Generally, after the students leave to go home in May, we are immediately full of Strawberry Festival traffic. Bands and Arts & Crafts and Quilt Shows and Queens and Princesses
Not in 2020.
In June, we generally have a couple thousand United Methodists arriving for Annual Conference. Meetings and greetings. Wesley Chapel full.
Not in 2020.
In July we generally have a few weeks where the Gifted Camp and the Summer Research students are seemingly everywhere for a few weeks.
Not in 2020.
But, this year, with all of the deafening quiet going on, something strange and wonderful happened.
Jim Watson was the first to notice. As he was doing his daily walk around campus, he saw a female deer, obviously about to become a mother. He continued his walk, and when he came back around to that side of campus he noticed
As if that wasn’t enough, there was another surprise…
The next day they were bedded down between the library and the English Annex.
The following morning, my husband and I were walking along, and the orange flowers beside the sundial started to move…there was no wind. If you look closely, you can see the fawn hiding in the bushes.
While I was quietly tiptoeing in to get this photo, Gary whispered that I should turn to my right and take a look…
Yes, it is quiet on campus in the summer of 2020, but there is still life.
It shows the beauty of nature.
Or, as Jim said in his Facebook post when he first told about the fawns, “sometimes nature is too pure and beautiful to believe, and life offers miracles every day if you choose to open your eyes.”
Since January 8, 2018, the DreamersAndGiants blog has been published weekly, each Monday. Beginning July 1, 2020, this Blog will now be published occasionally. To all the fans of this blog: Stay Safe and See You Soon.
I’ll continue to put an announcement on social media when a new post comes out, but if you want to be sure to be notified be sure to subscribe so that you will get an email.
Important conversations about racial injustice have been taking place for a really long time. As early as 1891, the Chrestomathean Literary Society at the West Virginia Conference Seminary considered this topic. On May 7, 1891 their meeting was devoted to a debate:
That the Negroes have a greater right to complain of ill treatment at the hands of the U.S. than the Indians. (The Negative Team Won) Conversations on important topics were being considered and discussed.
As a student at the college between 1974 and 1978, you would think I would have been tuned in. Sadly, I don’t remember much of it. I considered myself fairly enlightened. To my knowledge, I never did or said anything racist (if I did, I am truly sorry). I certainly did not consider myself to be part of the problem…which is part of the problem.
Recently I took a long look at what was being said throughout the years, and who was saying it. I found some amazing things. Some of them are very helpful in learning where we have been. Others clearly show that we still have more listening to do. Click here to get a list of links to articles from as far back as over a century ago, lots from the 1960s, 1970s, etc. Listen to these voices and truly hear them.
Below are a few examples of those who came to campus. There are many others from all walks of life.
Alex Haley spoke on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan College on March 3-, 1971. This was five years after The Autobiography of Malcom X, which had been on the New York Times best seller list all that time, and which was one of Time Magazine’s 10 Most Notable books of the 1960s. It was while he was still writing Roots. In fact, the working title for that book was Before the Anger at the time he spoke in Wesley Chapel.
In 1969, Maya Angelou published her famous work I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. This book made history as the first nonfiction best-seller by an African American Author. In 1972, she spoke in Wesley Chapel.
On March 31, 1979, Julian Bond spoke here. The topic of his lecture was: America What Next? At that time he was the senator from Georgia.
March 31, 1979 Wesley Chapel Black Awareness Week
Benjamin Hooks was here in both 1982 and 1990.
Faculty and students have been involved in issues of justice in ways both large and small. Even so, there have been those who have hurt others and been hurt by them.
I am very proud of a group that has formed at West Virginia Wesleyan College. The Center for Restorative Justice is holding serious conversations, and has some wonderful plans. The leadership involves students, faculty, and staff. Some of the faculty and staff members are also alumni, and have had the benefit of learning from some amazing people along the way…such as Dr. Joseph Mow, Dr. Peter Bercovitz, Dr. John Warner, and many more.
As I have been reading these articles, listening to friends, and hearing from others on social media about things they have experienced, I find that I still have much to learn. For example, we donated to the Center for Restorative Justice recently, but did it anonymously. Not sure why! We want everyone to know that we are proud to help in this work. So, I am going to go back and donate once again…and sign it loud and proud.
This week the topic that kept coming up in my reading was heating systems. That was unexpected in the middle of June! First of all, the WVWC History class I am teaching this month was looking at original buildings on campus.
Only three years after the school opened, the March 1893 issue of The Seminary Herald indicated that the original heating system had not been a success for long.
