AnneMarie Luijendijk is a Professor of Religion and the Head of Wilson College. A papyrologist and scholar of New Testament and Early Christianity, she is the author of two books: Greetings in the Lord: Early Christians and the Oxyrhynchus Papyri (Harvard University Press, 2008), and Forbidden Oracles?: The Gospel of the Lots of Mary (Mohr Siebeck, 2014). Professor Luijendijk enjoys singing in a choir, walking, riding her (Dutch) bicycle, doing yoga, caring for her many houseplants (including papyrus plants) and flowers. She also likes to cook and talk and laugh with friends.
She has nothing on her identical twin six-year-old daughters, Annabel and Rosemarie — themselves bicyclists, singers, and the self-proclaimed authors of more books than she. The Daily Princetonian interviewed Annabel and Rosemarie about hobbies, career aspirations, their mom’s job, and the Wilson dining hall.
The Daily Princetonian: What grade are you in?
(in unison) Annabel and Rosemarie: First grade.
DP: And is first grade better or worse than kindergarten?
Annabel: Um … it’s so easy. You’re just counting up the numbers you already know! Like, counting to ten is this week. But I already know that. Second grade is challenging. My friend who is older told me.
DP: What’s your favorite class in school?
Annabel: Gym. Because it’s fun games and stuff.
Rosemarie: I like art because I learn better how to draw self-portraits.
DP: What sports do you guys play?
(in unison) Annabel and Rosemarie: Soccer.
Annabel: We like to watch football, but not play. We like the Patriots. Number 12, Tom Brady! We also like the Eagles’ number 17, and the Giants’ number 80. We like all the same players. We went to see the Princeton Women’s Soccer, but they lost.
Rosemarie: My sister is more into sports than me, because I like art. But I’m also a little into sports.
DP: What positions do you play in soccer?
Annabel: Goalie.
Rosemarie: I play offense. I like to be the one that scores.
Annabel: We play every Monday and Saturday and sometimes in the day with my dad and brother. Sometimes only with my dad, sometimes only with my brother, and sometimes only with my sister.
DP: Have you scored a goal ever?
Rosemarie: Yes. Especially on her.
Annabel: But I block most of them!
DP: If you could have a pet, what would you have?
Annabel: A dog! I would name it Charlotte. I want a Rhodesian Ridgeback.
Rosemarie: And I want a Bichon Frise.
DP: How old are your brothers?
(in unison) Annabel and Rosemarie: 14 and 19.
DP: Who do you like better?
Annabel: The 19. 14 tickles!
DP: Can you tell us what your mom’s job is?
Rosemarie: The head of Wilson College! And she teaches religion.
Annabel: I knew that too.
DP: Do you want to do what your mom does when you grow up?
Rosemarie: No. Just gym and art.
Annabel: I want to be a gym teacher.
Rosemarie: And I want to be an art teacher. Before that I wanted to be a first-grade teacher, and before that I wanted to be a vet.
DP: Do you guys come to eat at Wilson a lot?
Rosemarie: Yes. My favorite food here is the cheeseburgers. I also love ice cream.
DP: What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
(in unison) Annabel and Rosemarie: Mint chocolate chip!
DP: What do you guys disagree about?
Annabel: If I put cereal in my ice cream, my sister doesn’t like it. I like to do that here.
Rosemarie: And I hate it.
DP: Do you like being twins?
Annabel: I like being a twin.
Rosemarie: Me, too. People can’t normally tell us apart, but we’re different. We just give it away because we tell them.
DP: Do you have friends who are students here now?
Rosemarie: Yes. Samantha [Lee ’22], Caren [Ju ’22], and Sarah [Essig ’22]. I don’t really know first years yet. Oh wait, Sam [Wright ’21], number 51! (Shows drawing.) I draw him because I like football, and Sam plays football.
DP: What’s your favorite place on campus?
Annabel: My house. Or maybe Wilson College.
DP: What do you like better — orange or black?
Annabel: Orange, orange, orange! My favorite color is orange.
Rosemarie: I also like orange but mostly pink.
DP: Do you guys like to read?
Annabel: Yeah, but writing is my favorite. I’m going to have a writing party in my class. I have six stories I’m writing. One is about Christmas, one is about my bed, one is about the day I went to the airport, and one is the day before I was going to decorate my house.
Rosemarie: I just started a story today, but I do not know the title yet. But I planned my story already. One of my books was twenty pages — about swimming lessons.
DP: Your mom writes books too, right? Whose are better?
Rosemarie: Mine. She doesn’t have pictures!
DP: Do you guys do any other activities?
Rosemarie: Swimming, and piano, and singing in a group. We sing … I don’t really know. My favorite song is “I saw the tree by the riverside.”
And then, in unison, they sang it.
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