TROY – Troy University’s “Trojan Arena” has been named by “Learning By Design” as an outstanding project in its Spring 2014 Architectural Review Showcase.
In association with the American Institute of Architects Academy, the Council of Educational Facility Planners International, and the American Architectural Foundation Design for Learning Council, Ed Spaces and others, “Learning By Design” recognizes some of the most exceptional education design projects in the United States.
“We are delighted that Trojan Arena has been recognized as one of the best facilities of its kind in the nation,” said Troy Chancellor Dr. Jack Hawkins Jr. “This award is testament to the vision of our trustees and staff and it reflects the talent of our architectural partners Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood. Through intense ‘value engineering’ the end result exceeded the financial investment we made in the Arena.”
Montgomery architectural firm Goodwyn, Mills and Cawood, Inc., in cooperation with Populous, spearheaded the design of the 5,500-seat $40 million arena that has received other national and international awards for its design and use of technology.
The design team included Bill Wallace, principal, and Freddie Lynn, Jr., project manager, both of Goodwyn, Mills and Caywood, and Populous’ Jim Swords.
“In the 18 months since it’s opening, Trojan Arena has proven to be a tremendous asset for Troy Athletics,” said John Hartwell, TROY’s Director of Athletics. “Its ‘wow factor’ is a huge recruiting advantage for us not just in men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball, but for all of our sports. We certainly believe the addition of Trojan Arena has elevated the stature of our Athletics’ program, and will pay dividends for many years to come.”
Trojan Arena is a 126,465 square-foot multipurpose sports complex that serves as the home of the University’s NCAA Division I basketball, volleyball and track programs. It also serves as a convocation, commencement and special events venue. The arena features a three-tiered rotunda at the main entrance that leads directly to the building’s centerpiece, the Troy University Sports Hall of Fame and two 767-square-foot video boards at either end of the arena bowl, and a simulated court area on the surrounding concourse enhance the fan experience in the facility.
Four concession stands and a food court, in addition to club-level and seven luxury suites, are included in the building, which features state-of-the-art audio and lighting systems. A training room, weight room and a practice court is also housed in the building. An additional 600-seat floor capacity expands total seating exceeding 6,000.
Trojan Arena opened Sept. 8, 2012, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Trojans first game in the facility was Nov. 9, 2012 – a 56-53 win over Mississippi State.
HOAR Construction, Inc. was the general contractor for the construction of the arena.
Birmingham Fashion Week showcased junior high and high school student designers during the April 25th runway show. The young designers had to use Buffalo Rock and Pepsi packaging to create their unique looks.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LeBOISE DERU and TAMIA BRYANT-DERU!!! Here’s to many, many more birthdays.
It’s Springtime! …What are you doing this weekend?
REGIONS TRADITION CHAMPIONS TOUR – Everyone is invited…(especially golfers) and some (in town) outdoor sun and fun…this weekend…at the Shoal Creek.
This year’s Regions Tradition, the first of five Champions Tour majors this season, will take place at Shoal Creek this weekend with a purse of $2.2 million. As always, juniors 18 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult. The celebrity list of who’s who playing in this year’s Regions Tradition NCR Pro-Am is quite impressive. New this year, Auburn basketball coach Bruce Pearl will tee it up at Shoal Creek alongside other popular SEC coaches, including Nick Saban, Gus Malzahn and Hugh Freeze. Also, making her first appearance in the state of Alabama, the Golf Channel’s Morning Drive co-host Holly Sonders will play in a group with football and baseball legend Bo Jackson who is returning for this year’s Regions Tradition. Taking a break from the NBA playoffs, Charles Barkley will tee off with Coach Bruce Pearl in one of the morning tee times. Celebrities will be paired with some of the biggest names in Champions Tour golf including Rocco Mediate, Kenny Perry, Fred Couples, Nick Price, and David Frost. For more go to www.regionstradition.com.
If you don’t make the REGIONS TRADITION (in town) and want some beach sun and fun, then….Head to the Beach…this weekend… for the Biggest Festival on the Gulf of Mexico in Gulf Shores, Alabama!
HANG-OUT FESTIVAL – The Hang-Out Festival is in Gulf Shores this weekend. You do not want to miss it if you can get away.
Here is some of what is going on: TODAY…the Launch Party is tonight with more throughout the weekend by the Pizza Hut Discover Great program, which celebrates up and coming music artists who are about to be great at the highest level, will be in full swing for the second year in a row. Being in the program gives artists exposure they may not have received before through the partnership with the Viacom networks and appearances at festivals, including Hangout Fest. This year, Magic Man and Bleachers will be featured down in Gulf Shores. And, what is better than music on a beach? Music on a beach with a backyard BBQ. The new BBQ recipe pizzas was released Monday and will be available, FOR FREE, throughout the festival, this weekend.
