WESTWOOD — According to sources, UCLA student Neil Taegan, known for openly mocking Economics Professor Hui Li’s Chinese accent, has no qualms about T.A. Sofia Russo’s Italian accent.
“Not gonna lie, at this point I go to my discussion section just to listen to her talk. Everything sounds sophisticated coming from her,” said Taegan, who has been inspired to pursue a minor in Italian. “It’s a shame Professor Li isn’t more like her. I don’t know how I’m supposed to get my education when I can’t even understand his broken English—what a waste of tuition.”
“Sure, when it comes to Sofia, sometimes you have to think a little about what she means, but if you try hard enough you can always figure it out. After all, isn’t this why people come to college in the first place? It’s all about meeting people from diverse backgrounds and expanding your horizons,” said Taegan, who, according to the study, often looks visibly annoyed when Li pronounces “volume” as “wolume.”
When asked to comment on Li’s teaching style, Taegan snorted and said “Last time I checked, this is Economics 201B, not Chinese 1. Not that it’s a race thing–I love Asian people! One of my best friends is Korean, right Andrew?” he said as he gave Andrew Ha, President of the Vietnamese Student Union, a playful punch on the shoulder.
Researchers say Taegan spends two out of three lectures browsing Reddit on his phone as his Economics textbook lies under a pile of dirty clothes in his room, still in its plastic packaging.
