While it may not always receive as much attention as classes, athletics, parties and other aspects of college life, amid the flurry of activity, many Dartmouth students maintain active spiritual lives with help from an extensive network of religious organizations and services available at Dartmouth.
The College stopped requiring students to perform daily worship in 1925, but many continue to participate in the prayers and services of their respective faiths through the several dozen groups available at Dartmouth and around the Upper Valley.
Most campus religious organizations were formed under the support of the Tucker Foundation, which was founded to "further the moral and spiritual life of the College" and also oversees scores of community services projects and organizations. Others meet in private groups.
Students who do not find representation of their belief system can contact the Tucker Foundation to establish such a group on their own.
Muslim organizations
For students practicing the Islamic faith, biweekly meetings of Al-Nur are held at the Pavilion as well as regular Friday Jumaa prayers at Rollins Chapel near Baker Library.
Al-Nur also undertakes a variety of community service projects throughout the Upper Valley.
Last year, Al-Nur worked with Dartmouth Hillel in the institution of the Pavilion, a new Halal-Kosher-Sakhahara dining facility.
Jewish organizations
The five-year-old Roth Center next to the Choates residential cluster on the west side of campus houses Hillel, the center of Jewish life at Dartmouth.
Hillel, which sponsors an impressive range of social, cultural, intellectual and religious events, is among the more active organizations around campus.
Every Friday evening Shabbat services and home-cooked dinners are available, and on Saturday mornings Torah readings, discussions, and potluck lunches are offered.
Special events include bagel brunches, the annual Ski Shabbaton at Killington resort, films and holiday celebrations throughout the year.
Christian organizations
Roughly a dozen distinct groups provide a welcoming atmosphere for Christians of all varieties.
The Aquinas House at the end of Webster Avenue serves as a home base for Dartmouth's Catholic population while offering a extensive facilities open 24 hours a day including a library, computer room, study lounge, game room, television room, living room and kitchen open to all students.
Community services projects such as Good Beginnings (a volunteer baby-sitting service for poor working families), intimate discussion groups, and the "God-Squad" intramural sports teams shared with students from Hillel.
Among the Protestant groups around campus, Navigators Christian Fellowship, Campus Crusade for Christ and Asian Christian Fellowship offer weekly meetings for Bible study and organized retreats.
