Reply #7: Damn that's funny! [View All]

[Modem Butterfly]

Hi-LARIOUS!

When I was a freshman, we had a professor who insisted on actually taking attendance (this is a 100 level class, lots of students). He told us that there were no excused absences, and that if someone were sick enough not to come to class they would have to bring a note from a doctor of their parents. He was a very old professor who would retire soon, and while everyone grumbled, we were all too young and naive to challenge him.

One day, he took role and, when he got to the name of a particular Japanese student, he asked for her excuse for missing the last class. She handed him a sheet of thermal fax paper (this was 1990). In heavily accented English, she said, "Here's a note from my father," The professor said, "I can't read this, it's in Japanese," and handed the note back to her. She said, "It says Masako sick. You excuse please," He tried to argue with her, explaining that he couldn't accept a note written from 8,000 miles away. She repeated herself, more loudly and more firmly, "It's a note from my parent. Says Masako sick. Says excuse, PLEASE," Finally, he accepted the note. The entire class stood and applauded.

Amazingly enough, he stopped requesting notes after that.