Twins share DNA, pizza at Parkside Middle
Sixth- through eighth-grade identical, fraternal twins mingled over pizza and soda while being honored for their birthrights Friday.
Dwight Edmonds, Parkside Middle School’s guidance director, who has a twin brother, found the multiplicity unique. He decided to throw a pizza party for 34 students. Teachers and staff who had a twin living elsewhere also attended.
Of all the students, 11-year-olds Ivonne and Ivette Avarez get the most double takes, Edmonds said.
“If we don’t dress alike we’re just not comfortable for the day,” Ivonne said.
Each was dressed from head to toe, wearing a blue jacket with a neon green lining, blue-jean overalls, a red T-shirt and gold hoop earrings.
“When I cry, she starts to cry,” Ivette said, while looking at Ivonne.
“Yep, it’s a twin thing,” Ivonne said.
They sit near each other in class, associate with the same friends and study together.
When they go shopping, they play the game “rock, paper, scissors” to decide who gets the best item. While demonstrating the game Friday, they came up with the same hand motions — twice.
“My mom says ‘you got to have something different,’ ” Ivonne said while pointing out she was wearing different socks from her sister.
The only way to tell the difference between Natalie and Emily Malpica, twins in sixth grade, is by their hairstyle. Both were wearing blue sweatshirts, blue jeans. Natalie wears glasses and her hair is pulled back so teachers do not get confused between the two.
Emily said being a twin means, “you always have somebody to talk to.”
Jasmine and Janee McNeil, 12-year-old twins, are not identical. They do not dress alike or own any of the same clothes. “I always forget we’re twins because I don’t think we look alike,” Jasmine said.
Whether students are identical or fraternal twins, one family name is well-known throughout the school — the Triznas.
Christopher, Lauren, Kathryn and Andrew Trizna are quadruplets who were born in Fairfax. Andrew is the oldest by just a few minutes.
“Whenever people find out, they’re talking to us and think it’s so weird but it’s not weird to us,” Christopher said.
Each are in eighth grade and help each other with class assignments.
“Since we’re in the same grade we always have someone to help us with homework,” Lauren said.
Marie Bowe-Quick, Parkside Middle School principal, said she is delighted to have so many sets of twins at the school.
“This is double, quadruple the academic power because they can work together at home,” Bowe-Quick said.