8A - Monday, January 14, 2008

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Campus groups begin
prayer marathon

How the Republican candidates
would fix Michigan's economy

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PRAYER
From Page 1A_
ond annual program aims to fulfill
the ambitious goal of having at
least one student praying in a small
room in the chapel 24 hours a day,
seven days a week for 40 days.
Though event organizers strug-
gled last year to find students will-
ing to pray in the middle of the
night, those running the program
this year are challenging partici-
pants to come at least two hours a
week and pull an all-nighter.
The room's walls are covered
with paper for students to write
down both current and answered
prayers. Participants often con-
nect their answered prayers to the
original prayer with a string.
Organizers of the event said 40
Days of Prayer serves to bring oth-
erwise segregated groups closer
together to work for a common
goal. School of Music senior Philip
Michael, one of the event's orga-
nizers, said the program strives
to be something of a "moral back-
bone" for the rest of campus.
"The goal of 40 Days of Prayer
is to see Christian groups from
all over the campus uniting as we
petition God to do big things on
our campus," he said.
Some participants said last
year's efforts paid off in the form
of remarkable events experienced
during the 40 day window. Vicars,
who helped organize the event,
was leaving the prayer room late at
night last year when he was able to
assist the girl.
"Lots of little stories like that
were what impacted people," Vic-
ars said of the incident.
The program's website features
a blog with running commentary
about the program, praising God
and including a few posts about
answered prayers.
LSA sophomore Julia Rodgers
passionately spoke to a captivated
crowd about how the 40 Days of
Prayer helped her overcome an
eating disorder.

She said that after makingvisits
to the prayer room, her relapses of
anorexia became much less fre-
quent.
"Ridiculous coincidences start-
ed happening that got to a point
where it was embarrassing to call
them coincidences," she said.
LSA junior Kathryn Rose said
the prayer marathon is a welcome
change to the usually separated
climate of campus groups.
"I think it's awesome how it
brings together different Christian
groups on campus," she said.
LSA senior Jeffrey Chin, one
of the event's organizers, said the
program strives to humble stu-
dents through prayer.
"As Michigan students we think
that we can do everything by our-
selves, but that's not true," Chin
said. "We need to rely on God and
his power, and that's what prayer is
all about."
Although this year's event will
follow a similar format to last
year's, a few changes should make
this one different.
Students gathered at Christian
fraternity Phi Alpha Kappa for
last year's program, but University
Lutheran Chapel is playing host
this year.
Engineering junior Craig Spen-
cer, another event organizer, said
he expects this year's program
to draw a bigger crowd than last
year's.
"Now that we kind of have a
base from last year, it's a lot easier
to get the word out and to spread
the unique concept of 40 Days of
Prayer," he said.
The Christian groups and
churches included Campus Cru-
sade for Christ, Christian fraterni-
ty Phi Alpha Kappa and New Life
Church.
A ministry called World Reach
International sponsors the pro-
gram, along with similar events
that take place at the University of
Southern California, the Univer-
sity of Colorado and the University
of Texas.

ECONOMY
From Page 1A
He said the tax cuts would both
"encourage people to work harder"
and "encourage people to invest" in
American companies.
Although Huckabee emphasized
that he was a proponent of free
trade, he said such trade relation-
ships needed increased federal reg-
ulation in order to "level the playing
field" for Michigan manufacturers
and other companies.
"A lot of it is changing our taxes
and changing our regulatory sys-
tems, making it so the people in
this state can manufacture and
build again competitively," Hucka-
bee said. "It's also making sure our
trading partners are playing under
the same rules as Michigan manu-
facturers."
Huckabee pledged to use federal
resources to revitalize Michigan's
economy. He said training programs
and education for workers would be
encouraged, but not controlled by
the federal government.
Despite plans of increased fed-
eral trade regulation, Huckabee
stressed that his campaign was
built on limited federal government
and increased responsibility for
state governments.
"The best government is the most
local government," Huckabee said.
"Washington loves to tell us what to
do and then not give us the resourc-
es with which to do it."
Huckabee was not specific on
what resources he would provide,
but he pledged to find solutions to
the strained economy after taking
office.
LSA junior Justin Zatkoff, chair-
man of the Michigan Federation of
College Republicans and co-chair of
the Midwest Students for McCain
said that Huckabee's goal to imple-
ment the FairTax plan is one way to
deal with what he says is a "clearly
unacceptable" taxation system.
"People who support the FairTax
have come out and supported Mike
Huckabee," Zatkoff said. "With

