Trevecca Students Bring New Joy to Tower Resident Through Weekly Hymns

Halie Lictao

Staff Writer

Every Wednesday, 19-year-old Kendall Brown sings hymns with 74-year-old Jerry Scivally at the Trevecca Towers.

“It’s the staple of my week,” said Brown, a Trevecca sophomore religion major. 

About a month ago, Brown went to a game night at the Towers. But instead of playing games, he, Scivally, and another student started singing together.

Now he goes every week.

Previously a reserved individual, Brown seized to put himself out there when he approached Scivally that night.

The next hours were filled with songs and rich conversation. 

“He had the hymn book sitting on the table and that’s obviously something he’s very passionate about so he started talking about it, flipping through pages, and telling me a lot of stories that revolved around singing,” said Brown. 

Scivally taught Sunday School for decades before moving into the Towers. He has been singing hymns for over 60 years, including the years he took foster children to sing at nursing homes. 

Brown views the weekly meetings as a reflection of the diverse and beautiful kingdom of God. 

“Where Trevecca is located I think it’s a beautiful thing seeing all the different people that Trevecca can come beside and I’ve been very intentional about trying to involve myself in ministries where I’m with different groups of people,” said Brown.  

Very few games were played at the far table of a game night hosted at the Trevecca Towers. Instead, the table was filled with worship as Brown and Olivia Reinbold, a sophomore religion major, formed a friendship with Scivally destined to change their semester. Since the divine encounter, the singing group has doubled in just one month. 

“Something beautiful about the kingdom of God is that it’s not pockets of similar people but it’s a bunch of different people,” said Brown. 

Scivally offered to share his songbooks with the students and the three sang the night away. 

“Game day is going on, and in this corner, me, and Reinbold, and Scivally are singing our hearts out for the whole time. Went to game night and didn’t play a single game,” said Brown. 

Scivally was originally opposed to attending the game night because he preferred to stay in his room and chip away at his work sifting through Biblical manuscripts. Coaxed out of his room by an employee at the Trevecca Towers, Scivally made his way to a space filled with games and college kids. Shuffling into the room, he pulled a cart full of songbooks close behind him that used to belong to his best friend. 

“We sang two hours. And that’s how this all got started,” said Scivally. 

The college students have kept Scivally company since the passing of his best friend Judy. Judy passed in August and the singing group has replaced the friendship that Scivally misses dearly. 

“You know somebody for 16 years, you don’t just flip the page,” said Scivally. 

Since Judy’s passing in August, Scivally has been thankful for the people who have helped him overcome the loss. Scivally believes God sent this group of college kids to fill the place in his life that Judy left. 

“I think it was God. God put something in my life that replaces Judy,” said Scivally. 

Every Wednesday Brown looks forward to meeting with Scivally and is inspired by his character.

“He’s not just a super bubbly guy, but his joy sticks out and it makes sense because how can you sing all of those beautiful hymns and not be filled with joy?” said Brown.

Brown plans to continue to meet with Scivally next semester, even if it means adjusting the time to make the meetings work or even splitting the group so that multiple clusters of students visit Scivally throughout the week.

The visits from these students make Scivally’s day and he looks forward to continuing to worship with his new friends. 

Recently, Brown and three friends gathered around a table as a humming air-conditioner sang its approval in the corner. Scivally started with prayer and followed with stories from his time in college. Opening songbooks together, the room filled with the sound of joyful praise, set apart from the busy school day that came before. 

“I could be having a bad day but I feel better when y’all come,” said Scivally.