"They've sort of been in their prayer rooms but now they are beginning to come out of the closet," says Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III. "I've thought for sometime religion would become a greater part of the campus because of the increase in the number of Christian groups on campus."

And Adams House Master Robert J. Kiely says an increase in the number of courses dealing with religion, many of which are taught by prominent faculty, as well as decreased fear that religion will lead to bigotry, has made expression of religion more acceptable.

"There was a time when it was assumed that being religious was not a cool or intellectually respectable thing. I think that has really changed. It is a change across the country," he says.

Seeking Common Ground

Some campus observers suggest that students are grasping for a sense of community in reaction to increased cynicism and career pressures.

"What community there is is being eaten away by several things, including over-busyness'--the fact that certain types of community take a little bit of leisure," says Kiely, who has served as master of Adams for 26 years.

Kiely says Harvard students are now so busy that they have little time left to form strong bonds with their classmates.

"Something that does seem to have changed, although the economy is fantastic, is that students seem much more anxious about jobs," Kiely says.

Driskell criticizes Harvard for fostering a career-oriented mentality.

"The University prepares us to be great stockbrokers, or to run that soundstage in L.A., but it doesn't recognize us as individuals," she says.

This academic emphasis makes students cynical, King says.

"Harvard has all these individuals, all incredibly intelligent and accomplished [and] all that intelligence can lead to cynicism," he says.

A Fragmented Campus

While observers agree that students have become more community-oriented, they are less sure how to foster a sense of belonging.

From its colonial origins as a training ground for ministers, the College has become home to a tremendously diverse student body, with fewer common goals.