They gathered in front of Scholes Hall as dawn broke, linking arms around the flagpole, praying to Jesus Christ.
"I pray, Lord, for the faculty and the president," one said. Another prayed for intervention in the dorms and wherever temptation toward sin is present on campus.
Across the globe Wednesday, Christian students gathered around their school flagpole to pray in the 14th annual "See You at the Pole" prayer meeting.
The meeting started in Texas in 1990 when a small group of high school students came up with the idea of holding a prayer meeting at their school, according to the See You at the Pole Web site.
Now the prayer movement is said to have 3 million participants worldwide simultaneously praying at 7 a.m. on the third Wednesday of every September.
"My last one was in north Japan, in Misawa," UNM freshman Joshua Curtis said.
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Curtis prayed for God to guide New Mexico's political representatives in making moral policy decisions.
"Give them your insight," Curtis said. "Help them to use your word as their guide."
UNM student Jon Dunn said God does battle with Satan at UNM.
"The University is a point of a lot of conflict because this is where our future leaders are being educated," he said. "It's a battle between morality and immorality, good and evil."
He said the meeting is held under the flagpole to represent unity in America and to focus the prayer on political leaders.
"Our flag represents our country, and we want to represent our country," he said. "We're not here to push a doctrine - we're here simply to ask God for his guidance."
As the morning light broke through the trees, students departed for class.
"Last year I was the only one that showed up," UNM sophomore Daniel Burge said.
Fifteen people were in this year's circle.
He said it's encouraging when participants later recognize each other on campus, and added that people of all faiths are welcome.
Dunn said he's been attending the meetings since he was in elementary school.
More than 100 people attended one year when he was in Rio Rancho High School. Dunn said prayer has practical benefits. When someone misplaced his final exam last semester he began to pray to Jesus for help. He said he was surprised when soon thereafter the test was found and his GPA was corrected.
"If I'm here for a purpose, God will work it out to get all things accomplished," he said.
