Chuck Norris and Oprah Propel Sujay Kumar to Top Columnist Spot

Sujay Kumar

(Courtesy of Sujay Kumar)

Considering I can't think of anyone who is deciding to vote between Sen. Barack Obama and Gov. Mike Huckabee, the pertinence of Kumar's "Should you be casting a vote for Chuck Norris or Oprah Winfrey?" column is nearly as questionable as the Texas Ranger catapulting the Arkansas governor into relevance in the first place. A pithy—and slightly angry—Facebook group probably helped Kumar in our polls, but so did passable writing skills and a thorough knowledge of current pop culture.

A Paper Trail Awards acceptance post from the scribe himself:

My fondest memory of the U.S. News & World Report, is reading the annual "America's Best Colleges." As a wide-eyed senior in high school, the list that ranked national colleges and universities instilled in me a sense of confidence and hope for the coming years. Then I was rejected by most of those illustrious institutions of higher learning. As Tom Cruise said in Risky Business, "Looks like the University of Illinois!" But if given the chance, I wouldn't change anything.

Anyway, of course I'd like to thank anyone who voted for me, but more importantly I'd like to thank anyone who takes the time to read what I write. This one's for my family, my friends, my editor, and the die-hards that still may be voting for me, clicking away, unaware that the polls have closed.

If you've read this far, the expectations I had for the size of my readership have been exceeded, and for that, I thank you.