Feature Friday: Maggie Bristol

Check out Alpha Gamma Delta's Maggie Bristol discuss her involvement in the CSO, OFYE and AGD!

I have had such amazing experiences on this campus in the past three years and they are mostly thanks to three things: the Community Service Office, the Office of First Year Experience, and Alpha Gamma Delta. I have learned so much in my time as an Orientation Leader this past year as well as a student coordinator at the CSO for three years. The skills that I have learned can directly translate to contributing to a Greek chapter here at Lehigh.

Before classes even started my freshman year, I was involved in the CSO programming through PreLUsion. It then led to me getting my job as a student coordinator. I have learned so much about leadership and communication through this role, as my job is to recruit volunteers and run my own programs. Through the CSO I was also given the opportunity to welcome new students to campus as a PreLUsion leader my sophomore year. My passion for community, service, and philanthropy led me to become my chapter’s philanthropy chair my sophomore year. The skills I learned and the passion I had gained from my time at the CSO drove me to bring that same passion to the new programs that I created for my chapter’s new philanthropic goals.

Being an Orientation Leader was something I always wanted to do with my time here at Lehigh, and it did not disappoint! I met so many incredible people during Orientation, and the community that is created by the OFYE is without a doubt one of the most amazing parts of this campus. We all learned to welcome the first year students to campus with open arms, and absurd amounts of knowledge about resources at Lehigh. I learned to really lead through the OFYE. The best thing that I brought back to my chapter after being an Orientation leader was probably the new found friendships and all of the different activities that I discovered on campus because of them. There are Orientation Leaders all over our campus, and in many greek chapters, that are willing to kindly welcome new members to any club, organization, or activity! Out of everything I have done here at Lehigh, applying to be on the OFYE Staff was one of the best decisions I ever made!

The different activities that you are involved in on campus can have huge influences on how you contribute to your Greek chapter. I would definitely recommend getting involved in activities through the CSO or the OFYE because they can develop valuable skills that you can bring back to your chapter to make it a better place!

Feature Friday: Gordon Gorab, Chi Phi

This week, Gryphon Gordon Gorab of Chi Phi gives us insight into his Lehigh experience...


For me, Lehigh has always been about the people. Each person I meet, from professors to friendly passersby, has contributed something to my experience. I have had the fortune to grow and develop my connections at Lehigh through many avenues. Two avenues that have been particularly impactful are my involvement in Chi Phi as well as The Gryphon Society.

Gryphons are everywhere. They are club presidents, TRAC fellows, athletes, and more than you may imagine, members of Greek organizations! Gryphons mentor and lead students while advocating for their best interests and helping facilitate community building.

Being both a member of a Greek organization and a gryphon has opened me up to people and perspectives on campus to which I may have otherwise never been exposed. The Office of Residence Life staff is incredibly diverse in terms of backgrounds, interests, and outlooks on our campus community. Nearly two weeks of training on everything from crisis response to bLUeprint foundations, with much time for small group discussion, has allowed me to connect with individuals whose slants on student life varied from my own. They’re great friends, co-workers, and friendly faces.

The gryphon role has instilled in me both skills and viewpoints that are transferable to Chi Phi and the Greek community as a whole. Aspects of inclusive leadership and identity development, in particular, are embedded deep into a gryphon’s role. These values are pivotal to greek life as well as campus unity, to improve chapter function as well as the integration of fraternities and sororities into the broader Lehigh community.

Identity at Lehigh is too often defined by Greek affiliation or lack thereof. My transition from life in Greek housing to the CHOICE community may seem drastic, but it has shown me that the many pockets of our community are more similar than they are different. From what I have seen, Lehigh students want nothing more than to make the most of their time here and see personal and communal success. It is my hope that as Greek-affiliated students, we can leverage our diverse “Lehigh experience” around campus to improve campus climate, the wellbeing of our chapters, and expand our definition of “communal success” to include the entire Lehigh community.

I would strongly recommend anyone interested in the gryphon position consider applying. The application is live on LINC through 11/18/18!