Religion typically has no place in public schools, but on September 28, about 50 North Platte High School students gathered around the flagpole to celebrate their Christianity and pray.  The early morning congregation was part of a 25-year old nationwide rally called See You at the Pole. The event encourages students to pray for their school and other topics that they might not always pray for daily. “We prayed over the student body, the teachers, and each other, and how we can help people in this world,” said junior Mara Strecker. “This is a broken world and that’s what we are called to do as missionaries of God.”

The event is important to people for many different reasons. Junior Sara Simcox believes everyone needs prayer. “We gather to shine a light in the dark world,” she said. For Strecker, it wasn’t just about prayer, it was also about fellowship. “It’s a way to see who all the other Christians in my school are, and it’s a way to have community with them and pray with them,” she said.

Students from different grades, churches, and backgrounds attended. “It shows other Christians that they aren’t alone in the high school,” said senior Zak Folchert.  Many also considered the event to be an outreach for students who do not know Christ. Folchert said, “By having the See You at the Pole event, we allow people the opportunity to see the message that God has for them.”