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Religious Groups Search for Space

Eck is the director of the Pluralism Project at Harvard, an effort she initiated in 1991 to study the multireligious nature of America.

She says the project was inspired by the increasing religious diversity she saw among students in her classes.

Many students say the religious diversity at Harvard has also helped them learn more about their spirituality.

Vipul Patel says he has started meeting regularly with students in the Harvard-Radcliffe Christian Fellowship over dinner.

"We've been getting together to exchange ideas and discuss our different beliefs," he says.

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Clayton says a more formal setting, the Interfaith Forum, has allowed for "open dialogue" among religious groups.

Despite signs of growing religious diversity and cooperation at the College, however, student leaders like the Islamic Society's Qadeer say that the need for an accessible space of one's own persists.

"Students who already have a pre-inclination to coming to prayer services do," Qadeer says. "But there is an untapped pool of people who just find it inconvenient."Crimson File PhotoA MEETING SPACE: "Having Hillel on campus was an important part of making it a mainstream part of students' life," says Adam M. Kleinbaum '98, Hillel chair.

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