Graphic by Matt Roe

By Ryan Hutchins
There are 16 sets of twins at LHS this year: four are freshmen, two are sophomores, five are juniors and five are seniors.
We even have two sets of triplets, the Hierls and the Ahmeds, although only two of the Hierls attend Lawrence High.
For fraternal twin and senior Kakra Boye-Doe having a twin can be strenuous, but it’s worth it.
“Being a twin feels normal. I’ve never thought about being a twin, but I guess it’s just like having someone be there all the time and a best friend,” Boye-Doe said. “There are very few times where being a twin can be hard, but I’ve never not shared a twin. It’s truly a blessing. ”
Junior Kaitlyn Applegate said having a twin is just like having another sibling.
“Honestly, it’s not much different for me besides having the same birthday,” Applegate said.
As they grow up together, twins can often be grouped together instead of being seen as individuals with separate interests and hobbies.
“I guess you could say that and not just because of our looks. We act the same and finish each other’s sentences,” junior Yelena Birt said about her bond with her identical sister, Anna. “I like artsy stuff and she’s medical, but that kind of like works together. I guess we kind of are the same.”
Because they spend so much time together, being apart for even short periods of time can be difficult. Applegate often misses her twin, Logan, after only a short period of time apart.
“We were away from each other for two weeks,” Kaitlyn Applegate said. “I kind of missed him honestly. It wasn’t the same not having him there to beat me up everyday.”
The longest length of time the Birt sisters have spent apart is a week. Because their sibling bond is so strong, it felt much longer.
“We were apart for a week,” Anna Birt said. “I really didn’t like it because it felt like I was missing a piece of me. We always used to talk, and it was different.”
For identical twins it is almost inevitable to be confused as one another at some point or another throughout their lives.
“We do on occasion get confused,” Kakra Boye-Doe said. “My parents actually thought I was P [Panyin] and P was me for about a week, until the doctor clarified.”
Some cite switching classes as an advantage to being an identical twin.
“There was once a time when P didn’t want to be in class, so I switched classes with him,” Kakra Boye-Doe said.
As they get older and leave for college, twins often separate and start to go on their own paths. This is not the case for the Boye-Doe brothers. They both plan on attending the University of Kansas together.
“As of now we plan on going to the same college, and that’s very exciting,” Kakra Boye-Doe said.