It’s 2017 people, why are you still taking your shoes off in the IC?

With exam season looming and everyone’s sense of common decency out the window, things in the IC are getting heated. Throngs of people have returned to the Steel City in order to get an early start on revision and it had wildly backfired as everyone has done the same thing and decorum has taken a backseat.

Quite apart from the people eating an imaginative range of smoked fish and eggs and using laptops at desks with computers, a line of decency has been crossed.

Not only is the IC getting full by 11am, some have decided that this could be more painful and have taken it upon themselves to slide round the library with no shoes on, with some even taking a trip to the loo minus shoes, give me strength. In breaking news, in the last few hours there was even a bare-footed sighting.

Where is your shame Sir?

A day in the IC wrestling with your essay or endlessly highlighting entire books isn’t the most desirable thing in the world, let alone when you quite literally end up next to a foot. Yes, I’m sure it is more comfortable for you, but have a heart and think about the rest of us, no?

The odour is the first thing that hits with a strength radius of normally around two flexi-space tables. Have they been to the gym or have they just decided that the water will get em in the shower? The jury is out.

Sure, being comfortable while you are working is a necessity, so slip on the largest hoodie you own and stick on some joggers or gym leggings and accept the fact that your appendages are going to have to stay firmly in your shoe. Maybe save it just for your flatmates rather than the 1,000 odd people across the IC who will be cursing your lack of footwear.

Why?

Not only that, what’s actually on the IC floor? Can you be sure? As the answer is no, and with questionable rumours of an incident on level four running ripe on Yik-Yak last year, its probably safest for your health if there remains a shoe-based barrier between the floor and your feet.

The end result however is the same and no matter how nice the pair of socks, I guarantee that no-one in the library wants to see them, so this exam season do good by being good.