If you’re walking on campus at the University of Arizona, there is one sound that has become synonymous in the background – and no it’s not “Bear Down Arizona.” What I am referring to is the cacophony of flip flop clacks heard round campus. But as is often the case with anything that is ubiquitous, it is overlooked and the choices behind wearing flip flops have been uninvestigated – until now. For the purposes of this article, we will investigate the legitimacy of wearing flip flops to class specifically.
Let’s examine the university’s newest soundtrack heard in stairwells and halls alike, beginning with two central questions: Is it acceptable to wear flip flops to class, and what message is sent to those around you if you do? Embedded in the colloquial name for sandals is a name that evokes minimal effort. One can simply flip it on and flop around – two verbs that are not exhausting. It is not unreasonable to think a low effort shoe could equate to a lower effort student. Contrast this with a running shoe or tennis shoe (sneaker) which forces the mind to imagine an athlete utilizing the sneaker to exert themself. Then of course there are boots or dress shoes, which each have a contextual association with labor (the main difference being the color of the collar). This association matters. Whether people like it or not, humans are constantly trying to derive out of anything they can, mainly to better understand the world around them. Frankly, flip flops have a very specific association – leisure. Which begs the question of if class should be viewed as leisure, or something more serious.
As I see it, some argue class alone is not worthy of covering their toes. I argue that class is not only worthy, but a great privilege. To that point, attending college, and for that matter class, is optional, students are not forced to attend, they voluntarily applied to the university. College is also an expensive luxury not available to billions of people around the world. In fact, a study from Harvard University found that roughly 6.7% of people across the world have a college degree. Students are endowed with the privilege to be educated at the highest levels, minimizing this fortune and trivializing it with the presence of flip flops disrespects the vast majority of the world’s population, which is unable to traverse college campuses on a daily basis.
Next, there’s the complacency of some students, triggered by a confidence in a larger system that will protect their future and subsidize their career. This confidence contributes to an attitude that attending college is necessary for the ends, but not the means. That simply possessing the degree and capitalizing on outside connections is sufficient for a successful career. Aligning with this mindset is a belief that attending class and prioritizing it within the complexion of your day is not necessary. But if some level of attendance is required to earn a degree, then it will be met with protest and minimal effort, symbolized perfectly with a flip flop.
Emanating from this thought pattern is a brazen display of invincibility. That some students are untouchable to the extent that they do not have to adhere to basic societal norms, such as wearing sneakers or shoes, and that there will be no consequences. They happen to be correct.
Furthermore, I would argue that those who feel professors are empowered over students are brutally mistaken – and students know it. Flip flops actually show that the power structure is reversed, and that certain students behold more power than professors do. The power imbalance stems actually from a labor imbalance. With long-term securities hanging over some students, they watch as their professors deliberate and lecture on material that has taken decades to cultivate. Those with these securities may never work as hard as a professor with a doctorate and seemingly endless expertise in their field. Regardless, in many cases these students will have more lucrative careers. Uninterested in the material, some students know what is needed to pass and earn a degree, and complete the bare minimum. The professor, confined by a system that adheres to students’ interests (class surveys), is powerless to upend this pattern. The power imbalance is so strong that students need not say a word about it. They can simply kick their feet up and showcase those flip flops – front and center – that’s a picture that says 1,000 words.
To substantiate my most recent argument, I will leave you with this final connection. Robert Herjavec is a billionaire businessman and entrepreneur who has appeared on numerous seasons of “Shark Tank” on ABC. One season, the cast of the show was introduced to a new shark, Mark Cuban. One of the first things Herjavec noticed about Cuban is that he often dressed in a tee shirt while the remainder of people on set were wearing suits and formal wear. Initially, Herjavec thought Cuban was unserious, but later realized the more important takeaway from Cuban’s wardrobe. “Fear the man in the tee shirt.” Wherever Cuban is, he does not need to impress anyone – they need to impress him. He has the cards, and they need to convince him to let them play. The same is true at the University of Arizona. You just have to pay attention to who holds the cards, and the best way to notice is to check who is wearing flip flops.