Friday….
On the RED BULL SOUND SELECT STAGE performing: GEMINI, BAD SUNS, LOS COLOGNES, and JOHN AND JACOB. John and Jacob are two young songwriters from Nashville who have written #1 songs for the likes of The Band Perry, they’re about to go on tour with Kacey Musgraves. The band will release a new album this August! Saturday…
CHANCE THE RAPPER, MOON TAXI, ELECTRIC SONS, and BLACK CADILLACS. The Black Cadillacs perform at Hangout Beach Fest, 12:30 p.m. Sunday…
Come check out Warner Bros. Records electro-funk artist MYSTERY SKULLS, as he plays the Red Bull Sound Stage, 7:30 p.m. at Hangout Festival. The singing DJ and producer otherwise known as Luis Dubuc released the Exorcist-inspired video for his first single “Ghost” followed by a stellar pack of remixes from the likes of Fred Faulke, Claude Von Stroke, Solidisco, Thomas Newson, Viceroy, Martignetti and NVNO NINO.
AND…LE1F, BAGHEERS and THE TONTONS. The Tontons released their newest song “Lush” recently – a track recorded, produced and mastered as part of the heralded “Shaking Through” Sessions in Philadelphia, Pa. They will perform Saturday and Sunday.
OTHERS (you don’t want to miss)…
**EMPIRES – Handpicked by NPR as one of the 100 SXSW best discoveries, Empires ais currently finishing up their debut album for Chop Shop / Island Records – out later this year – and will release an EP on June 17th.
**NEED TO BREATHE, the South Carolina natives have managed to infuse the contemporary, chest-thumping rock styling’s of Imagine Dragons with the old-school, down-home goodness of a group like Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young … wrapped up in an ethereal, woodsy, Bon Iver haze.”
**SOJA (on Sunday) featuring Michael Franti and Nahko on the single “I Believe”, with Grammy award winning Jamaican producer Supa Dupa who works with Bruno Mars, Eminem, Rihanna and John Legend. “’I Believe’ is about life; being kind to others and making the most out of the time we have with those that surround us,” says lead singer / guitarist Jacob Hemphill. “Whether we are family, friends or strangers, how we treat one another and energy we share dictates our existence.”
BMI STAGE performing on Friday…
**BRONZE RADIO RETURN on the BMI Stage, Friday at 1:45 p.m. Hartford, Connecticut’s Bronze Radio Return is excited to announce that they will be joining several major festival line-ups this spring and summer – most notably their first ever Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza performances.
Saturday….
**DESERT NOISES on the BMI stage, Saturday, 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Utah Valley’s Desert Noises’ label debut album, 27 Ways, was recorded in El Paso, Texas with producer Nic Jodoin (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) and released March 25 via SQE Music.
Sunday…
**ST. PAUL AND THE BROKEN BONES on the BMI Stage, Sunday, 6:15 – 7:30 p.m. Birmingham’s powerhouse soul septet St. Paul & The Broken Bones’ debut album, Half The City (Single Lock / Thirty Tigers) was recorded and mixed in Muscle Shoals with producer Ben Tanner (of the Alabama Shakes). Half The City debuted at #56 on Billboard Top 200.
PALLADIA STAGE performing
**Friday…VALERIE JUNE performs at 2:45 p.m. on the Palladia Stage. An artist of extraordinary depth and talent, June’s debut album Pushin’ Against A Stone, released by Concord Records in 2013, earned some of the year’s most glowing reviews.
AND…TOM ODELL will be performing at the Hangout Festival this weekend. He’s currently featured in the Spring Uniqlo ad campaign and he’s just begun working on his new album for RCA.
At the BOOM BOOM TENT…Don’t miss STS9—the instrumental electronic rock band hailed as “one of the country’s most intriguing, innovative outfits around” by XLR8R—at the HANGOUT MUSIC FESTIVAL, FRIDAY, 9-11p.m.
FOR MORE, go to www.Hangoutfestival.com to get the full schedule. Tell them Gwen sent you.
