When summer comes around, the student population becomes notably less dense, and this is especially noticed by places of worship on campus.

Due to the lack of students on campus, many of the campus religious centers adjust accordingly. Marcey Goldstein , office manager of the Cohen Center for Jewish Life, home to the UIUC Hillel said that during the school year they have many activities throughout the week and special programs around holidays and finals. However, she said the foundation does almost nothing during the summer because it is student-based, so a lack of students includes a lack of activities.

Goldstein said that the Hillel also cuts back its hours to only five days a week from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. During school semesters, the foundation is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

“But as long as someone’s here, we’re open,” Goldstein said. “It allows for flexibility.”

Rabbi Rogerio Cukierman, executive director of the Hillel, said that although there is a lack of activity on campus, there are activities that occur in Chicago where current students reach out to new ones.

He also said that 60-70 students go on birthrights to Israel in the summer with two foundation staff members. Due to most of the students being off campus, Cukierman said that there is an adjustment to the weekly service.

“During the academic year, students basically lead services,” he said. “During the summer, the community steps up to help.”

The St. Andrews Lutheran Church and Campus Center also have seen fewer activities during the summer. Reverend Elaine Olson, pastor and director of the church and campus center, said that the church still has programs over the summer for any students who do stay on campus, but it is mostly planned by the students themselves.

The church does still worship once a week during the summer, and it is mostly attended by graduate students, Olson said.

“We’re here when people want to drop by and say hello,” she said. “We’re a touchstone if anyone needs us.”

Although Olson said that student population does decrease significantly, she did add that this does not mean a lack of contact with students who leave for the summer.

“We stay in contact throughout the summer through email and Facebook,” Olson said. “We have students all over the country and world — just because they’re not here doesn’t mean we don’t keep in contact with them.”

An even more significant decrease in student population is seen at the McKinley Presbyterian Church and Foundation. Keith Harris, associate pastor and executive director, said that most undergraduates go home, and they see an overall 80 percent decrease in student population. 

“We’re still trying to be a resource,” Harris said. “A lot (of students) go away though versus the fall.”

Because of this, Harris said there will be a decrease in services due to a decrease in need. He also said that there will not be near as many activities going on during the summer, but the church and foundation will still have Bible studies.

The St. John’s Catholic Newman Center also sees a decrease in services offered, said Jennifer LaMontagne, director of marketing and communications. During the school year, the church offers two masses per day while during the summer this is cut down to one per day.

A decrease in other services is also seen as during the school year, there are daily opportunities for confession while in summer it is only offered once a week. There are also no more panel or ministry events.

Unlike most of the campus churches, the Newman Center has a “built-in” student community with a residence and dining hall. LaMontagne said that during the school year, this hall houses 586 students, and it decreased to 25 students this summer.

“It gets pretty quiet,” she said. “We miss the students terribly when they’re gone.”

However, LaMontagne said that the Newman Center is looking forward to the summer homecoming during the weekend of July 19-21 where alumni and current students come back to campus.

The event includes ministry reunions, social events, spiritual talks, masses and a service project. This is open to anyone who has been involved with the ministries, has lived at the Newman Center or has gone to mass, past or current students.

“We’re really excited for homecoming,” LaMontagne said. “(We’re) hoping to see a lot of students and alumni to give us a boost until move-in day.”

A church in the campus area that does not see a vast difference in attendance between the school year and summer is the Central Illinois Islamic Center and Mosque, said Izzat El Hajj, a member of the mosque.

Hajj said that, like most churches, they see a big decrease in undergraduate students, but because so many families from the community are members, the center, he estimates, doesn’t see as big of a decrease.

Because the mosque is close with the Muslim Student Association, Hajj said that most activities for students happen during the school year when MSA is active. Even then, he said that most activities coordinated are targeted toward both students and the community.

One of the main things that do change during the summer is that more activities are offered to children like field trips, said Hanan Jaber, another member of the mosque. She also said that the holiest month of the year happens the summer: Ramadan.

Jaber said that this is when people of the mosque fast from sunrise to sunset and then they everyone gets together that evening for a big community dinner. These dinners happen every day for the whole month of Ramadan.

“(The) primary purpose is self-control,” Hajj said. “If you can control your hunger, you can control other things like anger.”

Jaber said that it is a very nice month as there is nothing like eating as a community to bring people closer together.

Kat can be reached at [email protected].