Mia, you live in America, but you speak perfect German because your mother is from Germany.

Does that play a role in your school?

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Mia: Everyone knows that I have a German mother, but nobody says anything.

Sometimes I tell someone and then they say, “Ah, you are related to Hitler!” I don't think that's cool.

People then say it was just a joke.

I don't think that's funny.

Mia and Emily, do you have contact with mask or vaccination opponents?

Mia: In many places here in Maryland you don't have to wear a mask anymore. But there are signs there that you have to be vaccinated if you don't wear a mask. Nevertheless, there are also vaccine opponents. Well, I know a few, for example my best friend's mother. She is not vaccinated, but is still not wearing a mask. My best friend is not like that - she wears her mask. However, her mother does not allow her to be vaccinated.

Emily: In fact, we also have a few anti-vaccination opponents at school, some of whom I avoided contact with because I didn't feel like the daily confrontation.

I decided to vaccinate myself early on.

And I think everyone should decide for themselves.

We also have a few people who don't wear masks to school.

They have a medical exemption.

As a student body, however, we demanded that we then keep a distance from the person during the lesson.

They are always sitting quite a few in the back in a corner.

Mia: Everyone in my high school wore a mask.

At least I didn't see anyone without a mask.

But I also go to a small school where the teachers would say something.

But there are certainly some anti-vaccinations among us.

Mia, what did you think of Angela Merkel as Chancellor?

And Emily, what do you think of Trump and Biden?

Mia: I think Merkel was good because I didn't hear anything from her.

I only ever hear news from Russia, China or North Korea.

But I rarely hear anything from Germany.

Emily: I think Trump is a catastrophe.

Now, I wouldn't say Biden is the top president.

But I think he's one of the best presidents for America right now.

I think he can take a lot of Trump supporters with him.

He doesn't have to change their orientation, but he's very good at bringing this super divided country at least a little closer together.

Mia: Yeah, I also think Biden is pretty good for the moment.

But he's not the best.

I would have liked Bernie Sanders better.

However, they are all so old.

And nobody knows whether Biden will survive the four years.

Do you also talk about elections and politics at school?

Mia: We talked about how the election works, but not Trump versus Biden.

You don't know whether someone is for Trump or Biden.

That wouldn't go well.

Emily: We talked about the general election.

But we can only look at it objectively because some of us are old enough to vote.

We also talked about voter turnout.

I think there will be a lot of people voting in this election.

Especially since Merkel is no longer running after four terms in office.

I am very curious to see who it will be.

Merkel came to power a year after I was born.

I only know Angela Merkel as Federal Chancellor.

Mia: I've seen Obama, Trump and now Biden as President.

If it were possible: would you vote now?

Emily: Difficult.

I would always like to vote because I think it's good to be able to influence something through my voice.

But I don't know if I could make up my mind.

Would you generally be in favor of the option at 16?

Emily: I think that's actually a cool idea because society is getting older and that's why long-time residents are always chosen.

At Fridays for Future, for example, we young people have shown that we can and want to raise our voices.

But I also know a lot of people who have no political plan.

I can still well imagine that many would vote, but do not know what or whom they are voting and what the party might stand for.