Coming back to campus has been overwhelming, to say the least. It's busy, intimidating and especially unfamiliar. In times like these, we tend to seek familiarity. Shreyas Pingle, a sophomore at USC, seems to have had a similar experience. Around 10pm on Sep. 15, he decided to go to "The Little Chapel of Silence" at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

Shreyas walks into the Chapel, and immediately heaves a sigh of relief as he sits down on the pew. He closes his eyes in deep meditation and rests his head back. He says, "I considered myself Catholic for a time, and I did believe that God existed. When I turned 14, a lot of events happened in my life, which made me question my religion. There were a lot of personal events as well, where the church really didn't have very many answers for me. From that point in time, I transitioned my view into believing that God exists, but I don't need to necessarily actively pray to Him. At times. I believe God doesn't exist and other times I believe there is something here. Yeah, I definitely don't pray anymore."

While he may not believe in God in the more conventional way, he does believe in his community. "It doesn't have anything to do with God anymore. But it has to do with what that community itself meant. I've never stopped loving the church community. I think just because I've put aside my belief that I should worship God regularly, doesn't mean that I have to put aside my belief about seeking spirituality and mindfulness. And that's why I go to church primarily, it's a quiet and safe space. It's a space where I can be with myself, be with my thoughts, and just be mindful," he says.

When asked what Shreyas thinks of the Prayer Book, he says "I think it's a deeply spiritual thing to be doing. For me, writing in the book is a little bit like glimpsing humanity, especially on this campus with the Chapel's prayer book. I think reading everyone's experiences and everyone's struggles lets you realize that you're just one of a lot of other people who are going through religious, spiritual and mental well being related traumas and pains on campus. Reading everything else is like an affirmation of the fact that there are a lot of people like you, and everyone is getting through it together. It's a very good affirmation of our collective humanity." For a lot of students on campus, the Prayer Book is like a shared diary of sorts.

Anna Vo, a non-religious sophomore, believes that the concept of a Prayer Book is a "great idea because many people don't know how to openly express or convey their feelings." When asked if she would write in a Prayer Book, she says "if I ever had a big momentous event happening, I would." In the midst of chaos all of us seek anonymity, solitude and peace, because that is most familiar to us.

"I think coming to campus, I'm very far away from my home, I think everything about this country and everything about this university is so different from what I've experienced or what I'm used to and sometimes it can get very frustrating, tiresome and exhausting. I think going to church has been very good in that, I know exactly what I'm getting into. I think it's a place where I can let it all out internally," Shreyas says of finding familiarity within the unfamiliarity of campus. He sits in silence, looking straight ahead, practicing his "mindfulness and meditation."

For Shreyas, all his history with the Church doesn't change the sense of familiarity he finds in it. The Little Chapel of silence is a safe space: not only one of worship but one of rejuvenation and spirituality. He finishes collecting his thoughts and stands up, smiling. It has truly been an experience for him and he is glad he has found this place to come back to when he needs an escape.