Theta Gamma Pi History

         In mid-January of 2010, a group of Latina students and Professor Melissa Villarreal met with Ellen Tanis Awad, Director of Student Life, to discuss their options of reestablishing a former national Latina sorority. While investigating the options, it was realized that the national Latina sorority never actually established a charter on Hope College’s campus. At that time, this group of females decided to accept Ellen Tanis Awad’s proposal to bring back a former local Hope College sorority. It was decided within a month that this group of female students would bring back the Theta Gamma Pi Sorority (AKA: Thesaurian Sorority). Within the next month, the group grew not only in numbers, but also in cultural backgrounds, which encouraged the ladies to establish a multicultural sorority. Below, you will find a summary of the Thesaurian’s history.

         On October 23, 1941, a group of twenty-nine non-sorority girls on Hope College’s campus voted to organize a new sorority and elected their Executive Board. On October 30, 1941, the group selected Scarlet and Gray as their official colors. The new society was christened “Thesaurian” on November 6,
1941. The name was taken from “thesaurius” which means a treasure of precious things. The Greek symbols selected for the society were Theta, Gamma, and Pi. The red carnation became the official flower. It appears that the Thesaurian’s Sorority’s last active school year until now occurred during the
1954–1955 academic year.

         As of April 13, 2010, the new Theta Gamma Pi members decided to identify themselves as “The Thetas”. Their creed was written by a few of the new Thetas members and their advisor because no public record was available of the Thesaurians’ original creed. The constitution was developed and
written by the Thetas’ primary advisor. On March 5, 2010, the group voted and elected Cecilia Jamie of Holland, MI, as President, Yessenia Aguirre of Holland, MI, as Vice President, Iliana García of Los Angeles, CA, as Secretary, and Sashy Caamal of Holland, MI, as Treasurer.

        The Theta Gamma Sorority is unique in that it offers the campus the opportunity to increase multiculturalism in the form of a sisterhood because they have a strong emphasize on diversity. Fifteen (75%) of the initial group identifies as Latina, three (15%) as Non-Latina White (Caucasian), one (5%) as
Asian American and one (5%) identifies as African. This group desires to fulfill the needs of those students who come from colorful backgrounds and who have not yet identified with another Greek organization on campus (i.e., it will be welcoming to all females of different cultures). One of the advisors (Professor Melissa Villarreal) identifies as Latina and the other (Dr. Vicki-Lynn Holmes) as African American.