Closed Toed:
By Aanya Goel
This little piggy started to scream, this little piggy started to shout, all of these little piggies want to be out. This is exactly what “toe-truthers” want you to believe when they wear their open-toe Birkenstocks and flip flops to school every day. While they claim that their lifestyle is “open” and “freeing,” the rest of us are subjected to the sight of their uncaged dogs.
The issue in itself, is not the shoes themselves, but rather the people wearing the open-toe shoes. Specifically, junior Julie Piedrahita is one of these people, constantly causing disruptions with their shoes. For instance, in our fourth period Advanced Placement (AP) Precalculus Class, Piedrahita consistently takes her shoes off to grab me, as well as our other classmates, with her toes. Her toes distract students and friends from doing their work, preventing them from doing vital learning in a challenging AP class.
That being said, I understand that as the weather gets hotter, many students will want to wear open-toed shoes and sandals to embrace the warmer seasons. If a student keeps their feet clean and in their shoes during the day, it would not cause any distractions and be perfectly appropriate.
The issue stems from students distracting others with their feet, or if their feet are disgusting enough, preventing others from engaging in class. Although the United States Constitution states freedom of expression, it also states, “Public school students in the US possess First Amendment rights to free expression, including speech, attire, and peaceful protest, provided they do not cause “substantial disruption” to the educational process.” Unfortunately for Piedrahita, her disruptive behavior is substantial enough for her to disobey this law, forgoing any protection she has under the Constitution.
Open Toed
By Julie Piedrahita
Wearing open-toe shoes is a rite of passage for students of all levels who have been subjected to the forced conformity of closed toe shoes during the colder months. Open-toe shoes are a symbol of freedom, while also promoting increased hygiene and breathability. The people that try to stomp on these freedoms claim that “uncaged dogs” are cause for concern, and to that I say: the First Amendment of The U.S. Constitution gives the freedom of expression to all people in America, even our school’s students.
Open toe shoes, commonly found at our school in the form of Birkenstocks and flip-flops, offer comfort in the increasingly warmer months. They give students breathability, meaning less moisture will get trapped in their shoes, leading to less pungent scents in our hallways. In addition, they give students the opportunity to express themselves through their fashion sense. Any nay-sayers are inherently against the youth of America being able to have freedom of fashion, in turn silencing youth voices at our school. Students have an inherent right to showcase their individuality, and taking away open-toed shoes begins a slippery slope into orwellian operations.
Some people, like junior Aanya Goel, would argue that “dogs out” in the classroom are a distraction. This is unfortunately such a non-problem; simply do not look at them? My toes do not call attention to your eyes, your eyes just always seem to find my toes. I think this issue says a lot about you, and how your eyes just can’t seem to leave my feet. We even asked the opinion of our school’s principal.
“It’s time to get them [toes] out.” Principal Dr. Kevin Clark said.
