On any given weeknight, Alec, Brittany or Tascha Zadek '05, are working at the campus restaurant, the Stein. All three siblings not only attend Brandeis, but work together-a decision that some families would never consider making.Siblings and family legacies seem to abound around here. But there are cases where siblings share not only the fact that they attend Brandeis, but also a birthday.

Many sets of twins and triplets currently reside at the University and they have taken on the task of establishing separate identities in a school with a small undergraduate population. Most seem content with the identities they have established and the nature of the relationships they have maintained with the rest of their duo or trio.

Adrienne and Mia Bellanich '07 of Long Island did not always intend to share the Brandeis experience. Adrienne applied early decision and was accepted, while Mia decided to apply to more schools and was initially waitlisted at Brandeis. When she was accepted to Brandeis, Mia decided that it may be a better choice for her than the school she planned to attend in the city.

"I had to talk to Adrienne about it; after all, Brandeis was her first choice," Mia said of her final college choice.

The Zadeks, from Leominster, Mass., followed in the footsteps of their older sister, Ariana '03 and their mother, by attending Brandeis. According to all three seniors, the Zadeks are a very "tight-knit family" and all five of the siblings get together for dinner frequently and stay in very close touch.

Alec applied only to Brandeis, but Brittany and Tascha applied to many other schools.

"When one was rejected from a school the other immediately withdrew her application so that neither would get into a better school than the other," Alec said.

Some schools, such as Duke University, ask on the application if the applicant is "a multiple" and if "other members of the multiple group" are applying to the school. Yet, it is unclear if this information is formally taken into consideration for acceptance or monetary matters.

Dean of Admissions Deena Whitfield said that Brandeis applications go through a screening process to determine if multiples are applying to the school.

"We try to take everything into account and we realize that these are two members of a family and it may be particularly difficult if one is accepted and one is rejected by the school," she said.

When asked if their parents get a discount on tuition because they are attending Brandeis simultaneously, Mia and Adrienne laughed and replied, "they wish!" In the Zadek's case Brandeis did supply a financial break because four of the siblings were enrolled at Brandeis.

Establishing separate identities did not always come easy to Brittany and Tascha.

"In high school, Britt and I dressed the same, joined the same clubs, had the same friends... While at Brandeis, we slowly found our own identity and with that came separate circles of friends."

During their first-year at Brandeis, Brittany, Alec and Tascha all lived in Shapiro, stacked on different floors, in what they called a joke of the Department of Residence Life.

Brittany adds, "We each pursued our individual academic and extra curricular interests and developed our own best friends."

Adrienne and Mia were in the same class from kindergarten through eighth grade and attended the same school for high school. So, working hard to establish separate identities is something they are used to doing. The two have brothers, but are the only multiples of the family.

"Our mother always referred to us as the girls, rather than the twins; just like our brothers are the boys," Adrienne said.

Their first year, the two lived in separate quads but are now residing in the same Rosenthal building. They do live in separate suites, and Adrienne said this shows that they "do have separate sets of friends."

Living close by is more for convenience than anything else.

"We share a lot of clothing, and last year it was hard to keep running between quads trying to find a shirt," Adrienne said.

Mia and Adrienne have found a balance in the extracurricular activities that they share while maintaining a strong friendship and support system. Mia is a theater major and focuses her efforts on a cappella and cheerleading. Adrienne is a pre-med, is on the fencing team and has joined a sorority, something that Mia is "just not into and doesn't have time for." Adrienne actually began cheerleading this year at Mia's suggestion.

Brittany, Tascha and Alec all work at the Stein, though beginning at different times and in different capacities. It was more an issue of convenience and it made sense for them because they all "need money to help pay tuition and tips can help pay the daily bills, and you can take some food home," Alec said.

Both Tascha and Brittany are pre-med while Alec has focused his efforts on politics. Next year will be the first time that the trio is split up because they are attending graduate schools far from one another; Alec is pursuing law, while Tascha will be entering dental school.

"When they make millions I am hoping that they will start funneling money into my research," Brittany said.

Tascha and Brittany are mirror images of one another as is the case with Adrienne and Mia. But they insist that it is their pet peeve when people just know them as the twins. Adrienne and Mia agree, "If you can't tell us apart it's just pure laziness; we are two different people, with different interests and personalities that just happen to look similar.