As the first semester comes to a close and students leave for winter break, the EHS-hub staff signs off with a few words to think about. These words are our 2017 Words of the year.

Wild: uncontrolled or unrestrained, especially in pursuit of pleasure

Wild: Uncontrolled or unrestrained, especially in pursuit of pleasure. 2017 was definitely a wild year.  A 100-year flood. Six hurricanes. Wildfires blazing through the west. A white nationalist rally in Charlottesville. Riots following an acquittal in St. Louis. These are only a few major events in the United States. There is certainly no doubt that 2017 was uncontrolled or unrestrained.

Unprecedented: never done or known before

A quick look at all of the unprecedented events that have occurred in would certainly prove 2017 a year of unprecedented events. The United States inaugurated the 45th president, one with absolutely no political background or experience, Jan. 20. Five communications directors for the White House. A record-low approval rating. Alternative facts and banned news outlets. Millions gathering together worldwide in protest.

Disrupt: to interrupt the normal course or unity of

2017 was a year of disruption. Uber continued to chip away at the taxi market. Airbnb transformed how people looked at travel accommodations. America elected a president with no political experience bringing an “outsider” to D.C. Interrupting the status quo and changing the norm, women spoke up and the world heard their voices.

Late 2017 saw upwards of 60 men, all prominent figures, accused of sexual assault and misconduct by over 100 women. It all started in early October with famed movie producer, Harvey Weinstein, who, by some reports, harassed more than 80 women over 30 years. Weinstein’s own company later fired him after the accusations of sexual misconduct and rape. Then came Andy Signore, senior vice president of content for Defy Media. The list began to grow in the following weeks. Ohio senator Cliff Hite. Mark Halperin of NBC news. Kevin Spacey, multiple academy award winner. Michael Oreskes of NPR and the New York Times. Most recently, Alabama Senator Roy Moore and, yet again, none other than the President of the United States of America: Donald J. Trump.

Sexual assault and misconduct allegations have sparked the #MeToo movement, a movement known as the “Silence Breakers” that is aimed at stopping sexual harassment. Women who have been victims of assault simply post “#MeToo” on their social media pages in hopes of spreading awareness and ending the problem.

These women, the Silence Breakers, won Time’s 2017 Person of the Year. The Silence Breakers are disruptors, interjecting with their stories and shedding light on the issue of sexual harassment.

Disruptors break the silence and disturb the peace in order to stand up, to go against the routine and to change the world around them.

The EHS-hub will be signing off until Jan. 3 unless there is breaking news.