First-Year Twins Adjust to New College Lifestyle
Alex Baker
Identical twins Jarrod and Jarred Hubbard are ready to take on Manchester. Jarrod Hubbard is a firstyear religious studies major, while his brother Jarred, is a first-year sports analytics major and journalism minor. Jarred is the older one of the two as he is nine minutes older. Also, Jarred is a part of the basketball team on campus. He plays both guard positions, point and shooting. Jarrod used to play basketball but heading into college he wanted to focus on his major, with an eye toward becoming a reverend.
The Hubbards are from Indianapolis, where they attended Indianapolis Lighthouse College Preparatory Academy. Coming from a larger city, the twins are excited about the challenges of living in a smaller town. They did not have to adjust their lifestyles when coming to Manchester, though. Ever since they were children, the two have been living in the same room with each other. “It is not too bad living with someone that is already comfortable with you,” Jarrod said.
The Hubbards get the ultimate advantage of already knowing who their roommate is for the year, which makes the settling-in process easier. Jarred was skeptical about the transformation to college, but he has enjoyed living with his brother yet again. “I thought it would be different, but it is actually more fun than what I expected,” Jarred said. Jarrod did not believe that he was going to end up at Manchester University, noting that he was looking at 15 other universities. “I ended up choosing Manchester because it was a very well-rounded school,” Jarrod said. “It was close to home, pretty affordable and had my major.”
When going over his selection of schools to attend, Jarrod knew that the school had to have his major or he was not interested. Jarred was in the same boat as his brother. “I did not know until the last minute that I was going to attend Manchester,” Jarred said. “I had a few offers for basketball from other schools, but I felt like Manchester was the perfect fit for me.”
Jarred and Jarrod Hubbard may look exactly alike, but there is one distinctive difference that Jarrod believes separates the two. “You can tell the real difference between me and him when he opens his mouth to speak,” Jarrod said. “I am more of the wise-counsel guy and he is more of the fun guy.”
On the other hand, Jarred notices physical differences between the two. “I have earrings, which he does not, and I got a few inches on him in height,” said Jarred with a smirk. Another difference that Jarred believes is their fashion choices. Jarred is usually in athletic clothing while Jarrod is in more comfortable wear.
Despite their differences, there are similarities between the two. They both have an interest in basketball and love discussing the NBA. Also, they think alike. “We can generally feel the same thing,” Jarrod said. “A lot of the times we have the same mindset.” This helps the brothers as they are already in alignment with one another when trying to make life choices. Even though the Hubbards have not yet been here for a full semester, they are both graceful to be living the Manchester experience. “I have absolutely loved it,” said Jarrod with a smile.
He was thinking about transferring after his first year, not knowing if he would find be satisfied here. However, thanks for his new friends and opportunities, Jarrod has enjoyed every bit of Manchester thus far. For Jarred, he has been thankful for the basketball program and the friendships he has created with his teammates. “I cannot wait to start playing for Manchester and representing Black and Gold with pride,” said Jarred with excitement.