Twins are often viewed as an amazing phenomenon the world marvels over.
It is estimated that 1 in 250 natural pregnancies will result in twins. There are a few sets of twins on the hills of Florida A&M University (FAMU) and one set in particular has bonded together to share their experiences.
Twin sisters and co-producers, Jazlen and Jaelen Patrick have worked together to produce a short documentary titled Twin Identity that will be showcased at this semester’s J-School Journals.
The senior broadcast journalism students hope to show the real side of being a twin amidst the shiny label.
“I hope that the audience is able to gain a deeper understanding of what being a twin is like outside of their own assumptions or generalizations,” Jaelen said.
Jaelen adds,“I also hope to create a sense of comfort for other twins that come across the documentary as they learn that they are not alone in the journey towards finding their individuality.”
Many people would say they wish they had a twin or think it would be cool to be one.
“I am the oldest with a brother who is two years younger, and I would’ve liked to have someone to lean on,” said Keillis Sanchez, a sophomore music student, “to be able to have a connection like no other.”
While it may seem like glittering goals on the outside, twins often face issues concerning their identity as individuals.
From birth, most parents find it cute to dress their twins alike. They share the same room and toys. They attend the same schools at the same time and even participate in the same extracurricular activities. They are conditioned into viewing themselves as a set instead of as two individual human beings capable of living different lives.
Senior graphic design student Oscar Jean mentions his struggle with codependency on his twin brother Marvin Jean.
Marvin went away to FAMU first, leaving Oscar behind.
“I thought it would be a handicap, but in reality, it gave us so much room to grow as individuals,” Marvin said.
He expressed how much he grew on his own, having the people around him focused on him as his own person and not as one of the twins.
“It gave me room to be Oscar,” Marvin added.
The psychology of twins is significantly under-studied. It is more common for identical twins to deal with identity crises than fraternal twins, especially those of different sexes.
For fraternal twins, there is at least a biological separation that they can grasp on their own. But identical twins are constantly reminded they are “the same” by science, their families, and the world around them.
Twin Identity will be showcased at this semester’s J-School Journals (JSJ) showcase.
JSJ will be held in FAMU’s Lee Hall on Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 2 pm. For more information, please contact jschool.journals06@gmail.com or visit their Instagram @famujsj.
Twins are often viewed as an amazing phenomenon the world marvels over.
It is estimated that 1 in 250 natural pregnancies will result in twins. There are a few sets of twins on the hills of Florida A&M University (FAMU) and one set in particular has bonded together to share their experiences.
Twin sisters and co-producers, Jazlen and Jaelen Patrick have worked together to produce a short documentary titled Twin Identity that will be showcased at this semester’s J-School Journals.
The senior broadcast journalism students hope to show the real side of being a twin amidst the shiny label.
“I hope that the audience is able to gain a deeper understanding of what being a twin islike outside of their own assumptions or generalizations,” Jaelen said.
Jaelen adds,“I also hope to create a sense of comfort for other twins that come across the documentary as they learn that they are not alone in the journey towards finding their individuality.”
Many people would say they wish they had a twin or think it would be cool to be one.
“I am the oldest with a brother who is two years younger, and I would’ve liked to have someone to lean on,” said Keillis Sanchez, a sophomore music student, “to be able to have a connection like no other.”
While it may seem like glittering goals on the outside, twins often face issues concerning their identity as individuals.
From birth, most parents find it cute to dress their twins alike. They share the same room and toys. They attend the same schools at the same time and even participate in the same extracurricular activities. They are conditioned into viewing themselves as a set instead of as two individual human beings capable of living different lives.
Senior graphic design student Oscar Jean mentions his struggle with codependency on his twin brother Marvin Jean.
Marvin went away to FAMU first, leaving Oscar behind.
“I thought it would be a handicap, but in reality, it gave us so much room to grow as individuals,” Marvin said.
He expressed how much he grew on his own, having the people around him focused on him as his own person and not as one of the twins.
“It gave me room to be Oscar,” Marvin added.
The psychology of twins is significantly under-studied. It is more common for identical twins to deal with identity crises than fraternal twins, especially those of different sexes.
For fraternal twins, there is at least a biological separation that they can grasp on their own. But identical twins are constantly reminded they are “the same” by science, their families, and the world around them.
Twin Identity will be showcased at this semester’s J-School Journals (JSJ) showcase.
JSJ will be held in FAMU’s Lee Hall on Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 2 pm. For more information, please contact jschool.journals06@gmail.com or visit their Instagram @famujsj.
