Echoes, Ripples, and Seeds

Echoes

The walls of Wesley Chapel were echoing on Saturday, July 27, 2019. Songs not heard since the 1970s were sung with gusto by a very special group. There were Wesleyan alumni from the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and one from 2019. There were current students. There were some amazing musicians who were experiencing the beautiful chapel for the first time.

Although there were only a dozen or so people in the chapel for this experience, it was streamed live on Facebook to 50 or so others as well. Those folks were spread all around! And, we are told, listening carefully to the stories, straining to see the photos, and singing along in such places as Canada, Florida, and JFK airport. Click here for a better look at those photos.

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              LoveShine Impromptu Reunion 2019:                            Songs, Stories, Worship

This was a reunion of people who had been active in the group known as LoveShine, which started in 1976 and ended in 2003. LoveShine, a Christian Drama Group, was composed of WVWC students who came together to glorify God by using their talent and creativity to write and perform skits and music. They performed in worship services, coffeehouses, workshops, and toured throughout the region visiting churches to share God’s love.

The founder, and first director, of the group, Paul Brown, was present in the chapel for this reunion. He had not been back to WVWC in 43 years! 

He was able to tell the story about the beginnings, and in this photo is listening to Cheryl (Isner) Olcott, his hand-picked successor as director, tell about the development of the group and what it has meant in her life to this day.

We also had some memories sent in by email, including from Rev. Heather (Runser) McLeod who was part of the last group in 2003. Click below to read those memories that were shared. If you have memories to share as well, email them to historian@wvwc.edu.

LoveShine Memories

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Ripples

How Did This Reunion Even Come About?

In Spring 2019, a course on WVWC History was being taught by Paula McGrew (’78). Her challenge to the students in the class was to choose an area of Wesleyan and to go to the archives and find out as much as possible. One student, Caitlin Ware, chose to dive into the topic of Religious Life on Campus in the past 20 years or so. Thus began the ripple effect:

• Research in the WVWC archives revealed a group called LoveShine
• LoveShine had a theme song written by Leslie Flack
• Which led Paula to email her former classmate, Leslie, to ask if she had the lyrics to that song – or better yet a recording
• Which led Leslie to contact Wendy, Paul, Jeff and others to try and get all of the words and the chords from all those years ago
• Which led to chatter about having a reunion, including those who had not been back to WVWC for decades
• Which prompted Paula to contact the chapel and alumni offices – and Robert Osburn in AV
• Which resulted in many stories being told, including some mailed to Leslie by people who really wished that they could be here in person
• Those stories included both the stories of the beginning of the group in 1976 and the ending of it in 2003.

One thing led to the next and grew into the next and into the next…..

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Seeds

Those long ago experiences planted many seeds. In the hearts of the participants. In the hearts of their audiences. In the very fabric of Religious Life on the campus of WVWC.  

On Saturday, July 27, 2019, more seeds were planted. Caitlin was present and talked with the people that she had “discovered” in the archives. She sang with them, laughed with them, asked them questions, answered some of theirs, and made new friends.

Also in attendance were Lucas Trovato (a 2019 graduate and current MBA student) and his fiance Lauren Hatcher (class of 2020 and currently the President of Student Senate). They also learned a few new (old) songs and made new friends. They were able to see the Orange Line in all of its glory.

AND

The event was broadcast well beyond Wesley Chapel. Through the magic of Facebook Live, 50 or so people who wanted to be in the chapel were able to be there virtually. 

AND

The entire event was recorded by Robert Osburn, including a recording session with participants singing the LoveShine Theme Song and another of Leslie Flack’s songs, The Good Song inspired (of course) by John Wesley himself as well as Martin Luther King, Jr.  These songs have been lodged in my head for days now. When the recordings are available, I will post them here. Listen at your own risk!! They are absolutely classics in the making. Until those recordings are ready, click here to hear them from Leslie’s website! 

There is no telling where these seeds may yet take root! Or when. Or where. LoveShine is shining on!

Photos to Share? You can put them here in this folder.

Here is a partial list of those who have been involved with LoveShine through the years. The names were pulled from yearbooks and scrapbooks, neither of which had complete information for all years. Apologies to anyone who might be missing from the list. If that includes you (or others you know) please send their names and the year(s) they were involved to historian@wvwc.edu.

Program from LoveShine Reunion (including the theme song lyrics)

Insert with Good Song lyrics.

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Editor’s Note: July 1, 2020 Caitilin Ware will begin serving the college as Spiritual Life Coordinator for one year, during which she will be exploring and helping build a foundation and vision for the future of religious and spiritual life including how the College and the leadership of the West Virginia Annual Conference can continue to look forward to a continued and strengthened partnership. You can read more about this appointment here.

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DreamersAndGiants is a webpage and a blog created by Paula McGrew to tell the stories of WVWC. Click here to explore the website.