Michigan's economy, one thing we
can all agree on is that raising taxes
does not work. Not only do we tend
to raise taxes, but with the federal
government, we waste so much
money that we need to change
something."
Huckabee said in Detroit and in
a speech in Grand Rapids on Sat-
urday morning that he would work
to reform the tax code, an initia-
tive he said would save Michigan's
economy.
"I think it's fair to say that there
was a time in this nation's history
when Michigan saved America, and
now I think it's time for America to
save Michigan," he said.
MITT ROMNEY
In campaign stops through-
out Michigan yesterday, Repub-
lican presidential candidate Mitt
Romney promised that if elected,
he wouldn't rest until Michigan
regains its status as the "economic
powerhouse" it once was.
Romney, the son of George Rom-
ney, former Michigan governor and
presidentofAmerican Motors Com-
pany, said Michigan's economy was
failing in part due to over-taxation
of both individuals and companies.
To correct this, Romney said he
would make Bush's tax cuts perma-
nent.
Speaking at the Ford Senior Citi-
zens Activity Center in Taylor and
at a dinner meeting of the Ottawa
County Republicans in Hudson-
ville, Romney said he would work to
stimulate the economy in Michigan
by putting more money in the hands
of private research companies.
"I want to invest in research and
development," he said. "You know
where we invest substantially in
science, we lead the world."
Romneysaid U.S. success inglob-
al markets in defense, health care
and space exploration was due to
significant investment in research.
He said federal investment should
be expanded to include the private
sector research and development
companies in fuel, automotive and

energy technology and materials
science. Through the development
of new technology and products,
Romney said Michigan workers
would be able to generate manufac-
turing jobs that were once provided
by the automotive industry.
"We ought to be investing sub-
stantial money here in Michigan in
fuel technologies, in energy tech-
nologies, in materials science, in
automotive technologies, basic sci-
ence where products can be spun
out and licensed to manufactur-
ers who are willing to build here,"
Romney said. "We have to invent
the technology."
Romney said the federal govern-
ment has previously ignored the
one-state recession in Michigan,
which has compounded the prob-
lems facing the state.
"I want to make sure that Wash-
ington finally does something,"
Romney said. "If I'm elected Presi-
dent of the United States, I will use
25 years of business experience and
economic experience to reignite the
Michigan economy."
LSA senior Amy Drumm, chair
of the University chapter of Stu-
dents for Romney, said Romney's
economic initiatives as governor of
Massachusetts created 60,000 jobs
and eliminated a $3 billion deficit in
Massachusetts.
"Those who know him and have
seen his record know he's able
to lower taxes and create jobs,"
Drumm said. "There are a lot of
conservative students on campus
that believe in these principles and
believe that Mitt Romney is the
right guy."
JOHN MCCAIN
Republican presidential candidate
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) prom-
ised to help Michigan compete in
the global economy at a rally held
in Livonia Saturday by cutting taxes
and promising responsible govern-
ment spending.
In a somber but optimistic
address, McCain told the crowd
that the U.S. economy is growing

too slowly to be globally competi-
tive.
"The conditions in Michigan are
even tougher with the state suffer-
ing through one of the most severe
recessions since World War II,"
McCain said.
McCain blamed Michigan's 7.4
percent unemployment rate and
drop in jobs in the past year on poor
economic policy.
"Michigan's problems are root-
ed in failed government policies,"
McCain said. "Heavy regulation,
too much government spending and
taxes and a high cost of doing busi-
ness has hurt it dearly."
McCain said the state's recession
would be hard to fix andthat"tough
choices" are necessary for Michigan
to return to economic prosperity.
"Michigan problems, as you
know, got worse last year when
the state government nearly shut
down," McCain said. "And Demo-
crats refused to make tough choices
necessary to focus spending on gen-
uine priorities."
"That's not right, my friends. The
worst thing a government can do
is raise taxes, and yet that's what's
happened here," McCain said.
Despite boos and heckling from
the crowd, McCain said Michigan's
automotive jobs that have disap-
peared won't be coming back.
"My friends, a little straight
talk: globalization is here to stay,"
McCain said. "But that's not some-
thing to fear, it is an opportunity to
be seized."
LSA senior Allison Schneider,
chair of the University chapter of
Students for McCain, said McCain's
plans to stimulate the economy and
create jobs would entice University
graduates to stay in the state.
"John McCain's point is that
those specific jobs that have left
won't be returning, but there are
opportunities to bring to Michi-
gan," Schneider said. "If he were
able to implement these plans, there
would be a better opportunity for
UniversityofMichigangraduates to
find jobs and stay in Michigan."

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