INAUGURAL SMART ART FESTIVAL – Experience an explosion of creativity and fun at the Smart Art Festival, Saturday, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Boutwell Auditorium with arts enthusiasts, intrigued parents and Birmingham youth. FREE. Get information about cultural arts opportunities, interactive games and prizes, guitar lessons, creative uses of smart-phones and tablets, activities including live performances, demonstrations, children’s activities, careers in art and a food truck courtyard with back and hand messages for parents with over 30 vendors in the areas of performing arts, arts education, careers in art and visual/media arts. This festival will bring together ethnic and cultural groups, dancers, theatre groups, balloon artists, bands, singers, jugglers and storytellers. This is not ordinary cultural art’s fair. This is something new for the whole family. Call (205) 320-0879 for more. Tell them Gwen sent you.
ART CRAWL – Calling All Artists! Exhibit in the inaugural monthly Birmingham Art Crawl that kicks off Thursday, June 5! This consistent opportunity allows you a platform to showcase and/or sell works of art all year long in the Historic Loft District of Birmingham’s Central City neighborhood. Registering for the inaugural June 5 Art Crawl also allows you an invitation to exhibit or perform in both the July Art Crawl and June Art Crawl at only one registration fee. Be part of this exciting opportunity and continued surge of growth in the downtown area! Deadline to apply for the inaugural Art Crawl is Thursday, May 22 by midnight. Apply online at birminghamartcrawl.com.
THEN…
There is FATHER’S Day, right around the corner..
NASCAR Launches Father’s Day Campaign – Win Goodyear Blimp Ride In #NASCARwithDAD Sweepstakes – No other sport features such rich family tradition and father-son lineage as NASCAR®, where iconic names like Petty, Earnhardt, Jarrett and France have been made famous across generations. To celebrate the fathers of stock car legends and highly passionate NASCAR fans alike, NASCAR announced “NASCAR with DAD,” a Father’s Day platform built around memorable NASCAR moments with Dad. As Official Partners Goodyear, 3M and Ford have teamed up to create the #NASCARwithDAD Sweepstakes. Fans entering have a chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime Goodyear Blimp Ride for two high above Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. This all-inclusive VIP experience at the Ford EcoBoost 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway includes $500 travel cash and hospitality, and a driver meet and greet. Fans can also win one of 10 NASCAR Racing Experience prize packages to feel the thrill of driving a NASCAR-style stock car with their Dad. To win these unforgettable prizes, fans can enter the #NASCARwithDAD Sweepstakes by going to nascar.com/NASCARwithDad beginning today through 11:59 p.m. on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 15.
NOW…
FOR LAUGHTER… At the StarDome Comedy Club… THIS WEEKEND….. JAMES GREGORY at the StarDome Comedy. The Funniest Man in America returns! For over twenty years, the unforgettable caricature of veteran comic James Gregory has stood grinning: his blue shirt untucked, his arms outstretched, a carefree welcome to a down-home, hilarious storytelling experience. The trademark caricature is the essence of James Gregory´s comedy: whimsical reflections on life from the front porch. Call (205) 444-0008 for more. Tell them Gwen sent you!
MORE LAUGHTER…May 24th – RONNIE JORDAN, May 24-25 – EDDIE GRIFFIN, May 27-June1 – JEN KOBER, June 5-8 – TOMMY DAVIDSON, June 13-15 – RUSSELL PETERS, June 20-21 – CRAIG SHOEMAKER, June 26 – GEORGE LOPEZ (One Night Only), June 27-29 – DAMON WAYANS. Tell Bruce that Gwen sent you!!
TODAY… Laughter at the Stardome with JAMES GREGORY, this weekend.
FRIDAY…..
**MATT MARSHAK, Contemporary Jazz Guitarist at the Watermark Place, 7 p.m. Call (205) 425-1137 for more.
SATURDAY… **COOK-OUT FOR LADIES OF DISTINCTION, Noon at the New Tide and Tiger (in front of the Legion Field on Graymont Avenue.) There will plenty of BBQ. Call (205) 503-3880 for more.
SUNDAY….
**MEN’S DAY – The Rev. Ricky Yarbrough will deliver the 3 p.m. message as Broad Street Missionary Baptist Church conducts its annual Men’s Day on Sunday, May 18. Rev. Yarbrough is pastor of Hopewell Baptist Church of Wylam. Men’s Day at Broad Street (121 Morris Avenue North, Birmingham) starts with the morning Sunday school and 11 a.m. worship. Darryl Carpenter is the general chairman, Howard Harris, Jr. is co-chairman, Solomon Crenshaw Jr. is program chairman, Henry Walker Sr. is co-chairman and Larry Hollings is the secretary. The Rev. Truitt Evans Sr. is pastor.
