Traditionally in German folklore, a “doppelgänger” describes a phenomenon when one sees an apparition that looks eerily similar to oneself. Tradition has even suggested that the appearance of a doppelgänger could be a sign that something bad is about to happen. In modern-day usage, “doppelgänger” is used to characterize two people that look alike.

As students usually anticipate the meeting of  new teachers on the first day of school, junior Vienna Husson was surprised when she walked into history class. She was amazed, as the meeting of  teacher Ross Bosse looked strikingly similar to her English teacher, Michael Murphy.

“When I saw Mr. Bosse, I thought it was ridiculous and that this cannot be what he actually looks like,” Husson said. “I found Mr. Murphy to say ‘Hi,’ and I told him that he had to see [Bosse]. He told me he had heard, but he had yet to meet him.”

Many students are fascinated with the resemblance of the two and often wonder if the teachers are alike in other ways. Both help coach their children’s sports teams: Bosse is the assistant coach to his son’s travel baseball team, and Murphy helps coach his daughter’s travel softball team. The two teachers have yet to have a proper conversation since they teach in different departments.

“[Murphy and I] have had one conversation in the hallway about people saying how much we look alike,” Bosse said.

In addition to this set of doppelganger teachers, there are students who look remarkably similar to others. Seniors Aron Malatinszky and Chad Call have been going to school together since last year, and classmates have confused the two of them from time to time.

“People tell me in the hallways, ‘Aron, I saw you,’ and I tell them, ‘No, you didn’t’,” Malatinszky said. “They also tell me that they try to talk to Chad but [he is] just not me.”

Even though the boys look the same, how they spend their free time differs. While Malatinszky is an avid member of the speech team, Call enjoys comic books. Both are film connoisseurs, however, as Malatinszky is the president of the Film Club, and Call is enrolled in Film Study.

Not only are there sets of teachers and students that look alike, but there is also a student-teacher pairing, as senior Joey Cronin and science teacher Corey Porter share a strong resemblance. They are similar in height and stature as well. To continue, Porter has also received comments on how he looks like a few celebrities and athletes.

“People have told me that I look like Chris Evans and [baseball player] David Wright,” Porter said.

During his free time, Porter often goes rockclimbing, a hobby of his he has developed over the years. Cronin is part of the Student Government Association (SGA), and his dedication to the program has allowed students to be more involved with the behind-the-scene aspects of large events, such as homecoming and prom.

The German tradition of doppelgängers provides an interesting insight on the origin of the word, but the folklore is probably not a reason for worry. According to ABC News, there is a strong possibility that will find someone who looks extremely similar to oneself. So, keep on the lookout, and you just might bump into your doppelgänger.