There are 11 sets of senior twins at Baldwinsville, and 7 sets at Jamesville-DeWitt.
Nine of the 11 sets of in the graduating class at Baker High School in Baldwinsville pose on the steps in the school. In first row at bottom of stairs are Shana and Maureen Bamerick (left) and Kellie and Katie Redmond (right). Next row has Danielle and Phil Petti (left) and Amanda and Zach Wolgemuth (right). Next or third row from bottom has Robert and David Kahrs (left) and Kyle and Ryan Nash (right). In next row, fourth from bottom, are Andrew and Scott Redmond (both seated). Standing at top are Brian and Steven Scott (left) and Zach and Kyle McCaleb (right). Two more sets of twins are not pictured: Danielle and Phillip Petti and Andrew and Matthew Zarzecki. Graduation will be twice as nice for 18 sets of twins graduating from two local high schools this weekend.
Seven sets of twins will graduate from Jamesville-DeWitt High School and 11 sets of twins will graduate from Baker High School in Baldwinsville on Sunday.
Many of the twins graduating from the two schools said they have enjoyed their time together with all the other twins.
“We’ve been together since the middle school, and four sets of the twins were at Tecumseh Elementary together,” said Eileen Cody, whose twin is Chrissy. “We’ll miss each other.”
J-D’s twins include two sets of boys, one set of girls and the rest are mixed. They represent about 6 percent of the class of about 220 seniors.
“Having a twin to go through school with is great,” said Jocelyn Shibley, whose twin is Jamie. “It’s cool to continue to have someone to be there for you. High school is such a new experience, and to go through it with someone else who’s exactly your own age is comforting.”
At Baker High School there are six sets of boys, three sets of girls and the rest are mixed. Brian Scott, whose twin is Steven, said many of the sets of twins are friends.
“It’s really cool to have this many twins in our class,” Brian said. “Most of us are friends and hang out together.”
Brian said he is going to miss his twin brother the most when he goes off to college this fall. Steven is going to the Army.
Shana and Maureen Bamerick, of Baker High, won’t have to say goodbyes this fall because they will be going to the same school. The sisters will be at Onondaga Community College.
The seven sets of twins at Jamesville-DeWitt High School are (front row, from left): Jocelyn Shibley and (behind her) her brother Jamie; Sam Spalding and (next to him) his brother Matt; Rachel and Max Smith; Tyler Indivero and (behind him) his brother Derek; (second row, from left) Mike and Sarah Gianni; Jessica and David Houghtaling; and (back row, from left) Eileen and Chrissy Cody. “I don’t really think about all of us being twins so it’s not weird to me,” Shana said.
Danielle Petti, of Baker High, whose twin is Philip, said she thinks it’s special that there are so many sets of twins in the graduating class.
“We share something special,” Danielle said. Whatever the reason, Mike Gianni, of J-D, said he appreciates his twin, Sarah. “You’ve always got someone to talk to who knows what you’re talking about,” he said.
Having a twin can be competitive, admits Sam Spalding, of J-D, whose twin is Matt. “Because your twin is doing what you’re doing, a lot of times you want to win,” Sam said.
Most of the twins are going to separate colleges.
Jessica Houghtaling, said she’ll miss her twin, David, after high school. “We’ve been together for 18 years, and it will seem strange to me to be apart. It’s sad. Plus if you miss something, you can get the homework from your twin.”
“We can study together and if one of us is sick, the other one can get all their work,” said Eileen Cody. “It’s been nice.”
Why so many twins?
Did anything happen in 1992 that precipitated the birth of so many twins?
It’s hard to tell, but Dr. Robert J. Kiltz, founder and director of the CNY Fertility Center, said that year was about the time fertility treatments became more accessible and more popular among couples.
Starting in 1992 and continuing through now, twin birth rates rose steadily for the age group 35–39 years, and were dramatically higher than any other age group for women aged 45–49 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Vital Statistic System.
And, since 1990, the twin birth rate has risen 38 percent, from 22.6 to 31.1 per 1,000 live births.
-Elizabeth Doran can be reached at edoran@syracuse.com or 470-3012.