1905
I am not sure what happened with the heating between 1893 and 1905, but on February 4, 1905 the Seminary Building was destroyed by fire. Furnaces in the basement were deemed to be the cause. Immediate plans to rebuild included a separate power plant rather than one located within the buildings.
Besides the College building, there is also being erected on our campus a power house. Heating power has been removed from all the buildings, and hereafter will be supplied from the central power house, which is located wide apart from any buildings. The power house and the installation of the Webster System of heating throughout our buildings will cost in the vicinity of 11,000. The new plant is of such character that the electric lighting of all the buildings may be installed at any time.
Warren Webster and his young company installed 75,000 of these systems in the world’s finest buildings. It was considered the standard in heating for large buildings. (His son later wrote a biography of his life and times, which can be read here.)
1920
We noted in class that the campus of 100 years ago was quite different from the campus today.
The College Catalog 1920 (100 Years Ago) included this description of the heating plant at that time:
Heating Plant: This was built in 1905 and contains the boilers, pumps and coal bins needful for heating the other buildings upon the campus. Its capacity has been nearly doubled by the addition of a new hundred horsepower boiler recently.
Other buildings in 1920 included
College Hall (known today as the Lynch-Raine Administration Building)
Library on 2nd floor of College Hall
Domestic Science Equipment in 2 rooms on south end of the ground floor of College Hall
Woman’s Hall (known today as Agnes Howard Hall)
Haymond Science Hall
Physical Laboratory (In Haymond Hall)
Chemical Laboratory (In Haymond Hall)
Music Hall (known today as the English Annex)
Gymnasium (the Old Gym, not Rockefeller)
President’s Residence
2020
A Facebook Post from Jim Watson (‘79) about “Old Smokey” prompted a comment about a Pharos article written by Bruce Ennis (‘63) and a wonderful photo of the power plant shared by Danny Green (‘74). I had never seen that photo before, and I also went in search of the article in the Pharos. (Smokestack’s Control Poor Says Hicks, Pharos 1962-02-06)
Here are some fun things I learned…..
Two boilers were installed (1913 and 1925), and were not adequate by 1962
The heat was regulated manually.
Fireman James Campbell said that he operates the amount of heat going into the Administration Building by observing how far the windows are open in the rooms facing the smokestack. Thus, one side of the building, perhaps facing the sun, may become overheated, while the opposite side remains only lukewarm”.
Old Smokey was there until 1965 when it was razed in preparation for building Wesley Chapel.
Photo by Howard Hiner, shared on Facebook by Danny Green ’74. This is looking from the present-day parking lot near Jenkins and looking toward the Old Gym.
Generations of WVWC folks experienced Old Smokey between 1905 and 1965. Many other generations of WVWC students have never heard of it before. It is fun to converse with both groups!
Sometimes stories weave in and out in surprising ways, and thus tell a story that is even bigger and more beautiful. In fact the definition of a tapestry is “an intricate or complex combination of things or sequence of events.”
This is a tapestry of two West Virginia boys with a love of baseball and WVWC who both went to Normandy: one on D-Day itself, and both who had been to commemorate that event in years to come.
Matt was on the baseball team coached by Hank Ellis his very first year of coaching, and by his senior year was elected captain of that team.
(Also) Standout Athlete at WVWC
Captain of the Baseball team in 1952 (played for Hank Ellis)
WVWC Class of 1952 – majored in music
Played in the Pittsburgh Pirates minor league organization
Masters degree in Music from WVU 1954
Drafted into the U.S. Army, served 1954-56
Taught music out west 1957-61
Damascus High School, Damascus, MD 1962-1993
Twice representing the United States at the 35th and 40th Anniversaries of the World War II Normandy Landings in Europe. In 1979, the Damascus High School band was the only non-military band to be invited to Europe to celebrate the 35th Anniversary
In 1984, the Damascus High School Band was invited back to Europe to celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Normandy Operation, a return trip highlighted by a performance at Normandy with President Ronald Reagan in attendance.
As I was reading about Matt Kuhn, I came across his obituary. He died on February 6, 2020.
Matt is remembered as a highly disciplined, loyal and dedicated teacher, mentor, and leader.
It turns out that “A Celebration of Life event will take place from 12 to 5 p.m. Saturday June 13 at the Damascus American Legion, with a short formal opening ceremony from 12:30 to 1 p.m.
That is how I came to discover this tapestry of two West Virginia boys with a love of baseball and WVWC and who both went to Normandy: one on D-Day itself, and both who had been to commemorate that event in years to come.
There has been a word that I can’t get out of my mind this week: Grace.
Grace refers to God’s unmerited favor, love or help.
Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. This greeting was present in nearly every one of Paul’s letters in the New Testament. It is the greeting of the Church.
It is also used as a blessing before a meal.
