Quadruplets call SMC home
By THERESA FRALISH
News Writer
Most people enter college expecting to leave their family and close friends behind. They generally make new friendships and are often hundreds of miles apart from loved ones. But for the Taylor sisters, junior Lynn, and freshmen Katie, Julie and Laura, a face to face conversation is only a short stroll away. Katie, Julie, Laura and David, who attends Purdue, are quadruplets, and Lynn is their older sister.
Staying together was not an issue for the sisters of New Palestine, Ind.; rather each happened to choose Saint Mary's for separate reasons.
"We definitely made the choice on our own," said Julie Tayor.
While each sister made her own decision, they were all looking for similar characteristics in a college. Saint Mary's small and welcoming atmosphere was a main reason for their choices.
"It's a lot like our high school: small and Catholic," said Laura Taylor. "Saint Mary's just seemed to fit with me — academically and socially," said Lynn. "There were just a lot of benefits to coming here."
The women did apply to other schools, but simply found Saint Mary's to be a good match.
"I also applied to [Indiana University] and Dayton, but I liked it here because I've always been in small Catholic schools," said Julie Taylor. "I liked the atmosphere."
While the sisters did not all purposefully choose to attend Saint Mary's together, oldest sister Lynn did play a role in their coming to the same school.
"When I came to visit Lynn, I felt like I really got to know [Saint Mary's] and really liked it," said Katie Taylor.
The four sisters share close bonds while maintaining individual interests and friends.
"We definitely all have our own group of friends, and we'll all go to the same parties and see each other at the same places," said Lynn Taylor. "
Julie Taylor said, "It's been really nice. We've all done our own thing and been our own people, but we still have each other as friends."
The sisters periodically plan events together, such as going out to dinner.
"We try to have sister night, where we all catch up on things," said Katie Taylor.
While all four sisters have lived together while at home, attending college did bring some changes for them compared to high school.
"We hung out a lot more because we had to drive together, but we each still had our own close friends," said Laura Tyalor. "In high school, it was very blown out of proportion. That's why I like Saint Mary's — because it hasn't been a huge deal. I've only had one person come up to me and say, `Hey, you're in a quad, right?'"
Though they have been stereotyped as sisters, the girls try to take a carefree attitude toward their relationship.
"We haven't made it a big deal," said Katie Taylor.
A brother completes the set of quadruplets. The sisters maintain a close friendship with their brother, who attends Purdue University. Though Julie Katie and Laura are used to seeing him every day, they do think being separated has its benefits.
"I think it's been good for him to get away from the stereotype [of being quadruplets]," said Julie Taylor.
While each sister has a distinct personality, they do share some interests in common. Both Lynn and Laura are interested in medicine, although Lynn intends to enter medical school and Laura is a nursing major.
"We're similar, but I think we're going in different paths," said Lynn Taylor.
Katie and Lynn both play for the Saint Mary's soccer team and enjoy sharing the field together. "I think we get to see each other a lot more," said Katie Taylor. "[Lynn's] just another teammate, but more than that."
At heart, the women couldn't imagine not being sisters.
"We don't really know any different, there is nothing to compare it to," said Julie Taylor. "We go through the same things. We understand each other, we share clothes, we share friends, we share birthdays," said Laura Taylor. "I wouldn't change it for the world."
All News Stories for Tuesday, March 26, 2002
