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I saw you at the pole
By Julie Saffrin
Guest Columnist
(Created 10/3/01 10:04:00 AM)
No shadow of shame on their faces, an unprecedented 380 students came to pray before school at the flagpole for the annual “See You At The Pole” event on Sept. 19 at Minnetonka High School.
For the Skipper students at 7 a.m., it was clear Homecoming week’s Ugly Sweater and Wig Day would be a hit. Wearing multi-colored wigs and crazy clothing, some prayed in silence, some prayed out loud. Others held hands while still others lifted their hands high, all coming to pray about what was on their hearts and minds.
Senior Dan Berglund and junior Stephie Kimmel served as student co-leaders at the pole. Standing next to the school’s emblem, a silver ship’s anchor, Berglund says about the morning, “The turnout was the most I’ve seen in the three years since I started here.”
Students wore patriotic colors, the school’s blue and white. Even a fuchsia wig or two stood out in the crowd as they listened to senior Joel Dewey lead the group in song playing the guitar.
Feelings of sadness and grief for New York City and its victims were evident. Berglund says, “A lot of time went toward praying for the sorrowing citizens of our country and New York City.” The group even prayed for the terrorists. “God tells us to pray for our enemies. We also prayed for justice because God is a just God,” says Berglund.
Of the Minnetonka youth at the pole, students say their worldview has changed due to the terrorist attacks. Kimmel says, “We can’t be secure in our country, but we can be secure in God.”
Some of Minnetonka’s staff and other adults also came to pray. “I saw a couple of teachers at the pole. It was nice to have them there supporting us,” senior Berglund says.
In previous years, the gathering has had a heckler to poke fun at the crowd. “This year was different,” Berglund says. “No one bothered us. In fact, we had 50 people at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting last Monday night. Normally we have a much smaller group. It’s an exciting time at our school.”
While the flag flickered at half-staff on the gray misty morning, Berglund says, “I think seeing the flag [at half-mast] really made a lot of people think about the freedoms we have and the need to pray for wisdom and guidance for the decisions our leaders are going to have to make.”
“See You At The Pole,” now in its 12th year, began in April 1990 with a handful of teenagers in Burleston, Texas. While on a religious retreat, the Texans decided to go to their local school’s flagpoles and pray for their classmates and schools.
Two months later, 20,000 students attending a rally in Dallas decided to organize a prayer session at each of their schools. Enthusiasm spread across the states and a specific date and time was selected. On Sept. 12, 1990, 45,000 students spanning 1,200 schools in four separate states, gathered to pray at their flagpoles.
This year, with the United States on the precipice of war, over three million students across this country and 20 others were expected to attend See You At The Pole. “See You At the Pole is not just a state thing,” says Kimmel, “In Africa and around the world, students meet at their flagpoles. That excites me because God promises that when we meet together in prayer he will do incredible things.”
“This year’s theme, ‘Desperate for God,’ was chosen by students 11 months ago,” says Rob von Edeskuty, head of Student Ventures, a nondenominational resource for Wednesday mornings’ student-led Bible study, which meets on Minnetonka’s campus. “None of us knew how timely the theme would prove to be.”
Because states cannot impose prayer, See You At the Pole, is not a school-sponsored event. Rather, it is organized and led solely by students. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution says, “Congress shall make no law ... prohibiting the free exercise thereof,” guaranteeing freedom from government intrusion on personal religious beliefs. Students do not have to give up their personal religious beliefs when on school property and have the right to convene on school property to pray during non-classroom hours.
The American Center for Law and Justice, a not-for-profit public interest law and educational group, cites that because of the Supreme Court’s ruling of free speech, students may participate in events of religious content before and after school.
As the time to begin classes drew near, Kimmel says, “People came with broken hearts about what happened to our country and left encouraged about what God was going to do.”
Kimmel adds, “When I look back on the things God has done in my life, it gives me confidence that I’m not serving a dead God. God is our anchor in the midst of life’s storms.” For 380 students like Kimmel and Berglund, praying around Old Glory has become a safe harbor they look forward to each year.
Julie Saffrin is a resident of Excelsior.