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Friday, January 9, 2009 - 7

The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, January 9, 2009 - 7

Prayer marathon begins

Christian groups
offer round-the-
clock prayer rooms
By VERONICA MENALDI
Daily StaffReporter
When LSA junior Julia Rod-
gers first arrived on campus her
freshman year, her outlook was
dim. Coping with an eating dis-
order and bouts of depression,
Rodgers wasn't sure how she
was going to make it through
the semester. Her friends urged
her to participate in 40 Days of
Prayer, and although she was
resistant at first, she ultimately
relented.
For Rodgers, the decision
to participate in the event and
become a Christian was life
changing.
"I experienced a freedom in
knowing that I am loved not for
what I do or don't do, but for who
I am," she said. "I experience
more grace in my failures rather
than constant shame."
Tonight at 10 p.m. Christian
groups from across campus will
kick off 40 Days of Prayer, the
same event Rodgers attended
two years ago, at the University
Lutheran Chapel on Washtenaw
Avenue.

Following the celebration,
which will feature performances
from local Christian bands, there
will be a prayer room available
all day and night for the next 40
days for anyone to come in and
pray.
LSA junior Katie Fox, ohe of
the event's central organizers,
said every week will feature a
new theme to help guide partici-
pants' prayers.
"There will be a theme every
week for people to pray for.
Themes include spiritual war-
fare, God's love and prayer as a
lifestyle," she said. '
EngineeringseniorCraigSpen-
cer, another one of the event's
organizers, said this year's event
will unite a record number of
campus Christian groups.
"We have 20 different groups
officially sponsoring and four
other groups participating in the
event," he said. "It's an unprece-
dented gathering of Christians on
campus. I don't know of anything
like it past or present that goes on
like this. To have more than 20
groups represented in one loca-
tion is very empowering."
Spencer said University alumni
Jeff Chin and Phil Michael came
up with the idea for 40 Days of
Prayer in 2007 when they were
still students.
"Their whole idea was, one, to

see people praying and two, to see
Christians united on campus,"
Spencer said. "It started with
two guys who had a plan, who
had a vision and ran with it."
Business sophomore Zachary
White, another event organizer,
said the main goal of the prayer
marathon is to unite campus
Christian groups and students
through prayer.
"Ultimately, our mission is
for people's lives to be changed
through Christ," he said. "We
hope that Christians can grow
closer in their relationship with
God through prayer and that
non-Christians can not only see
but also experience the differ-
ence in their life with having a
relationship with Jesus Christ
based in prayer."
Spencer said he hopes that
the event will help students see
prayer in a new light.
"Many believe that prayer can
be a very boring thing, that it's
just a commitment, something
that you have to do to be a Chris-
tian," Spencer said. "But prayer
can also be very exciting, very
high energy, that allows for many
miraculous things to happen. It's
intriguing and a really amazing
part of the Christian walk."
Spencer said that while some
might expect a 40-day prayer
event to occur during Lent - the

tonight
forty day period before Easter
which is often observed with
prayer and fasting - the begin-
ning of the semester is the per-
fect time for an event like this on
campus.
"Going from January to Feb-
ruary allows us to get 40 days
where people aren't quite as busy
with finals and papers and also
allows us to have 40 straight days
without any major breaks," Spen-
cer said.
Fox said using the prayer room
was a life-altering experience for
her.
"The prayer room holds a spe-
cial place in my heart because
my freshman year it was the
first place I ever truly experi-
enced God," Fox said. "We want
to see the lives of every person
who walks into the prayer room
changed as our lives have been
changed by the room. That is why
we continue to keep the prayer
room alive."
Fox added that she has heard
others talk about the room's
transformative power.
"I have seen the changes that
the prayer room creates in peo-
ple's lives," Fox said. "While most
of the people that come to the
prayer room are believers; their
lives are often changed through-
out the 40 days as their relation-
ship with God is deepened."

Incoming Panhellenic Association President Rachael Reeves said she will focus on
improving relationships between different Greek councils on campus during her term.

