For incoming freshmen, move-in day brings a host of stressful factors — unpacking, separation from family members and meeting new people.
But for Maital Friedman '07, the hardest part of the day was that it fell on a Saturday, the Jewish holy Sabbath, which meant that she could not move in.
Friedman came to campus the following Monday, but she said she was frustrated by the experience.
"I didn't have the same opportunities," Friedman said. "I came in after all my roommates moved in so I got my space last and the RA (residential advisor) groups had a lot of events Friday night."
Other devout students, like Friedman, face a myriad of challenges in adjusting to campus life.
Long after move-in day, many students struggle to find a comfortable social niche and to uphold their religious values in a diverse campus environment. The transition from home can be especially difficult for freshmen.
"There is a large and vigorous religious community but it's not all that visible — it's easy for a freshman to get the impression that they are isolated, and taking the first step is really hard," Dean of Religious Life Tom Breidenthal said.
Many students find strength through religious organizations on campus. These groups become stable support networks for incoming freshmen and usually last throughout their academic careers.
"When I arrived on campus, I immediately looked for a Muslim community," said Zakiyyah Finney '06, president of the Muslim Student Association. She joined the MSA and became the organization's treasurer during her freshman year.
Finney said her extensive involvement enhanced her social life, provided her with weekend alternatives to the Street and gave her a sense of belonging.
Many religious student organizations work hard to provide a welcoming and inclusive environment for freshmen, said Lindsay Morris '08, an active member of the Center for Jewish Life (CJL). The CJL's study breaks and daily events helped her meet Jewish freshmen and upperclassmen.
"There's a lot of support for Jewish freshmen," Morris said. "I have a community that I know will help me."
Agape, a Christian fellowship on campus, actively recruits new members with a vigorous media campaign that includes posters, a website, weekly emails and an open house. The organization also set up a separate section within their ministry to handle freshman members.
"Freshman year is a crucial year," Agape president Randy Beard '05 said. "We are not number-conscious when it comes to recruiting freshmen, but we want to make sure that we are doing the best we can at our goal and that is really loving freshmen and providing them with the resources they need."
The University's Office of Religious Life also reaches out to students to help them develop a religious community.
Students have the opportunity to inform the Office of Religious Life of their religious affiliations through a survey administered during orientation week. The responses are then forwarded to campus ministers who can contact the students about religious opportunities on campus.
To raise campus awareness, the office also offers a website, an online newsletter and educational programs with the residential college advisory system to train minority affairs advisers and residential advisers.
Once connected with a religious group, some students find not only social support, but also an opportunity to learn more about their faith by interacting with members.
Jonah Perlin '07, a Jewish student who is active at the CJL, was surprised to encounter so many different traditions within his faith. Perlin said it was difficult to adjust to certain practices but on the whole his experience was interesting.
"I got used to specific traditions at home, but now at Princeton some students are more or less orthodox than I am," Perlin said. "So instead of being an expert I had to learn about the various traditions within the Princeton community."
While most students are excited about their affiliation with religious organizations, others worry about the social implications. Some expressed concern that a connection with a devout group may adversely affect their relationships outside of the organization.
Sean Cameron '05 said outsiders may pigeonhole religious students into narrow stereotypes.
"As soon as you join a group, people classify you only by that group," Cameron said. "It's easy to join a majority group because you can blend in more, but when you join a minority group people tend to think that you're really serious about your religion even if you're not."
A religion in itself can be socially limiting, said Friedman, who keeps a Kosher diet. Because the CJL is the only dining facility that provides Kosher meals, Friedman said he missed out on meals with her friends at the residential college.
While Breidenthal said he understands the concern, he also said it is important to at least try out a campus organization.
"Sometimes you have to risk the possibility of a stigma to do things that are important," Breidenthal said. "It can be a relatively private part — you can make that choice."
Religious students may also struggle with adapting to the Street. As a devout Christian, Beard said he felt uncomfortable with the widespread availability of alcohol and the "sexually-charged encounters."
"I think the Street is hands-down one of the most challenging issues for Christians to deal with. I was intimidated by the overwhelming nature of the Street," Beard said. "It is a difficult place to form meaningful relationships — the interactions I saw tended to be somewhat artificial and you always wonder what part alcohol played in the conversations."
Yet, many Christian students say they feel comfortable at the Street because the support network developed from their religious organization helped them stave off peer pressure.
Catie Draper '05, a member of Christian fellowship group Athletes in Action (AIA), said she has always enjoyed the Street. Alcohol is not an overwhelming factor at the Street, Draper said, because there are many other opportunities to have fun without alcohol, such as dancing or catching up with friends.
However, Draper added that without her group of friends from AIA, she might have been less inclined to go out.
"I found a group of friends through AIA and we went out together," Draper said. "There's strength in a group of people."
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