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Students gather Tuesday in the Academic Plaza to pray during Dawn 2 Dusk. Inspired by See You at the Pole and similar events, Dawn 2 Dusk is an all-day prayer session open to anyone.

Students organize day-long prayer

By: Stacy Edwards

Posted: 10/25/07

"See you at the pole" is a phrase many associate with the student-led and organized event that brings students together to pray on the fourth Wednesday of September, before classes begin.

It was after attending this year's See You at the Pole event that Texas A&M students Lewis Barclay Bell and Jamison Hoelscher decided to pursue the idea of an all-day prayer gathering, which became Tuesday's Dawn 2 Dusk.

Students gathered around the flagpole in the Academic Plaza from 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday to pray together.

Bell, a freshman aerospace engineering and physics major, said the idea was inspired by a poor showing at the early morning See You at the Pole event.

"Jamison Hoelscher and I met at See You at the Pole on Sept. 26, and, despite the 356 confirmed guests on the Facebook group, only about 15-20 people were there," Bell said. "Afterwards, Jamison mentioned possibly doing SYATP all day long, and we took the idea and ran with it."

Bell said they felt more students would participate in an event like this if it was advertised better and was scheduled later in the day.

Hoelscher, a junior business major, said he felt compelled to have an event like this but was unsure how to go about it.

"The organization of it sounded way too much for me to handle," Hoelscher said. "So I told the people that were still left - Lewis Barclay Bell, Chris Starnes and Kristen Muller - about the idea God had given me, and they all encouraged it."

Hoelscher said Bell got passionately involved about it and the two of them started asking friends and local churches to help out.

"We started asking our friends if they wanted to become involved as a prayer leader and we were able to get a few from each of the Christian Bible study organizations on campus - Campus Crusade for Christ, Navigators, A&M Christian Fellowship - as well as people from local churches," Hoelscher said.

Hoelscher said the turnout was good, although he did not keep count of how many were there.

"There was probably an average of four or five people praying at any given point during the day," Holescher said. "There was only one time when I was praying by myself and that lasted less than 10 minutes."

Hoelscher said they are already planning the next Dawn 2 Dusk to coincide with the National Day of Prayer on May 1, 2008.

Calen Taylor, a freshman business major, said it was encouraging to hear other people with similar passions and prayers God has put on his heart.

"Dawn 2 Dusk is just another movement God is using to shape his revival generation here at Texas A&M," Taylor said. "This campus is being shifted and molded by God. Every week we are seeing more and more Christ followers experiencing God on this campus and it is getting incredible."

Kristen Muller, a sopohomore biology major, said she thought the day was a great thing for both Christians and non-Christians.

"For Christians, it was an encouragement to be able to just know that there are others who have the same heart for the same Lord as they do, and that we all have things that we need to pray about," Muller said. "For non-Christians, I hope it was living proof that we do believe in a God who is real, loving and listens to us."