For the 12th grade’s Competency Day, Jack gave a presentation about life in the US. He is from New York State himself and works as an English teacher at German schools as part of an exchange program.
To start, Jack described life at American high schools and colleges. One major difference is the strong focus on various sports, starting as early as high school. For many students, a sports scholarship is the only way to afford the high college tuition fees. Another, though less popular way to earn a scholarship is through excellent academic performance. Most middle-class households in the US find it difficult to provide a college education for their children without a scholarship, as out-of-state college tuition can cost, in some cases, up to $50,000 per year. It’s important to note that students attending colleges within their home state usually receive a discount of approximately 50%.
Additionally, Jack explained the various gun laws in the USA. These do not only differ greatly from the rest of the world, but also vary significantly from state to state within the US. In 29 states, individuals can carry a concealed firearm without a permit if they meet age and legal criteria. The other states require individuals to obtain permits, often involving background checks, training, or other qualifications. Gun ownership is a part of American identity, which is why there are an estimated 120 guns per 100 inhabitants in the US. A consequence of this is that shootings are not uncommon and, to some extent, have become part of everyday life in the USA, especially in schools. In the US, there are 1–2 school shootings each week. To counter this, an increasing number of security measures have been introduced in recent years to protect schools from such attacks, which has also made the threat of shootings an ever-present aspect of daily life.
At the end of the presentation and as it happened to be the day of the Presidential Elections, Jack explained the US electoral system. In the first step, candidates for each party are chosen through state-by-state primaries and caucuses, where voters select their preferred party nominee. In the following general election, citizens vote for their chosen candidate. However, these votes determine electors (members of the Electoral College) rather than directly deciding the president. Lastly, each state’s electors cast their votes based on the popular vote in that state. A candidate needs a majority of 270 out of 538 electoral votes to win the presidency.
by Julia Heitmann (LK Englisch L03/Frau Schulz)