Name: Crystal Flores ’26
Major: Civil Engineering
Hometown: Southside Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Object: Dink (brown bucket hat worn by Marching 97 members)
Meaning Behind the Object:
Crystal Flores ’26 has adorned her brown bucket hat, known as a “dink,” with dozens of pins and plushies that represent the family she gained at Lehigh as a tenor saxophonist in the Marching 97 band. A commuter student who grew up in Southside Bethlehem and attended Donegan Elementary School and Broughal Middle School, Flores said she found community through the friends she made in the band. Each pin reminds her of those friends and the memories they share.
“[The pins] are all really sentimental to me and have a purpose,” Flores said. “I think it’d be nice that in 50 years when I come back for alumni band day, I can say, ‘This is exactly how [the hat] was senior year.’”
Crystal Flores ’26, a civil engineering major from Southside Bethlehem, remembers when she joined Lehigh’s Marching 97 as a first-year student and received a brown bucket hat, known as a “dink,” that band members wear when they’re participating in optional “flame” performances. Back then, she only had one pin—the Marching 97 pin—and her name tag.
Now, as she marches forward into her future as a staff engineer on the geotechnical team at Schnabel Engineering, she cherishes the hat that’s filled with dozens of pins and plushies she’s collected over the years as a tenor saxophonist in the band, each reminding her of the friends she’s made and memories they share.
The hat represents the family she gained at Lehigh through the Marching 97. A commuter student who grew up in Southside Bethlehem and attended Donegan Elementary School and Broughal Middle School, Flores said she found community through the friends she made in the band.
“[The pins] are all really sentimental to me and have a purpose,” Flores said. “I think it’d be nice that in 50 years when I come back for alumni band day, I can say, ‘This is exactly how [the hat] was senior year.’”
“Always ask the question you have. We’re here to learn, so make sure you ask your questions. Even if they’re silly, goofy ones—ask them. That’s how you make friends, and it’s how you learn.”—Crystal Flores ’26
The Class of 2026 reflects on the keepsakes, memories and milestones that shaped their Lehigh experience. Through personal stories and meaningful objects, these Future Makers share moments of growth, discovery and connection. Read the stories behind the keepsakes, or view the expanded photo essay.
