Brandon Lorick
AJ Styles-Some know him as "the phenomenal one", to others he's "the champ that runs the camp", but I'd like to add another nickname, "2016's Person of the Year"! In 2017 AJ Styles did something that many never thought would happen, he signed a contract with WWE and ever since then he's consistently put on the best matches and by far is the wrestler of he year.
Yes, I know wrestling is scripted (I'm not one of THOSE people), but like any other scripted product you still have to perform well. One thing that Styles does so well is that not only does he make himself look good, but he does the same for an opponent. Plus with his success in WWE, Styles has proven that wherever he goes he will succeed and become the best thing the company has to offer. That is quite the accomplishment for someone in any field. If an actor can make gold out of any script or if a teacher can better their students regardless of the school their placed in, we say that's an accomplishment and the same goes for AJ.
So because of these reasons and many, many more AJ Styles is my choice for Person of the Year!
Dr. Jonathan Sircy
Donald Trump- Mass culture is gone. If the top-selling music singles of this year had come out in 1986, they wouldn’t have even been in the top 100. There are still people who didn’t see The Force Awakens. No cultural figure or product is universal. And that’s a shame. It’s a shame because culture is a way for us to both find community and let the world know about ourselves. This is why Donald Trump is important. Donald Trump would have been most important person of the year even if he hadn’t won the election, but he’s important especially because he won. This is because we finally have a cultural figure who EVERYONE has an opinion on. But more than that, your opinion on Donald Trump allows everyone to immediately know the kind of person you are. Even if your opinion is apathy, people automatically know you’re the kind of person who can’t be bothered with politics no matter how high the stakes. For everyone else, saying you’re pro-Trump means you well…fill in the blank. Saying you’re anti-trump but a lifelong conservative? That’s another move. Be virulently anti-trump AND being a Hillary supporter? We know who you are. It’s been a very long time since we’ve had a cultural figure EVERYONE could talk about and who told us about ourselves at the same time.
Rigel Kocur
Thane Maynard-I've been thinking it over a lot lately, and I think I want to nominate Thane Maynard, the director of the Cincinnati Zoo. I nominate him of all people because of one thing: the death of Harambe.
Now why would I want to nominate him for this, you may ask? It's quite simple. It's because through his decision to kill Harambe, not only did he distract the whole country from the whole trans people which bathrooms they can use, but his death has sparked countless memes. Harambe has hands down been the internet meme of the year, all due to the actions of one zoo keeper. Harambe memes got me through 2016 and brought much joy to me personally on my saddest days, so I say we honor this man with an award of person of year. Because in a world where it has been entirely dark and stupid, I felt that laughing at the death of a gorilla felt fitting and uplifting.
Also honorable mention to Tomi Lahren for being someone to truly confuse me because she's so pretty yet it's like someone put Rush Limbaugh's brain in a 24 year-old girl's body and it's entirely unfair.
Jordan Rudd
Rodney the horse- Rodney is definitely the person of the year! He is the epitome of kindness and giving. Everyday, he sits out on the street corner letting all who walk by pet him and take pictures of him. He is known for his large head, and large butt, around all of Charleston! His he is so large, its borderline a birth defect. Really, its so big because he is so smart. Every single day, Rodney taps his back feet. To the untrained eye, Rodney could just be getting bored or have an itch. But to everyone who knows how smart he is, we all know his master plan! Rodney wears special shoes made of recycled tires to help cushion when he walks on the concrete. If Rodney is not wearing his shoes, he cannot work. When he taps his feet, he is slowly loosening his shoes so that when he gets to his stall in the barn at night, he can throw them off. He is a smart guy. No shoe means no work! Rodney really shows that with determination and perseverance, you can accomplish anything! Even if that anything is being lazy.
Keith Millender
Rhett and Link- My pick for person of the year is more technically a pick for persons of the year, but Rhett and Link operate as a single entity, so I figure I'm still within the bounds of the rules. I Discovered Rhett and Link and their brand of internet entertainment late last year, and this year has been one non-stop Rhett and Link-fest for me. I've watched their morning show, Good Mythical Morning, on a daily basis and enjoyed anything they have produced. They're my pick for person of the year because of the drive and passion they have catalyzed in my life. Watching two best friends from the southeast US make it big in internet entertainment on a platform of clean and positive entertainment has been a huge driver for me as Brandon and I pursue that same dream. I see a lot of Brandon and myself in Rhett and Link, and finding them and their content has helped me to persevere through the times where it seemed liek nothing was working. I am indebted to these two for many hours of laughs as well as the passion I have for internet entertainment.