Conyers opposes Gupta nomination

 Detroit rep. says
choice lacks needed
experience for post
WASHINGTON (AP) - A key
Democratic House member is
rallying opposition to Dr. Sanjay
Gupta becoming the next sur-
geon general, contending the
39-year-old CNN correspondent
lacks experience.
GAZA VIGIL
From Page 1
Peaceworks at the vigil because
she thinks the current U.S. posi-
tion in the conflict is the wrong
one "regardless of whether or not
you view Israel as an oppressor."
"At this point, I'm just out here
supporting a middle ground," she
said.
LSA sophomore John Oltean
said he attended the event because
he was appalled by the "cata-
strophic violence" in Gaza.

House Judiciary Commit-
tee Chairman John Conyers,
D-Mich., urged Democrats to
sign onto a letter to President-
elect Barack Obama urging him
not to nominate Gupta, who is
CNN's chief medical correspon-
dent. .
"It is not in the best interests
of the nation to have someone
like this who lacks the requisite
experience needed to oversee
the federal agency that provides

crucial health care assistance
to some of the poorest and most
underserved communities in
America," Conyers wrote in a let-
ter released Thursday.
Obama has approached Gupta
to become the next surgeon gen-
eral, the cable network has said.
Obama has not yet announced
his choice for the position, which
typically disseminates public
health information.
Gupta hosts "House Call" on

CNN, contributes reports to
CBS News, and writes a column
for Time magazine. He is a neu-
rosurgeon and on the faculty
at Emory University School of
Medicine in Atlanta. During the
Clinton administration, he was a
White House fellow and special
adviser to then-first lady Hillary
Rodham Clinton.
Gupta is a native of Novi, Mich.,
which is near Conyers' Detroit-
area congressional district.

PANHEL PRESIDENT
From Page 1
the incoming executive vice
president of Panhel, worked
closely with Reeves in the past
as another member of the Alpha
Chi Omega executive board. She
said she is eager to continue their
work together.
"She's a great leader and she has
excellent ideas for the executive
board," she said. "I'm just really
excited for Rachael's enthusiasm
FLOOD DAMAGE
From Page 1
because we have a lot of custom-
ers that are local and from the high
schools," she said. "Also, this being
the first week students came back

and dedication to trying to improve
the system positively."
LSA junior Stephenie Lazarus,
Panhel's vice president for public
relations, said in the short time
since Reeves' election, she has
already shown great leadership.
"Rachael has great ideas for
the Panhellenic Association and
has already approached me with
ideas for next year's recruitment."
Lazarus said. "Also, she has begun
to utilize the entire executive
board and is very receptive to
everyone's suggestions."
has hurt us a lot."
Big House Tanning, where the
flooding originated, re-opened on
Tuesday after suffering extensive
water damage. The business had to
replace its floors, ceiling and.two
tanning beds, as well as repaint
the walls.

I

"We need to take a stand against
it," Oltean said. "As a privileged stu-
dentofthe U.S., itismydutytocome
here and represent these people."
About 10 to 15 people demon-
strated in opposition to the event.
Ann Arbor resident Henry Hersk-
ovitz said the candlelight vigil was
not the right message to send.
"My purpose for coming here
is to tell the people holding can-
dles that this is not an appro-
priate response to an, ongoing
genocide," Herskovitz said. "An
appropriate response is to say,
'stop Israeli aggression against an

indigenous population that's basi-
cally unarmed."'
Another person demonstrating
against the vigil, Ann Arbor resi-
dent Michelle Kinnucan, said she
was protesting the United States'
financial, military and diplomatic
backing of Israel.
"It's important to take a stand
against the massacre that's occur-
ring with the full backing of the
United States government," Kin-
nucan said, while standing on an
Israeli flag and waving a flag asso-
ciated with Hamas.
Overall, the vigil attendees

didn't seem bothered by the pres-
ence of the other protestors.
One attendee, Amanda Bow-
man, a sophomore at Eastern
Michigan University, said she
wasn't surprised that.other -dem-.
onstrators showed up.
"I kind of expected it. I don't
really feel threatened," she said.
Groups sponsoring the event
included the Muslim Student
Association of Washtenaw Com-
munity College, Jewish Voice for
Peace, American Jews for a Just
Peace and Women's International
League for Peace and Freedom.


