Buy one, get one free! Principal Douglas Nelson has an identical twin brother named Daniel, who works as an attorney at a law firm in Phillipsburg, PA. Though they look almost identical, their personalities greatly differ. Daniel is able to capture the attention of a crowd while Douglas says he is less articulate than his twin. Though for similarities, both Daniel and Douglas are outgoing and social.

Being a twin sometimes means you have more of a competitive environment since you have someone growing up at the exact same time as you in the same environment. Douglas Nelson said, “I believe my brother and I have always been driven. Although we did not compete directly with one another at jobs, we often had the same job. I can recall at least three times that the same employers hired both of us.”

While being a twin has its ups and downs, it’s a journey the whole way. “Positively, you have another person in this world with whom you are very close and connected. You share many of the same traits and qualities. Negatively, it sometimes feels like you cannot establish your independence growing up when you are inherently connected to someone who is your age and looks just like you,” Douglas Nelson said.

Douglas and Daniel and identical twins, rather than fraternal. Douglas Nelson said, “Yes, of course [people mix us up]. In time, however, many people figure out ways to tell us apart.”

Daniel Nelson made his first appearance at school during the boys’ basketball game vs Richard Montgomery. Douglas Nelson said, “I love to bring him to school events. It’s a blast and always attracts attention.”

Another set of twins at this school are seniors Max Mirsky and Josh Mirsky. This set of twins is fraternal. When Max and Josh were younger Josh would cry a lot while Max would sit in silence. Josh Mirksy said, “I enjoy being a twin. It is a unique experience to be the same age as your sibling. Some positives of having a twin are being able to both experience events related to age together, like a bar mitzvah or just school. Some negatives could be sharing things like a car.”
Max Mirsky said, “I’m happy about all the experiences my brother and I had together. Going to different colleges will be different but will be a good experience as well.”

Juniors Shravan Kannepali and Varun Kannepali agree. They are another set of twins here and they feel that being a twin is lucky. Shravan said, “I enjoy being a twin. I struggle with making friends sometimes so my twin is there to comfort me. We always have each other’s backs when in tough situations.”

Shravan and Varun’s personalities differ as well. Shravan said, “My brother and I have totally opposing dynamics. While I like to talk and be vocal about issues, he is very subdued. I like to rush things sometimes while he likes to take more time and do things. I’m better at managing stress while he’s better at managing timing.”

Though Varun and Shravan are fraternal twins they sometimes still get mistaken for each other. Shravan said, “It’s funny how we get mixed up considering we’re fraternal twins. My physics teacher often confuses the both of us.”

Being a twin consists of a unique and special connection between two people that only some get to experience. Shravan said, “Me and Varun have a great relationship that will transcend many years. Only twins can understand this deep bond. I feel like because we are different in how we look, it better contributes to our strong relationship.”

Why only two when you could have three? Sophomores Alex, Charlie, and Will Ballian are triplets. Alex Ballian said, “You always have someone to hang out with, they are my built-in friends.”

Regardless of the positive aspect of being a twin or triplet, there are some downsides. Alex Ballian said, “We have to share stuff such as cars, and clothes. You also never get any privacy.”

Being a triplet concludes with some funny memories. Charlie and Will Ballian are identical, while Alex is fraternal. In elementary school, Charlie cut his hand with scissors and went to the nurse. At the same time, Will in another class said he hand was hurting and went to the nurse even though there was no injury present. They believe this occurrence is an example of the famous twin telepathy.