As I walked up the stairs leading to Langdale Hall I sat at my usual spot overlooking the construction. The first thing I noticed was the sound of the heavy old building hitting the concrete floor and the chatter of students trying to get into the building. I realized at this moment that these very sounds was what made a city so chaotic yet exciting. My spot outside of langdale is therapeutic to me. This is where I come whenever I need to wind down from a long day or just to pass the time between classes. The construction noises don’t bother me anymore, I’ve learned to block them out into the background. There’s so much going on in just this small space that it’s become one of my favorite spots on campus where I can just sit, put in my airpods and relax.I looked around and noticed how students were either rushing to their classes, typing away at their keyboards, or trying to meet up with friends. After all, it was a Friday afternoon, and we all wanted to ease out of the school setting. As people walked passed me I kept hearing the same phrase, “It’s so cold!” and indeed it was. I started to feel chilly as the day had been gloomy, I could feel my face starting to turn a bit red from the icy wind and I kept my hands in my pockets in attempts to keep them warm. I began to get flashbacks of when I was home cozying up in my bed and putting on my favorite movie.  At this point I wondered and thought to myself where all the people struggling to have a home, go to find comfort.

   Going to school in downtown Atlanta it’s inevitable to see at the very least one homeless person laying on the sidewalk or under bridges. They never bother anyone for the most part, they just sit and stare and sometimes will ask for a few dollars. When the weather gets colder this is when they come to mind the most. Anytime I can, I like to give some spare cash out and hope that they use it to get themselves something beneficial for them. Maybe a meal or a blanket or something to keep them hydrated. However, “a few dollars” doesn’t last too long and they will still be out on the busy streets just watching as people pass by hoping someone feels generous enough to help them out. In my opinion the case would be different if they were given a chance to work for their earnings instead of them having to keep asking for spare change. As I sat on the cold seat in the lobby area outside of Langdale I couldn’t help but think maybe if the school had an organization dedicated to helping the homeless that are so close to our campus we could help make a difference. This help can include care packages, blankets during the winter time, making sure they’re being fed. Sitting in this space really helped open my mind up even more to the issue because as I look around I see the students in sweaters, boots, some have umbrellas in their bookbags side pouch. It made me feel like if we can make a difference to make people feel seen and that they matter then it’ll be a big step in the fight against homelessness in Atlanta. Maybe another idea we can do to open people’s mind on the subject is to let them know that we don’t know the reason that these people don’t have a home. Many homeless people are looked down upon and although it is an unfortunate situation, many of them haven’t been given the chance and opportunities to come up from this. Nobody really knows what put these people on the streets and since we don’t know that information we have no room to judge them.