Over the last year, our resolution has been get to know our community a little better. What you like, what you dislike, who you are. We've learned from talking to you, there's a lot to enjoy by meeting our community.
What were you doing in eighth grade? If you're like us, it probably involved a lot of whining, and maybe some basketball. But today we'd like to introduce a young man wise beyond his years. A young man with class enough to write us a business letter. A young eighth grade man named Steven.
How could we ignore a gushing letter like that? So, after the jump, it's Ten Questions with thirteen year old Steven Sawtelle.
1) Who are you? Why did you decide to write us a letter?
I'm Steven Sawtelle, an eighth grader in the busy town of Phoenix, AZ. I wrote to you guys not so much for your shirt choices (although yes, that was also a major reason, too), but for the way you go about it. Having the community as a whole decide what shirts win is an amazing idea, and the designers that regularly submit are just amazing. I have yet to go around a whole day wearing a shirt.woot shirt and not have a compliment about it, which I absolutely love.
2) How'd you do? Did you get a good grade? Did you get extra credit because of this post?
As of the time of writing this, the letter has actually not been graded. Hopefully I do get a good grade, though :D And, maybe I will get extra credit, but we'll just have to see.
3) Did any of the other kids get a reply to their letter? Are you the winner now?
I don't believe any of them have, so I guess I am! Even if they did, though, this would definitely take the cake.
4) What do your parents think about the stuff we sell? Does your family shop with the other sites, or is it just you?
My dad is actually the one that started me on my Woot! obsession, as a matter of fact. He's more of a fan of the main Woot! franchise, though, whereas I am more of a shirt kind of guy. Also, my mom is jokingly cynical, so she just kind of lets us go at it alone. My oldest brother is also an addict too, and he is more of a hybrid customer (meaning he shops at both Woot! and Shirt.Woot!). My first shirt from you guys was actually a random shirt that he got and didn't like, so I took it over and have been wearing it for three years now.
5) What shirts do you own? Any shirt.woot artists whom you consider to be your favorite?
I used to have "School", with the Mario Kart Wii nod, but that one was tragically stolen in the locker rooms in PE a month or two ago. So now all I have is "I Just Call it Good Housekeeping", where the grim reaper is ironing the heart beat, and the one where the sun and rainbow are clocking out of work with the moon in the sky looking smug as ever (Ed: seen above), and the first one I got, with a worm in his underground lair with a bird lurking overhead. The worm has a giant fish-looking thing that will presumably bite the bird to death on the headbutt of a button. I actually remember wearing this one in sixth grade and being scared of getting dress-coded. Silly me.
That's my newest addition, "5 Second Rule", which I got recently for my birthday! And hmmm… my favorite artist? I couldn't say any for sure, but I do believe capttylor34 (The Donut Panic! creator), tgentry (for being the first one I actually realized was good), and BootsBoots/ramyb (for just amazing shirts).
6) Do you wear our shirts because you're an eighth grade mod, at the bleeding edge of fashion, or is it just something that you won't have to iron? Also, did you know what a mod was, or did you have to look it up?
I honestly had to look it up, and I still don't know what it means, but I'll just guesstimate that it means trend-setter or something like that. If that is the case, I'm not really one, but I like what I wear! And yes, not ironing is very nice too, haha.
7) Tell us about a time you were wearing one of our shirts and it got an interesting reaction.
Every single time I wear them. But I guess there's that one math teacher at my school who will never let me go by without stopping me for 10 minutes to praise my shirts and how hilarious and genius they are.
8) Will being in a shirt.woot blog post impress your friends? Or is this something you're hiding from them at all costs?
Nah, this gave me major bragging rights over them. Everyone else hasn't even gotten a letter, much less the coveted "free thing" that companies give away. Being in a blog is waaaay better than everything else though, IMO.
9) Do you vote in the derbies? Have you ever considered submitting your own shirt design?
I actually don't have an account and just use my dad's for buying/voting, but I do vote nonetheless. I remember "Donut Panic!", the first shirt I ever loved (and the one I referenced earlier), and how happy I felt voting for it. Alas, I never did get it, but I voted for it, so I was glad. And yes, I've thought about designing, but due to absolutely zero skills in art I've sadly given up on that. I have, however, inspired one of my teachers to start being an artist, so hopefully we'll hear from her soon.
10) And finally, what's your plan for the future? After all, you're going to need to be very rich so you can buy all our shirts from now on.
I'm not quite sure, but I would say it's somewhere in between a computer programmer and the President. Yeah, that sums it up nicely ;D
Thanks to Steven for his honest answers, even if we did edit out most of the emoticons. Now it's up to our savage forums to tell him how wrong he is about everything he's ever believed. And speaking of that, Dear Reader, we still want to learn more about you. Done something great? Something ridiculous? Something woot-related? Let us know! Maybe in 2011, you'll be the one answering the next ten questions!
