Every year, TIME magazine chooses its Person of the Year. The person (or group) selected by its editors is often very influential throughout the year. It is the person who has made lots of noise in society or the news. The title does not correlate to whether the person is progressing or degrading society. The title solely implies that the person has made a big influence, either positive or negative, in the lives of many.

The prime example of this is that then President-Elect Donald Trump was TIME’s Person of the Year in 2016. Of course, there are at least two very passionate viewpoints about Trump. Nevertheless, he was chosen because he had made his name a household one.

This year, the editors of TIME magazine chose a group: the Silence Breakers. Who are they? They are the individuals,especially women, who have come out and reported sexual harassment or misconduct. The Silence Breakers have been influential because they have generated discussions about worldwide sexual assault. According to CNN, the group utilized its #MeToo campaign to raise social concerns and advocate for change. The movement started out as a response to sexual allegations of producer Harvey Weinstein.

Think about this: Have you heard in the news about sexual harassment allegations against some rather famous figures? Kevin Spacey? Matt Lauer? Ben Affleck? Harvey Weinstein? Roy Price? If you want to see about a 100 more names on this list, check out this piece compiled by TIME. See how loud this serious topic has been in 2017? That is a major reason why the editors chose the Silence Breakers as the Person of the Year. They are eliminating the stigma associated with reporting sexual misconduct by rising up against this serious issue.

The serious faces of the Silence Breakers reveal the revolutionary actions of these progressive women reading to battle the sexual harassment issue.

TIME Magazine explains its inner perspective on the Silence Breakers, and their title as the Person of the Year of 2017. Whitman student Jeremy Forman acknowledges the ground breaking work of the Silence Breakers on a very “serious issue.” Eleventh grader Dylan Rehman also believes that the group “deserved the honorable title.” Sophomore Chris Grillo also agrees with the decision of the TIME magazine.

Who will be the TIME Person of the Year 2018?