It’s 4:30 on a Thursday afternoon and students are gathering in the Forest Room at the Student Union. A few of the male students bow in the eastern corner chanting a prayer softly.

Many Sacramento State students attend similar meetings sponsored by more than a dozen religious groups represented on campus this semester.

Gospel Choir, Latter Day Saint Student Association, Jewish Student Association, Muslim Student Association, Baha” Student Association, Campus Crusade for Christ, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship are a few of the examples on the religious menu at Sac State.

Membership tallies of the different organizations varies from a few to a few hundred. Daniel Heyenbruch, president of Campus Crusade for Christ is trying to recruit more members to their small group to volunteer in the community, gather for debates on topics such as evolution versus creation, and attend annual conferences.

But it’s hard to get new members states Heyenbruch.

“We try not to be overly flashy. We don’t want to doll it up to be something its not,” he said.

Many of the organizations meet weekly in the University Union. Last Thursday’s meeting for the Muslim Student Association drew approximately 30 of its 200 members.

The topics discussed included upcoming events, fundraisers, dedication to prayer and ways to reach out to non-Muslim students.

Ali Iqbal, vice president, of MSA, said Islam parallels Christianity and Judaism. Muslims believe in Jesus and Abraham as prophets.

“We take all these religions into account,” Iqbal said. “The faith is real simple. We believe in one God and Mohammad is His messenger.”

Iqbal distinguishes Islam from other religions on campus. Many of the women wear the Hijab headscarf and believers pray five times each day.

“Islam is more of a lifestyle,” he said.

He believes it’s good to have religions represented on campus because The clubs raise the moral consciousness of students, staff and faculty.

Iqbal said the media sometimes conveys the wrong impression about Muslims which leads to misunderstanding about the religion and the people. Muslims come from all over the world, Iqbal said, and are very culturally diverse.

“It’s not fair to classify us as one group,” he said.

Most of the religious organizations on campus keep a low profile, preferring to be sought out rather than make an overt display evangelizing on campus.

The Baha” religion doesn’t allow proselytizing said Marcella LaFever, secretary of the Baha” Student Association.

“We’re not about trying to convert people,” she said.

Baha” is the youngest of the world’s independent religions established in Persia around 1844 and recognizes the same messengers such as Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Christ and Mohammad of other religions LaFever said. Baha’u’llah is the most recent in line of those prophets.

“Each messenger and prophet comes for the time and place,” LaFever said. “The central theme is that humanity is one single race and that the day has come for its unification in one global society.”

LaFever said that there are about eight Baha” club members on campus, plus the faculty advisor, and the group teams with other organizations that have similar principles.

Baha” celebrates several different holidays while including traditions of other cultures, like Christmas and Thanksgiving.

But the Baha” April New Year is their biggest celebration. It begins with 4-5 day period of gift giving, followed by fasting from sunrise to sundown for 19 days. The first day after the fast, Apr. 21, there is a big celebration with food and entertainment.

“It’s a time to really look at how your serving mankind.” LaFever said.

Another club, Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, meets every Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in the Union and averages about 60 students according to Carrie Bridges, Sac State senior and club president.

“It’s open to all people. Christian, not Christian, everyone is still welcome to come,” said Bridges.

Bridges said she likes having Chi Alpha on campus.

“Its good to have some kind of connection to an organization,” she said. “It helps me grow stronger.”

Bridges believes college is a time to check out different religions, and points out that Chi Alpha doesn?t focus strictly on religion.

“We’re about relationships.” Bridges said.

And although conversion is not the main goal of most campus religion clubs, they hope students will visit them.

“Students could come up and get to know us,” Iqbal said.