The United States is known as the melting pot of the world, where people of different cultures and ethnicities have come since the country’s beginnings. Recently, 2 students have come from Europe to add some flavor to the melting pot of Bel Air High School. Nicolaj Westergard and Jasmin Johansen, originally from Denmark and Norway respectively, are new to the Bobcat family this year, and they shared their experience from both their homelands, highlighting the differences between Europe and the States.

Nicolaj’s first impression of Bel Air included one word: big.  Jasmin has been here before, previously living in Norway, the United States, Tajikistan, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Georgia. Regardless, both are adjusting well to the school, and look forward to completing their high school careers as a Bobcat. Both students cannot deny the overwhelming differences between Bel Air High School and their schools back home.

For one, the atmosphere in schools are polar opposites. There is not much security, if any, at the school Jasmin attended in Norway. Attendance was not as highly prioritized as it is here, there’s no 7:27 deadline, and there was no Officer Krause equivalent. Teachers were friends with their students on Facebook, and would hang out with their students during lunch.

Language is another boundary between us and Europe, aside the Atlantic Ocean. Between the two of them, Jasmin and Nicolaj speak 5 languages: Norwegian, Russian, German, Danish, and English. Living in different countries has taught Jasmin to adapt to not only different languages and challenges that come with, but also different cultures entirely.

We as a country can become so ego-centric, seeing ourselves as dominant and having an “us against them” rest of the world mentality. It is experiences like travelling, learning about other cultures and languages, and learning to appreciate them that truly makes America a melting pot of over 1,000 cultures.