I'm from a school where recs weren't common, but they were never thought of as "desperate." It was actually kind of nice to get them since we don't get much info from the girls outside of what's on their applications.
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"Remember that apathy has no place in our Sorority." - Kelly Jo Karnes, Pi
If you can get a rec from someone you know, it would look good, and it would be novel at a school like Lehigh. What might look desperate at Lehigh is having 10 recs for each chapter from random Alumnae Panhellenic women who only know you on paper.