By Eurie Choi, '10, Alpha Gamma Delta
Four not-so-short years ago I was a senior in high school and knew that I was going to Lehigh University in the fall. Being clueless about the Greek system in general, I didn’t know what to tell all of the people who congratulated me and then asked me if I was going to join a sorority at Lehigh. I had no idea what a sorority was beyond the stereotypical movie-esque Greek house, let alone if I wanted to join one. So I let it stew in the back of my mind and came to Lehigh in the fall. Amidst the freshmen orientation and new friend making frenzy we were all in, I began noticing the Greek letters and advertised events for something called “sorority recruitment” (a term which I know well now, but had no idea of back then). Right before the deadline, I decided to sign up for recruitment, went through the blurry five days of endless small talk and conversations, and found myself with a bid to Alpha Gamma Delta.
I could not have asked for a better thing to happen to me. Being a part of Alpha Gam has been an incredibly rewarding and stimulating experience for me. It got me involved in so many ways across campus from joining different organizations to meeting a plethora of people – and, especially, making some of the best friends I’ve ever had. The women I met in Alpha Gam have been there for me through thick and thin and, with my graduation date approaching faster and faster and my nerves flying along with it, I know for certain that even though my Lehigh career is ending, at least these friendships will be long-lasting. They have truly helped to make my Greek and Lehigh experiences remarkable and truly life-changing.
However, joining Alpha Gam is only half of what has made my Lehigh Greek experience what it was. At the beginning of my junior year I applied to be on the Panhellenic Council and served as a chair to the board. This was the first time in my sorority career that I got to step out of my own chapter and act as a voice for the entire sorority community here at Lehigh. I had friends in other sororities, but this was the first time that I worked with women with different Greek letters and saw them beyond their letters. It was an eye-opening experience that allowed me to truly see the Lehigh Greek Community as a whole community instead of thirty or so individual chapters.
I won’t lie – the Greek pride in me swelled a bit at this point and with my growing appreciation for the Greeks on our campus and what we are all capable of doing here, I ran for and got elected to the Panhellenic Council for my senior year. This past year has been, by far, the most rewarding with friendships, accomplishments, and a general pride for our Greek Community. I truly believe that our Panhellenic Council along with IFC and MGC have made great efforts and strides in uniting our Greek community and showing Lehigh what we’re capable of accomplishing when we all work together. I’m incredibly excited to come back and visit in the coming years to see the progress that I know the community will be making.
So I’m still not entirely sure what convinced me to join a sorority back when I was a freshman. It might have been my hall mates. Or perhaps the great advertising of Panhel. Or maybe it was all of those people back home who asked me about it in high school. But whatever the reason was, I am incredibly thankful that I did because joining Alpha Gam and thus becoming a member of the Lehigh Greek Community was by far one of the greatest decisions of my life.
I could not have asked for a better thing to happen to me. Being a part of Alpha Gam has been an incredibly rewarding and stimulating experience for me. It got me involved in so many ways across campus from joining different organizations to meeting a plethora of people – and, especially, making some of the best friends I’ve ever had. The women I met in Alpha Gam have been there for me through thick and thin and, with my graduation date approaching faster and faster and my nerves flying along with it, I know for certain that even though my Lehigh career is ending, at least these friendships will be long-lasting. They have truly helped to make my Greek and Lehigh experiences remarkable and truly life-changing.
However, joining Alpha Gam is only half of what has made my Lehigh Greek experience what it was. At the beginning of my junior year I applied to be on the Panhellenic Council and served as a chair to the board. This was the first time in my sorority career that I got to step out of my own chapter and act as a voice for the entire sorority community here at Lehigh. I had friends in other sororities, but this was the first time that I worked with women with different Greek letters and saw them beyond their letters. It was an eye-opening experience that allowed me to truly see the Lehigh Greek Community as a whole community instead of thirty or so individual chapters.
I won’t lie – the Greek pride in me swelled a bit at this point and with my growing appreciation for the Greeks on our campus and what we are all capable of doing here, I ran for and got elected to the Panhellenic Council for my senior year. This past year has been, by far, the most rewarding with friendships, accomplishments, and a general pride for our Greek Community. I truly believe that our Panhellenic Council along with IFC and MGC have made great efforts and strides in uniting our Greek community and showing Lehigh what we’re capable of accomplishing when we all work together. I’m incredibly excited to come back and visit in the coming years to see the progress that I know the community will be making.
So I’m still not entirely sure what convinced me to join a sorority back when I was a freshman. It might have been my hall mates. Or perhaps the great advertising of Panhel. Or maybe it was all of those people back home who asked me about it in high school. But whatever the reason was, I am incredibly thankful that I did because joining Alpha Gam and thus becoming a member of the Lehigh Greek Community was by far one of the greatest decisions of my life.