We sing about Amazing Grace. It is one of the most popular hymns of all time.
There are many other ways that this word is used in our language, such as to be graceful or gracious.
Even very literally at times: Hail Mary, full of Grace. The Lord is with thee. Mary, mother of Jesus, was literally full of Grace – the unmerited gift from God.
It is also used as a woman’s name in our world today.
This week I have been thinking especially of Grace Imathiu.
Upon her graduation in 1984 from WVWC (Chemistry), Grace wrote an open letter of appreciation to the West Virginia Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. She was a recipient of the Dorothy Lee Scholarship for international students, funded by the United Methodist Women in West Virginia. Her time here was rich and rewarding, even as she was experiencing some homesickness as she had not been back to her native Kenya in more than three years. During breaks and vacations, she traveled around the United States (more than 40 states) to experience this country and spent time with close friends who became like family.
That letter surfaced recently, and I would like to share some excerpts from it.
Grace comes to Buckhannon from Kenya
I remember that day I arrived in Buckhannon I was excited. Excited about America. Excited about the experience of college. I had plans–big plans. As we drove up Main Street, my excitement began to slowly turn to disbelief. Was this America? Where were the skyscrapers, the traffic, the muggers? That was the America I had been presented with through movies and books in Kenya. Something was wrong!
While at WVWC
Grace was active at Wesleyan, and formed many lasting friendships. She was elected to serve on the Community Council.
Murmurmontis 1984
Community Council consisted of representatives of campus organizations, the student body, administrators, faculty, and staff who were elected to facilitate communication among all the members of the campus community. Grace was elected to serve. Also serving at that time were Professor Reginald Olson and his wife, Barbara. The Olsons, active in civil justice issues, and Grace Imathiu serving together on the Community Council! How powerful. And what a foreshadowing of the work of Grace’s life.
As She Graduated in 1984
In Her Letter:
I will never know every person who pitched in to help me. I can not even imagine how I will ever repay you except to assure you that I will pass it on and help someone else in need one day.
And now after graduation one wonders, “what next?” After a struggle that goes back to the days of teaching Sunday School at sixteen, I have acknowledged and accepted God’s call to serve him in ministry. It has been a personal battle. I have always known I have been called and indeed I had made the commitment long ago to serve. Yet to also be chosen for the ministry is a little scary, but, oh, so exciting. Once every so often I have to jump up and close my eyes feeling so good. My cup runneth over.
As soon as I am settled into seminary, I will let you know where I am and how I am progressing. I thank you once again and ask you to pray for me as I take the first step in the direction God is leading me. May God continue to bless you.
She has certainly fulfilled the goal of helping others in need. Her steps have taken her across the country and across the globe.
Within just the past year,
Her strength and leadership was so helpful to many during the Special Session of General Conference in May 2019 – and after. Her work as a fierce ally for the LGBTQ community and gender equality (also the life work of the Olsons) has been powerful. She spoke out frequently and powerfully at meetings, gatherings, and on social media to encourage the inclusion of all.
While on a trip back to Kenya in the summer of 2019 to visit her parents, she received an invitation from Pastor Ken Mwita to come to the Moheto United Methodist Church, located in a very remote village, and to help them to know more about becoming a Reconciling Congregation in support of LGBTQ persons. This was the first church in Kenya to do such a thing, and Grace’s mentorship helped make it possible.
During the COVID-19 pandemic Grace, and the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Evanston, IL have prayerfully and creatively led worship online and have been reaching people far beyond Evanston – including our entire extended family. (Grace and my sister, Sarah, were friends at WVWC and have stayed in touch. They call each other Rafiki…the Swahili word for friend.) The services have been a combination of information, care, compassion, empathy, and respect which address the seriousness of the situation while providing a glimmer of hope through the teachings of the gospel.
This Week
During the past week, Grace’s Facebook posts have been full of pain and concern for the injustice and anguish of the nation and the world, but also for her own son (a brilliant and gentle mathematician). She has called for people like me to speak out about the injustice. Not just about recent events, but about hundreds of years worth of injustice and systems that allow it to continue. I am speaking out now in response to that request. Even though I can’t even begin to know or to imagine the full impact of the horrific injustices that have been perpetuated. Even though I have no words.
Once again this morning, Grace and her congregation in Evanston have managed to offer a worship service full of authentic and meaningful words and music. I give thanks each day for Grace Imathiu, and am also thankful that her journey brought her to Buckhannon all those years ago. I would encourage anyone who is hurting or struggling with the topics of injustice to check out this video.
Not in 2020.
As if that wasn’t enough, there was another surprise…
This week I have been thinking especially of Grace Imathiu. 
