Student home for Reading Week calls mom ‘Professor’

With those who made the voyage home for the week-long study break beginning to return, one student has come back with a home-coming horror story. First-year Jane Reid called her mom by her favourite professor’s name. 

“My mom asked me if I was doing my essay. I said ‘Yes, Professor Venagi’,” she said. “I think she thought I was just mocking her. It’s better that way.” 

Reid has been shamefully sharing her story to anyone who will listen, urging them to be on guard when they speak to their parents. 

“I don’t want anyone else to have to go through this,” she said. “Since getting back, I can’t even bring myself to pick up the phone and call her. What if it happens again?” 

It may be too late. Since Reid stepped forward, many more students have shared their own stories on as many social media platforms as they can get their hands on. 

“It seems to be an epidemic,” said representative for the Student Life and Learning Support team, Taylor Liang. “We’ve been aware that this has happened here and there, but we couldn’t have imagined the scale. 

The team has now announced that they will be offering free counseling to all students who have experienced this, to widespread support. 

“I’m so grateful that the school is doing this,” said second-year Emra Updor. “I called my dad Sharon. You should have seen the pain in his eyes. I’ll live with that guilt forever.”