**HOT MIC SUNDAYS – Each and every Sunday is Open Mic and Karaoke, 8 p.m. – midnight at Venue 35…Free before 9 p.m. at 2724 35th Avenue North. There will be rappers, comedians and poets.
ENJOY THE WEEKEND!!
NOW…. a BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUT FOR MAY! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL CELEBRATING!! THIS MEANS YOU….TAMIA BRYANT-DERU, LEBOISE DERU and STEPHONIA MCLINN! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL YOU BIRTHDAY BALLERS…MANY, MANY MORE HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!! ENJOY!!
Well, that’s it. Tell you more ‘next’ time.
(People, Places and Things by Gwen DeRu is a weekly column. Send comments to my emails: thelewisgroup@birminghamtimes.com or gwenderu@yahoo.com)
La Toya juggles her career, love and maybe even marriage on an all-new season of the popular Saturday night docu-series
LOS ANGELES – “Life with La Toya,” featuring the outrageous world of pop culture icon La Toya Jackson, returns for its summer premiere with two back-to-back episodes Saturday, June 7 at 10 and 10:30 p.m. ET/PT on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. As the most lovable and unpredictable member of the famous Jackson dynasty, La Toya has big changes in store.
La Toya is taking charge of her life and finds that life on top also comes with its challenges. She tackles some long-harbored issues in therapy, giving her a newfound confidence, which presents an issue for her business partner and constant companion, Jeffré, who’s not used to sharing her with anyone.
Meanwhile, showbiz beckons, and La Toya hits the Big Apple to star in a campy stage musical. New music is also on the horizon, but La Toya’s biggest performance of all could be as a bride-to-be, when a wedding proposal turns her world upside down. Longtime friend Brenda Richie and outspoken gal-pal Tresa Harrington are along for the ride with wine glasses in hand. High-speed yachts, red carpets, big diamonds and even bigger drama abound alongside tears, cheers and emotional entanglements that only come with life lived as a Jackson.
Birmingham Fashion Week showcased junior high and high school student designers during the April 25 runway show. The young designers had to use Buffalo Rock and Pepsi packaging to create their unique looks.
This season it’s all about radically transformed beauty classics as well as avant guard and retro looks. These hot trends were seen all over the Birmingham Fashion Week runway during the week of April 21-26.
Au Naturale Makeup – barely there makeup looks using soft neutral tone lip and cheek colors.
Pop of Color on the Lips – in vibrant, bold variations of orange and red shades.
Pastel Wash of Color – in various shades of lavenders, blues and greens all over eyelids and smudged underneath bottom lashes for a soft and diffused look.
White Out – sheer white satin or matte shadow all over the eyelids or as an option.
Use white pencil in the bottom rim of eye.
Khol Rimmed Eyes – in smoldering black or bright electric colors rimming the top and bottom lash lines.
Golden Eyes – gilded gold eye shadow all over the eyelids in satin and glitter textures.
Jestina Howard is the founder of Aware Cosmetics & Makeup Services and a beauty expert with over 20 years of experience in the beauty industry.
For more information go to www.awarecosmetics.com.
Celebrity hairstylist Kim Kimble is back with a sophisticated salon makeover, a new stylist and star-studded clientele
NEW YORK – WE tv’s hit series L.A. HAIR, following celebrity hairstylist Kim Kimble, returns for an explosive season three on Thursday, May 22 at 9p.m. ET/PT with 12, one-hour episodes. Kim is back and hotter than ever, as some of the most dynamic star-studded clients stop by her posh West Hollywood salon including actress Gabrielle Union, songstress Macy Gray, R&B trio SWV, reality star Gretchen Rossi, supermodel Janice Dickinson, TV personality Rocsi Diaz, actress Keshia Knight Pulliam, R&B crooner/reality star Ray J, rapper Too $hort, rapper/producer Akon and many more!
In addition to dealing with demanding, A-list clientele, Kim has lofty plans to expand her business to another city. But too much too soon could bring her empire crumbling down. Kim’s luxurious West Hollywood salon undergoes a sophisticated upgrade and in a bold business move, Kim hires a new barber, Lisa, with a celebrity roster and an explosive personality that sends shockwaves through the salon. Meanwhile, rumors run rampant when former protégée-turned-enemy Angela is looking to open her own high-end salon and is threatening to take one of Kim’s top stylists, Dontay, as her partner. With Angela on the prowl, Kim must watch her back at all times. Will Kim’s other stylists remain loyal as a darker menace emerges? This season no one is left untouched as Kim’s growing ambition even threatens to destroy her relationship with her sister Leah and drive her mother Jas to the brink. Is Kim willing to turn her empire into an almighty hair dynasty at any cost, or is she in danger of being dethroned?
