Megan Willis
Staff Writer
Ask almost any of the twins at Pepperdine what it’s like being a twin, and they will respond, “What’s it like not being a twin?”
Twins at Pepperdine say they are asked this question anywhere from a few times a week to every day. Junior Monica Rodriguez (who has a fraternal twin sister Meredith) said she was even once asked, “Can you read your sister’s mind and feel her pain?” No matter where they go, there is always someone interested in their lives as twins.
Most twins said that their good friends can easily tell them apart, and regard them as distinct personalities. The opposite is true for students or faculty members who just meet them. They are often seen as a single unit with identical interests and personalities.
unior Jenna Rushton said that when people first find out she and her sister Nina are twins, they often stare, searching for differences. Poppy Garofalo said the same thing happens to her and her sister, Daisy.
Growing up with a twin can ensure a constant playmate. Meredith Rodriguez said it was really helpful to have her sister also be her best friend when they moved from Mexico to the United States and had to leave their old friends behind. Other twins also described their siblings as constant friends and companions.
Sometimes, having a twin also ensures having a competitor. Some twins said others were always comparing them to each other, both academically and socially. Competitions could also become physical.
Senior twins Ryan and Nick Bundra have had experience with this.
“We had a fight a few years ago, in our senior year of high school,” Ryan said. “We each hit each other in the face. He drew blood, I drew tears. We were always really competitive.”
While some twins have nearly identical personalities, others couldn’t be more different.
“When we took the Meyers-Briggs personality test, our types were completely opposite,” said Meredith. “We are proof that Zodiacs don’t work.”
Jessica Oni described her sister as calm and quiet, while Julie described her sister as loud and “more happy.”
Jenna also described how her personality and her sister’s are different.
“Personality-wise, Nina’s willing to try new things, and more impatient. I am more go with the flow, take-responsibility and motherly,” Jenna said.
Many twins say the fact that their personalities are so different is beneficial.
“Our personalities are really similar, but the differences we do have complement each other,” Poppy said.
Monica also said she feels having a twin has prepared her for marriage, since she now knows how to live with someone who has a different personality and outlook on life.
Many Pepperdine twins have experienced instances in which they are mistaken for each other. Usually this comes in the form of being called by the name of their siblings. Sometimes it happens with their own families. Jessica and Julie said their mother often mixes them up on the phone.
Monica also said there have been incidents in which she had to impersonate her sister to people she didn’t know. In particular, one time she was sitting in chapel when a girl turned around and began to talk to her as if she were Meredith. Monica played along as best she could, only to become stuck when asked how her English paper was going. When Meredith was forced to admit that she was actually Monica, the girl responded with embarrassment: “I just spent five minutes having a conversation with the wrong person!”
Sometimes twins will attempt to pull the old switch-er-oo themselves. Usually these pranks were attempted in high school or earlier. Poppy said she and Daisy once switched places in elementary school as part of an April Fool’s Day prank, but someone caught on to them and they had to switch back. Jenna also admits that her freshmen year at Pepperdine she tried to get Nina to go to her religion class in her place, although Nina wouldn’t do it.
Many twins chose to come to school together because they both liked the school, and because they didn’t want to separate. Jessica and Julie said they attended Pepperdine together because their parents wanted it, although Julie chose the school.
“She usually makes most of the decisions,” said Jessica.
Ryan said he and Nick decided to come to Pepperdine simply because it was at a “great location.”
As with most smaller universities, there are fewer twins attending Pepperdine than at larger universities, and therefore more of an interest in their lives.
“People are so excited when they find out we’re twins,” Monica said, “especially when they find out we stayed at school together.”
Most people are able to treat siblings as separate, different identities, which makes twins happy.
“I feel secure in my own identity at Pepperdine,” Meredith said.
While twins sometimes must deal with their irritation with people who regard them as a single unit, they also admit that they cannot imagine life without the other.
“I think I would be a very different person if I wasn’t a twin,” said Meredith.
Poppy said that she and Daisy have a bond that most people can never have, and that “We love it and are extremely lucky.”
11-11-2004
