In every sociology class, students are taught about social norms and their role in society. When people go against the norm, they become a point of fascination to those around them, because they are a small piece of color in a routine, black and white life.
About a week into classes in the fall of 2014, most everyone on Baylor’s campus had heard about “The Twins." I still remember the first time I finally witnessed “The Twins,” and I couldn’t believe it when I saw it--identical twins wearing the exact same thing, with both of them walking in step. It was a few months into school and I finally understood what everyone was talking about, I felt like I should take a picture to mark the occasion, but then, I just couldn’t stop thinking about how I would feel if that were me.
Throughout the year, most of the fascination factor had died down for the student body, but when they walked down the sidewalk, people still took pictures of them or whispered while they passed. I had heard so many opinions from other people that I wanted to hear from the girls themselves, so that’s exactly what I did.
The twins' actual names are Alexandra and Nicole, and they’re from Mobile, AL. They chose to come to Baylor for the Christian atmosphere and esteemed academics. Both are extremely involved around Baylor and Waco in groups such as the Honors College, Reformed University Fellowship, and Baylor Business Women, and are members of Redeemer Presbyterian Church with a strong passion for the persecuted church. They love working out, reading, and, most of all, hanging out with their friends.
If someone saw one of them walking down a sidewalk, they would see the average college student, but because they dress alike every day, they draw a lot of attention to themselves. This is nothing new, though; they said:
“We have always gotten a lot of attention. We understand that it is a social phenomenon to see identical twins dressing the same in college. We usually get a good laugh out of it! It’s just part of our everyday lives, and we are used to it.”
Being so down to earth, they are very understanding of others’ interest in them, but when asked about being treated like “Baylor celebrities” or being written about online, it was clear that this is not something Alexandra and Nicole are okay with.
The girls themselves don’t have any form of social media, but their friends do tell them what is written about them, so when someone posts a picture or says cruel things, it isn’t something that goes without effect. To them, taking pictures of them without their consent is a definite violation of privacy because “although people treat [them] like celebrities, [they] are not celebrities and should be respected like regular students.”
Most people, when asked, say something like “They draw attention to themselves, so they can’t be mad about pictures.” If two people feel comfortable being different in a world that is constantly telling people to blend in, shouldn’t we be supportive, or at least respectful of them? We live in a time when anyone has the ability to share their opinions on a wide variety of platforms, so there is a sense of entitlement when it comes to making open judgments. Just because you see something or someone different from yourself, that doesn’t give you the right to mock or belittle it.
Both girls said they love it when people come up to talk to them and being called “The Twins” because they love their identity as identical twins and see it as being “blessed with a life-long best friend.” My last question was about how they hoped the student body would treat them, and they stated that
"We would appreciate if they accepted that we are twins without telling us what we should or should not do, as some do. We want the student body to know us individually for who we are. We want them to realize we love and follow Christ. We hope and pray that people can see Christ in us, not seeing us for ourselves. Other than how we dress, we want them to know that we are best friends, and that nothing and nobody can change that."
