When Brittany and Brianna Spivey were younger, they wanted to be just like Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen.
“We had everything Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen had,” said Brittany, a junior studying sociology, criminology and dance. “We thought we were them.”
Unlike the typical childhood fans of the famed pair, Brittany and Brianna had a greater chance at actually being like them — like the Olsens, they are identical twins.
Growing up, Brittany said she and her sister were always paired as “the twins” and were even dressed in the same outfits, something they both said they hated. The opportunity to grow as distinct individuals came when the two went to different high schools, and now separate universities.
“They knew us as ‘the Spivey twins,’ so in high school, it was hard for me to detach myself from that and to just be Brianna,” said Brianna, a junior studying social work at Central State University in Wilberforce, Ohio. “At Central State, I like the fact that I can just be myself … going to different schools gave us the opportunity to label ourselves separately.”
Karl and Kyle Mattes, who both attend Ohio University, said they requested to only have lunch together — no classes — in grade school for a few years so they could have the opportunity to make friends themselves and each be their own person.
They said their outgoing personalities and their involvement in sports and clubs helped make this feat easier to accomplish.
“We never said it to each other, but we knew that we are twins and people are going to treat us as one, so we need to act like our own selves and not just be connected at the hip,” said Karl, a freshman studying pre-veterinary medicine. “We have to branch out and have our own personalities and our own lives. That will show people we are two unique individuals.”
However, both Brittany and Brianna said it wasn’t a yearn for individuality that compelled them to go to different schools. Instead, they were simply following their passions and pursuing appropriate programs.
“When you come to college, whether you’re a twin or not, you’re going to find your niche that will set you on a unique pathway compared to your twin,” said Michael Grant, an assistant professor in the psychology department who studies behavioral genetics through the utilization of fraternal and identical twins. “College is a good point where we start to see an effort to become one’s own person. It’s just a natural progression.”
But not all twins separate when it comes time for college. Katie and Danielle Holley were voted “most likely to be seen together” at their high school and now attend OU together. The two signed up for the same classes during their first semester and continue to room together now.
“We wanted the comfort of home at college,” said Katie, a sophomore studying health service administration. “She’s the person I go to. … It’s an effortless relationship.”
Karl said he agrees. He said having his sibling at college has helped more than hindered because it has allowed him to feel more comfortable branching out because he knows he always has a sense of security with Kyle.
Both Karl and Kyle said they agreed that their relationship as twins is easy. They said having their sibling — let alone their identical twin — as their best friend is much more freeing and uncomplicated.
“(Being an identical twin) is like the definition of a best friend. You can really just be yourself,” said Kyle, a freshman studying civil engineering. “A lot of people become a different person when they become friends with someone so they can be accepted. Having your sibling as your best friend means you don’t have to put on a show for anyone.”
Adam and Stu Lubic, who also said they are one another’s best friend, said they believe college has brought them even closer together, and when it comes time for graduation, they will face a major challenge in moving to different locations for their respective careers.
“We’ve never really had a home,” said Adam, a senior studying management information systems. “We’ve moved five times, and it has always been easier because he was there.”
The brothers said they are so close because of the amount of times they’ve moved, especially when they lived in Romania for a few years. Having a twin meant always having a friend, they said.
Stu, a senior studying finance and business economics, said their bond has led him to know his twin better than anyone.
“I’ve invested so much time with my brother and because we’re twins, it’s more than a friendship,” he said. “I know his preferences, his moods. I can’t gauge that off a friend, even one I’ve known for years.”
Grant, who is a twin himself and has been associated with twin studies for 10 to 14 years, said he’s noticed this “twin connection” or “twin telepathy” because of the intimate relationship twins have.
“You know this person better than most,” he said. “It’s not unlike a married couple of 50 or 60 years who can finish one another’s sentences or sense when the other isn’t feeling well.”
To this day, Grant said he still gets a kick out of being a twin.
“I love being a twin, and I will always embrace it,” he said. “My twin brother is my best friend.”
Even though they are separated, Brittany said she wouldn’t trade being a twin for anything.
“I feel like when you don’t talk to your twin or aren’t close, I think you’ll feel a void. There will be a piece missing from you,” she said. “If it’s anyone in the world, my twin understands me. … It takes a lot for someone to really understand an individual. I don’t think my other siblings understand me like my twin does.”
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