Alp Ozgunduz

Professor Lynn Raymond

UWRT 1103

5 October 2015

Alp the Lion

My name is Alp Ozgunduz, one of the rare names people have in America. It’s

also Turkish, and it represents the Swiss Alps in Europe. MY parents chose this

name because in Turkish, it represents a lion.

Although I definitely do not consider myself an animal that enjoys killing

things, I would agree that my determination matches that of one. My peers have

always known me as an individual who does not give up easily because of my high

determination and I am very proud of that trait. And while I am very protective and

short tempered like a lion, I am loving and kind.

Another reason my parents named me Alp was because of how it sounded. In

Turkey, most names a very difficult to understand by foreigners. As a result, it

causes quite the frustration! For example, a name such as that of Çan sounds very

much like Can. While this may seem like it is true, it is actually incorrect and to

Turkish people, is actually pronounced as John. It is why my father, John Ozgunduz,

had to change the spelling of his name from Çan to accommodate for this

misunderstanding. This is why my parents named me Alp. Not only is it easy to

pronounce, but also in case anybody is unable to understand it, I can easily refer to

the Swiss Alps as a reference. Although the name is sincerely short and is viewed as

cute by some people, I do enjoy the perks of such an easy name.

Besides the fact that my name is short and is affiliated with an animal that I

don’t even like, I have grown to enjoy having such a unique name. I even hope to

name my future children unique names as that.