Kavanaugh trial illustrates importance of high school behavior

   What you do matters, even in High School. Judge Brett Kavanaugh is proof of that. Kavanaugh ,who was nominated for the Supreme court by President Donald Trump over three months ago, has been in the midst of controversy since.In the past months three women came forward accusing him of sexual assault, one of whom has taken main stage: Doctor Christine Blasey Ford.   The alleged attempted rape happened 36 years ago, when Ford and Kavanaugh were in high school in 1982. After Blasey Ford testified before  the committee appointed to confirm Kavanaugh, the committee decided to have the FBI further investigate Judge Kavanaugh, much to the chagrin of the conservative majority senate.

The decision to have the FBI re-investigate shows that nobody’s past is out of the question, or out of examination.We as high schoolers often think that after we leave school, our past stays there. But as social media evolves, people’s lives will become less private, with many of the bad eventually coming to the light. Even though Kavanaugh’s allegations from Dr. Ford are from 36 years ago, they are taken as seriously as if they are from last week, seeing that Kavanaugh was nominated for the highest judicial seat in  America: the Supreme Court.

Students should be extremely careful of what they do now because it will matter later down the line.If you would not be comfortable having a social media post on display at Times Square, or have it shown to your great-grandmother, do not post it.

     Respect your future self and be aware of every choice you make in high school and in life.  A joke that may be hilarious now, in a year, five years, or even ten, could then be seen as highly offensive. A threat, allegations of sexual assault, or sexual assault itself could devastate your life and the lives of those around you. Everything you do matters, starting now, not just in college. That screenshot of those messages? It could be brought up during an important job interview.

   In fact, up to 70 percent of employers are scrutinizing candidates’ social media profiles before seriously considering them for the position. Three out of 10 employers have someone dedicated solely to investigating potential employees on social media.Up to 73 percent of companies  have used social media to successfully recruit and hire a candidate, and  57 percent of companies said they have ruled out hiring someone because of the content they found. Regardless of what you believe about the Kavanaugh decision, your reputation is  your greatest asset. Don’t ruin it by doing something you will regret.

It is your duty to yourself to ensure your future’s security by not doing anything stupid. Protect your potential. Even though you probably won’t be nominated for Supreme Court, your actions could have consequences further down the line.Be sure of everything you do and post, because there is always a chance that it could resurface–at the worst time possible.