OBAMA PLAN
From Page 1
At an American Economic Asso-
ciation meeting in San Francisco,
leading economists, includingPeter
Gottschalk, a labor economics pro-
fessor at Boston College, spoke in
support of an economic bailout that
is centered on large-scale govern-
ment spending and reinvestment in
infrastructure nationwide.
A draft of the bill hasn't yet been
put before Congress, and despite

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For Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009
ARIES
(March 21 to April 19)
You feel pulled between the demands
of home and family and the demands of
your job or your external world. Don't
try to solve everything. (This is due to
today's Full Moon.)
TAURUS
(April 20 to May 20)
This particular Full Moon is an acci-
dent-prone day for you because it sets up
tension within you and makes you dis-
tracted. Therefore, slow down and do
things carefully.
GEMINI
(May 21 to June 20)
Today's Full Moon makes you feel
pulled between protecting or earning
your own money versus dealing with the
funds of others. You can't ignore your
responsibility to others.
CANCER
(June 21 to July 22)
This is the only Full Moon in your
sign all year. That's why you feel
increased tension when dealing with
partners and close friends. Stay frosty.
LEO
(July 23 to Aug. 22)
Be patient with co-workers today,
because people are extra tense due to
today's Full Moon. Don't sayIhetirst
thing that comes to mind. Think before
you speak.
VIRGO
(Aug. 23 to Sept. 22)
Today's Full Moon might make you
quick to criticize or oppose friends and
groups. You're not sure which side of the
fence tobe on.
LIBRA
(Sept. 23 to Oct. 22)
This is spoor day to deal with bosses,
parents, teachers, VIPs and the police.
You won't be able to keep everyone
happy. Be cool.

SCORPIO
(Oct. 23 to Nov. 21)
Be careful. This is an accident-prone
day because of the Full Moon. If you
slow down and are aware of what you
say and do, nothing has to happen.
SAGITTARIUS
(Nov. 22to Dec. 21)
Tension about finances or cash flow
could arise because of today's Full
Moon. If you can postpone a decision
about money and possessions, do so.
CAPRICORN
(Dec. 22to Jan. 19)
Today is the only Full Moon opposite
your sign all year: In fact, you're part of
the formula! This means you have to be
extra patient with loved ones and part-
ners.
AQUARIUS
(Jan. 20to Feb. 18)
Because you're restless and impatient
today, your dealings with co-workers or
medical people could go awry or be mis-
understood. Relax; just cool your jets
and keep smiling.
PISCES
(Feb. 19 to March 20)
Tension with groups or casual
acquaintances and friends might arise
because of today's Full Moon. Ask your-
self Am I part of the problem or part of
Ike solution?
YOU BORN TODAY You're amaz-
ingly tough and resilient. When others
have long given up, you continue to per-
severe and succeed in attaining your
goals. You're a practical realist. You
don't kid yourself. You do your home-
work. You easily assume leadership or
you can work in partnership-with others.
You often hide your true feelings behind
amask. This yearyumurk hard to build
or construct something important.
Birthdate of: Rod Stewart, singer;
George Foreman, boxer; Jim Croce,
singer/songwriter.

earlier hopes that an economic
recovery package could be passed
by both houses before Obama's
inauguration, leaders of both polit-
ical parties doubt if that goal is fea-
sible.
During an appearance on NBC's
Meet' the Press Sunday, Sen-
ate Majority Leader Harry Reid
(D-Nev.) didn't give a clear time-
table for the passage of a stimulus
package.
Democratic party leaders,
including Senate Budget Com-
mittee chairman Kent Conrad
(D-N.D.), are confident that an
economic recovery package of
some kind will be drafted and
approved by Feb.16.
One issue that may stall the
plan is Obama's scramble to find
someone to serve as secretary of
commerce. Obama's initial pick
for the position, former New
Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson,
withdrew his name from con-
sideration last week due to an
ethics investigation into busi-
ness conducted by the state of
New Mexico when he was gov-
ernor.
Richardson has denied any
wrongdoing in the case but
withdrew because the investi-
gation would delay his confir-
mation hearings.
In addition to complicating
Obama's plan to get an eco-
nomic stimulus package up and
running as quickly as possible,
the scramble to find a replace-
ment may allow Congressional
Republicans the time to build
a stronger coalition against the
stimulus package.
There has already been
strong opposition to large-tale,
federally funded infrastructure
improvements by Republicans
in the House and Senate, even
those plans which would leave
the spending of federal funds
up to the discretion of state and
local governments.
However, in his speech yes-
terday Obama responded to
these concerns, saying that
while the cost of his plan will be
"considerable," the consequenc-
es of doing nothing "will lead to
an even greater deficit of jobs,
incomes and confidence jn our
economy."
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