Atlanta Daily World

Twin Sisters Kirstie and Kristie Bronner Named Spelman Co-Valedictorians

The Bronner Sisters, identical twins Kirstie and Kristie Bronner, have been named co-valedictorians for the Spelman College Class of 2013. With a 4.0 GPA, the Bronners are the first twins to receive the designation in the history of Spelman.

"Being co-valedictorians of our class is very exciting and a blessing for us," said Kirstie.

Following graduation, Kristie and Kirstie, both music majors, say they plan to join the youth ministry at Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral in Atlanta, pastored by their father Bishop Dale Bronner. In between directing youth events and counseling in the music department, they look forward to recording a contemporary Christian CD. On the heels of the CD, they want to pen a book offering advice to high school students about achieving academic success in college and beyond.

The Bronners attribute their academic achievement to a disciplined study routine, time management and their faith.

"We maximized our study time," said Kirstie. "People would ask us 'do you want to go do this or that on a weekday' and the response was an automatic 'no.' We saved recreation for the weekend. Our philosophy was and is, pay now and play later."

"We prayed before every homework assignment and before every exam," added Kristie. "We can sum up our progress with the saying, 'Work like it's all up to you and pray like it's all up to God.' Prayer accounts for things you can't do. What you are able to take responsibility for, do it. Don't act like God is supposed to do it all for you."

The sisters are third-generation Spelman graduates. As youngsters, they looked up to their mother, Nina Cobb Bronner, (class of '85), and grandmother, Dorothy Gibson Cobb, (class of '56), and decided to continue the Spelman tradition. However, Kirstie initially decided in high school that she wanted to go to a school with more diversity. Her perspective shifted when the sisters took part in a National Society of High School Scholars campus tour of Spelman their senior year.

"When I heard the whole idea behind [Spelman's mission] 'a choice to change the world,' I realized Spelman was the place for me," Kirstie said. "The experience of being here and hearing that Spelman emphasized leadership, community service, legacy, and changing the world was an affirmation because those things had been instilled in us throughout our lives. It clicked with who I was and made me realize this was a place I needed to be."

The Bronners rounded out their academic career by studying music abroad their junior year in Milan, Italy as part of the Institute for the International Education of Students. It's an experience Kristie described as "one of the more enriching semesters of my life." They joined the Spelman College Glee Club their first year, and each earned a leadership position within the Glee Club by their senior year – Kirstie as a section leader and student conductor and Kristie as a section leader and chaplain.

"Spelman has emphasized not just the academic side but the development of the overall person," said Kristie. "There is a nurturing environment here that establishes a foundation on which you can stand. It's been a nurturing environment for my overall growth as a Black woman."

Shay Johnson, C'2013, has been named salutatorian for the Class of 2013, earning a 3.94 GPA. Johnson, a native of Marietta, is a political science major with a Spanish minor. She plans to attend Harvard Law School in fall 2013 and specialize in international law. Johnson wants to transition her interest in human rights into a career litigating in the area of corporate social responsibility.

Spelman College's 126th Commencement will be held Sunday, May 19 at 3 p.m. at Georgia International Convention Center. Baccalaureate service will take place Saturday, May 18 at 9 a.m. at Spelman. Learn more about commencement activities and speakers.

NYPD's Commissioner Says Blacks are 'Understopped' by Police Under Stop and Frisk

In response to claims of racial bias and discrimination in its stop-and-frisk policy, New York Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly said that, in fact, African Americans aren't being stopped enough.

During a television interview on ABC's Nightline, New York Police Department Commissioner Raymond Kelly credited the city's controversial stop-and-frisk program with bringing down crime rates to record lows and said that the NYPD is "understopping" the Blacks who are responsible for the majority of the crimes.

"About 70 percent to 75 percent of the people described as committing violent crimes — assault, robbery, shootings, grand larceny — are described as being African-American," Kelly said. "The percentage of people who are stopped is 53% African-American, so really, AfricanAmericans are being 'understopped' in relation to the percentage of people being described as being the perpetrators of violent crime."

According to research done by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), 86 percent of the stops are of African-Americans or Latinos. Eighty-eight percent of those stops did not lead to an arrest.

Some city residents believe that the continuance of programs like stop-and-frisk creates divisions between the communities and the police.

"When things like this happen, there's no trust," Kasim Walters of Flatbush, Brooklyn said during the telecast. But Commissioner Kelly calls these allegations to be "proactive policing."

"We are trying to save his life," Kelly said. "And we are trying to save the life of other young people who are disproportionately victimized."

Zimmerman’s Legal Team Attempts to Undercut 911 Call Evidence

The Sims 4 to be on Mac and PC's in 2014

Electronic Arts announced Monday that The Sims 4 will be scheduled for release in 2014 and will be available for PC and Mac.

The last addition to the game series, The Sims 3, made its debut in 2009, and seemed to have "evolved from a 'virtual sandbox' into a well-thought-out world with three-dimensional characters" according to PCMag.

"The Sims franchise is fueled by the passion and creativity of its millions of fans around the world," Maxis, the EA subsidiary releasing the game said in a blog post. "Their continued devotion to the franchise ignites the fire of creativity of the team at The Sims Studio, driving them to continually improve and innovate on one of the world's most successful simulation game that has sold more than 150 million copies worldwide."

The fourth installment of the game is expected to work offline after the always-on game requirement of Sims 3 overloaded web servers, leaving gamers unable log on and play the game.