August 20, 2013 Dear Big Dawg, I do not think I am actually going to ever call you Big Dawg

in person or in any other writing assignment. he name !ust does not roll o"" the tongue in a com"orta#le way. hat, and I really do not see an association #etween you and the nickname Big Dawg. $ay#e i" you were a more heavyset guy who made sporadic #arking noises in the middle o" class, this would #e a di""erent story %though a"ter class yesterday, I could see this as a "easi#le occurrence&. As "or possi#le nicknames "or me, I was nicknamed '(tar )i"e* in high school "or my senior year. +ow did this come a#out, -ell, the ma!ority o" the varsity #asket#all team at my school was composed o" athletes in my class year. hese "ellow students decided to come up with a little nickname "or their group, '.(tar)i"e* %the . is silent&. /ur class during senior year was re0uired to do a "ormal inauguration o" the new "reshman class. 1ach senior had to give a small point o" advice to a selection o" one or two "reshmen. It could #e any point o" advice. $y advice was to take the 2(A serious, as I learned that the 2(A was a huge help "or my (A . Anyway, a"ter each student gave their point o" advice, they had to introduce the ne3t senior. $y "riend 4reg had gone #e"ore me, and in a random comedic act, he introduced me as $a3 '(tar )i"e* -arren. /ur entire class #urst into laughter. o "urther the "unny, a"ter introducing my "riend ravis, who was to #e a"ter me, I took two steps "rom the microphone, turned around, went #ack to the microphone, cleared my throat, and said '(tar li"e* while throwing up a random gang sign. I did not literally throw up a real gang sign, I !ust twisted #oth o" my hands into a random #lo# and held them up. It was a real kicker. I was really surprised that our class was not disciplined "or our actions. $ay#e Davidson Day (chool %that5s my high school5s name, in case you couldn5t "igure that out& had an administration that "ound our antics "unny at the time. I know a lot o" the teachers attending the event "ound it "unny, though may#e not as much as those who coined .(tar)i"e. It was not long #e"ore everyone #egan to call me (tar )i"e. I do not pre"er this name. It makes me "eel like I am an amateur rapper or a mem#er o" a street gang, and I am o#viously neither o" those things. 6ow, I think that is enough a#out nicknames. )et me "ormally introduce mysel". $y "ull name is $a3well (cott -arren, #ut I go #y $a3. I was given the middle name (cott a"ter my late uncle (cott -il#erg, who was involved in a "atal car accident #e"ore I was #orn. I was #orn on 6ovem#er 27, the hanksgiving o" 1883. 1veryone in my "amily calls me a turkey #a#y #ecause o" this. I was #orn in 9harlotte, and lived there "or "our years #e"ore moving to my current home in (tatesville, 69. It5s a small town, which you would never e3pect "rom a town that is placed at the intersection o" the two ma!or interstates I:;; and I:<0. I went to pu#lic school in (tatesville "or my elementary school years, #ut due to the danger o" drugs and gang violence that occurred at the middle school I was districted to

attend, my "amily placed me in private school. Davidson Day (chool is that private school. It is located in Davidson, 69. his is currently my second year at =699. $y immediate "amily consists o"> my mother, 9hristina? my "ather, @on? and my older sister, 9ara. -e have one dog, +arley, who is a 9airn errier. +e reminds me a lot o" oto "rom he -iAard o" /A %the 1838 "ilm&. $y writing e3perience has #een "airly small. he longest paper I have ever written is a "ive page research paper that I wrote "or my =( +istory class. I attempted to take a di""erent 164) 1102 during the (pring 2013 semester, #ut I dropped the course in the dropBadd period. I did this not #ecause I was a"raid I would do #ad in the course or anything like that. I "elt the class was inter"ering with my other class grades. I got on the dean5s list that semester, and "elt like that would not have #een the case had I kept the course. I do actually en!oy typing my thoughts on a computer more than I do writing my thoughts on paper. I "ind that I am a#le to type on a computer more 0uickly, and thus I keep my train o" thought more easily. $y mind runs at a hundred miles an hour, and I need the a#ility to put down words 0uickly. 2lus, writing cramps up my wrist, and a cramped wrist is !ust not "un at all. I look "orward to this class. It seems like I have a nice lineup o" comedians "or teachers this semester, which is good. A lot o" my classes last year were not engaging. I can tell that is not going to #e the case in this class. Crom, $a3