THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 22, 1994 TAG: 9409220442
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALICIA LUMA, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
About 20 students at First Colonial High School gathered around the school's flagpole Wednesday morning to pray.
And they didn't stand alone. Students all over the world observed a day of prayer called ``See You at the Pole.''
The day is a ``teen-led national prayer movement. . . not a demonstration, a protest, an equal-rights rally, a publicity stunt, a patriotic rally or an alternative to prayer in schools,'' according to its sponsor, the Southern Baptist Convention. See You at the Pole, says the group, is ``allowed by the U.S. Constitution as a First Amendment right.''
And thousands of young people nationwide turned out Wednesday to claim that right.
Brian McGowan, a junior at Tallwood High School in Virginia Beach, chose to participate because he knows ``that God is going to hear me, and he will answer my prayer.''
See You at the Pole started in 1990, and many denominations take part.
Todd Sims, youth pastor at Bayview Baptist Church in Norfolk, said he supports the event because ``prayer in the public arena, school included, was at one time commonplace, and this gives us an opportunity to go back to that.''
The prayer day is also supported by the Virginia Beach-based American Center for Law and Justice, which takes care of most of the program's legal needs, including taking action against schools that interfere with students trying to participate.
The center is a nonprofit organization founded by religious broadcaster Pat Robertson that defends First Amendment rights, especially the freedoms of speech, religion and assembly.
At Great Neck Middle School, eighth-grader Rachel Catchot joined other students around the flagpole. Catchot said her prayer was that her ``school would change for the better and that more people would come to know God.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
MORT FRYMAN/Staff
At First Colonial High School in Virginia Beach, students take turns
saying prayers during a ``See You at the Pole'' gathering Wednesday.
Across the country, thousands of students were doing the same. As
voluntary, student-initiated and student-led gatherings, See You at
the Pole is exempt from court rulings limiting prayer in schools.
by CNB