Looking around, it seems like there is an epidemic sweeping the NSU campus. It will probably not make you physically sick and it is not really life changing, but it is definitely contagious. It’s the growing trend of walking around barefoot.
When I first saw a person walking barefoot on our campus, it was raining and I thought, “What a smart way to keep your shoes from getting soaked,” but my supportive attitude towards this trend changed when I realized that walking barefoot was not a way to beat the rain.
I soon discovered that the person I saw walking barefoot was not just trying to protect her shoes. Rather, she wanted to follow this new trend and not wear shoes at all. When I started paying attention, I noticed more and more people without shoes. They are walking around campus, standing in line for food and even attending classes barefoot. This is a horrible and unsanitary habit. Students shouldn’t walk around barefoot for multiple reasons.
I do not understand why students do not wear shoes around campus these days. It is really not pleasant to look at their dirty feet. I would also guess that their feet do not smell the nicest after they walk from one side of the campus to another. What scares me is that people seem to be used to it, and nobody gives them weird looks. It is almost like they are supporting this behavior.
College students are not known to be the most sanitary people, but this trend takes it way too far. Do students not realize how many diseases inhabit the ground? What is the point of getting medical shots, wearing clothes or taking a bath? How far will this new trend go-are people going to stop wearing clothes, too? There must be something done that will draw a line that students will not cross.
A common disease that students could catch from not wearing shoes is “athlete’s foot.” This skin condition is caused by fungus. According to Debra Wood, a writer for the Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, “Fungus thrives in warm, moist places such as locker rooms and swimming pool areas.” This makes me think that hot and humid Florida seems like a perfect place to catch this fungus. The risk factors that increase your chance of contracting athlete’s foot are “not keeping your feet clean and dry, hot, humid weather, walking barefoot in locker rooms or public places,” according to Wood. Basically, our students are asking for this disease, because they have no protection from the dirty, wet ground. This type of fungus thrives in humid environment, and students only help to spread it when they walk barefoot. If their health is not their priority, they should be mindful of other people, at least.
Although students should recycle their trash, there is still litter on campus. All the prohibited cigarette butts, sharp objects and construction equipment does not make the ground a safe place to walk barefoot on. I have not seen students carrying around a first-aid kit, so I would like to see what they would do if they cut their foot on their way to class.
Have they not been taught that safety comes first? There is such a variety of shoes out there. From all the color variations and different styles, pick one.
If being unsanitary is not enough of a reason to stop this trend, I believe it is also disrespectful. It’s one thing to walk barefoot while having a picnic with friends, but it’s another thing to attend classes with no shoes on. I feel really bad for the professors who have to look at all of those feet. I am certain students are aware of the fact that it is not hygienic. Plus, by doing so, they are not showing any respect to the professors. I do not think that someone can take their class seriously and have respect for their professors when he or she does not even make the effort of putting shoes on for their lecture.
I am putting my foot down-in my shoe. Students should really consider the sanitation and protection that shoes offer before leaving without them. So take care of your feet and show respect by simply wearing shoes. Many public places such as restaurants and retail stores require their patrons to wear shoes, so what makes people think that it is fine to go without shoes on campus? What if someone does not feel like wearing pants one day? Are people going to overlook that, too? Students need to lace up and stop spreading this trend.
