma’s Chi Omega also used AC/DC’s hit and performed a similar number while wearing their university’s colors, white and bright green.
As the recruiting period or “rush” started, all of the 26 sororities uploaded their own dancing numbers, with many attracting millions of views due to the elaborate performances
Alpha Phi belongs to the National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), an umbrella organization for 26 national and international women’s sororities throughout the United States and Canada.
Other organizations include the Interfraternity Council (IFC), which governs male fraternities; the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC), which oversees ethnically diverse fraternities of all genders; and the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which focuses on African American fraternities and sororities
This is how our country should greet foreign dignitaries when they arrive at the airport https://t.co/TOiV2W7yns
— Wonka Bourdain (@premiles_) September 1, 2024
Girls interested in becoming part of a sorority go through a selection process consisting of four rounds. In the first one, they have to visit every single one of the PHA chapters, narrowing their selection on further rounds until both the sorority and the recruit select each other.
The rest of the stages are Philanthropy Days, where recruits partake in charity work; Sisterhood Days, where they learn about each sorority’s culture; Preference Night, where they return to the two organizations they feel most connected to; and finally, Bid Day, when they are invited to join a specific sorority.
The popularity of the trend caused the videos to go viral in foreign countries as well, particularly among users in Latin America, who reminisced about classic high school and university movies
As more and more videos of the trend went viral on social media, an interesting phenomenon occurred. Users, particularly girls, from other countries were captivated by the idyllic university life shown in those dancing numbers, with many wishing they could be part of the experience.
“This is the dream of every girl from Latin America!” wrote one user below one of Alabama Alpha Phi’s performances.
“They live in a movie. I love this!” said another. “I want to play the bad girl!”
Some viewers compared the dancing numbers to famous productions from the early 2000s, like High School Musical and the American Pie series.
“I can’t believe it. The movies were true all along!” one Latin American viewer said.
“Thank you, algorithm, but this is not available in Latam,” joked another.
Others left more bittersweet comments, lamenting that they weren’t able to experience being a member of a sorority while celebrating the wholesome spirit the girls showcased in their performances.
Netizens have labeled the phenomenon as “rushtok,” with new editions happening every year from the end of August until the start of September
“Rushtok is back!” celebrated one user, as the yearly trend filled their feed with hundreds of elaborate choreographies from girls all over the US and Canada.
“There isn’t a single drop of Melatonin in that whole sorority,” joked one user on X, referencing the pajama outfits worn by Alpha Phi.
“Awesome work, ladies!” This is the best one I’ve seen!” wrote one of their fans.
“The choreographer deserves some credit. You nailed it!” pointed out another.
“I think I watched this 20 times,” said one viewer. “I keep coming back!”
The fall 2024 season of recruitment is expected to last until September 9, 2024.
“Ladies on fire!” wrote one viewer, as others enjoyed reviving Jennifer López classic through their dance numbers
