Who let the dogs out??? Some of our fellow UCSB students, that's who.

Most UCSB students have come across at least one bare footer in their time here and the experience is funny at best and unsightly at worst, but rarely ever pleasant. Though UCSB technically does not have a dress code, wearing shoes around campus is a necessity for everyone's wellbeing. Students within the vicinity of bare feet are unfairly subjected to the sight, or even worse the stench. Either way it becomes uncomfortable and even sometimes a distraction, hindering one's ability to learn.

On the other hand for those who rock out with their dogs out, it's all fun and games until it's not. Unfortunately, we do not live in a raw dog friendly society. Walking barefoot leaves one vulnerable to harsh temperatures, sharp objects, pollutants, and germs. Due to the lack of proper feet safety and sanitation in our beach town, walking around barefoot is an unrealistic ideal. The memefication of feet should also be noted, as it causes Gen Z to pay particular attention to this body part. Because of this collective hyper-fixation, those who go barefoot will stand out particularly to a campus full of Gen Z students. This almost guarantees a picture to be taken of this person, and their feet, that will be posted on Snapchat stories and in group chats.

However, the consequences of walking bare foot does not negate the benefits. There is cultural significance, spiritual importance, and mental benefit to going back to our roots and walking around with the shoes we were born with. Thus, if the demand for the freedom of feet is high then the solution would be designated on campus dog parks. These dog parks would be areas where students have the freedom to walk bare footed in a clean and safe space. Some suggested dog park areas would be the chemistry lawn, the North Hall square, the library lawn, or the SRB lawn. To ensure proper hygiene there would also be washing stations for when students are finished frolicking on their bare feet. Currently the school brings dogs onto campus for people to pet and relieve stress during finals. So, why not let students bring out their own dogs to safely roam campus?

For all the dogs, UCSB should be a bare-foot free campus until the school facilitates safe spaces.