In the season three premiere, Kim styles “Being Mary Jane” star Gabrielle Union. Dontay plots to leave the salon to partner-up with Angela, escalating reigniting a feud between Kim and her former protégée. Meanwhile, a full-scale brawl erupts between Anthony, and Kim’s newest addition to the salon – a barber named Lisa with a celebrity roster a mile long and a bad attitude to match.
Nearly 2,000 students learn the power of their choices
(BIRMINGHAM, AL) – Dr. Shelley Stewart returned to Harlem, NY, on Friday, May 9 to speak to the students of The Eagle Academy for Young Men of Harlem as part of Eagle Week, a 360-degree strategy to help inner city young men succeed. Thanks to State Farm®’s partnership with The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation, each Eagle Academy student experienced The Choice Bus during Eagle Week. The bus is a half-classroom, half-prison cell interactive mobile tool dedicated to reducing the dropout rate in the U.S.
Invited by the principal, Mahaliel Bethea, Dr. Stewart arrived at the Percy E. Sutton Educational Complex to speak to the Eagle Academy of Harlem students right before they boarded The Choice Bus.
“The students truly enjoyed The Choice Bus visit on Friday. Dr. Stewart gave an awesome and uplifting speech of hope and progress through education to more than 100 kids. The students gave an overwhelming applause and a standing ovation afterwards,” said Naomi Johnson, State Farm New York Community Specialist.
The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation’s Choice Bus fleet has touched the lives of more than two million people in 20 states, sharing the powerful message of what an education can bring – at least $1 million over a person’s lifetime if they graduate from college.
Each school received a visit from The Choice Bus, the InsideOut Toolkit, the Learn2Earn booklet and “I Promise” to stay in school pledge cards and banner. A grant by State Farm provides The Choice Bus the opportunity to visit schools, along with Learn2Earn, a financial literacy booklet, and the InsideOut Toolkit, a DVD and companion Teacher’s Guide used in classrooms and community centers in 49 states and Canada and viewed by an estimated 15 million students and community leaders.
Several hundred Eagle Academy students and Kappa IV Middle School, also in the Percy E. Sutton building, boarded the bus outside of the school for the life-changing Choice Bus presentation. The Foundation received numerous requests from other schools and organizations in the area to return to New York in the future.
State Farm is a proud financial supporter of the work being done by The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation and is committed to help build safe, strong and educated communities by assisting nonprofits that support education.
Dr. Shelley Stewart, Founder and President of The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation, said, “I believe in spreading the message of the importance of education and good choices. I remember my first grade teacher, Mamie Laban Foster, telling me, ‘Shelley, if you get a good education and learn to read, you can become anything you want to be.’ That stuck with me over the years. If it made a difference in my life, then it can make a difference in others’ lives as well.”
To learn more about The Mattie C. Stewart Foundation and The Choice Bus, visit www.mattiecstewart.org.
The American Cancer Society has announced that The Weather Channel® will be a national partner supporting the Society’s Relay For Life community fundraising events. The morning show team from “AMHQ with Sam Champion” will be the on air talent for the partnership.
The Atlanta-based television network will raise funds for the American Cancer Society’s fight against cancer and will be a national media partner for the Society’s Relay events. The Weather Channel will promote Relay For Life in a campaign which includes on-air promos, online content, social media and program elements within “AMHQ.” Co-hosts Sam Champion, Maria LaRosa, Mike Bettes and Anaridis Rodriguez will each team up with a cancer survivor to raise funds and encourage people to join community relay events. Viewers can follow the teams’ progress through periodic updates on air and through the network’s digital platforms. In addition, The Weather Channel will promote sun safety through the partnership and provide local weather information for the thousands of outdoor events which take place throughout the country.
“All of us at the American Cancer Society are delighted to have The Weather Channel as the newest national partner of our Relay For Life program,” said John Seffrin, Ph.D., the Society’s Chief Executive Officer. “The Weather Channel is the most credible and visible weather information source in the country, on the scene of the most dramatic weather events and providing critical information to help people stay safe. Our partnership with The Weather Channel brings a new element of excitement to Relay For Life and will support our work to create a brighter outlook for cancer patients, survivors and caregivers.”
“We are proud to partner with the American Cancer Society and have everyone at The Weather Company join in the fight against cancer,” said David Kenny, chairman and chief executive officer of The Weather Company. “Relay For Life events are outdoors and weather dependent, and we are looking forward to promoting the events, providing forecasts and hopefully, bringing on new participants.”
Relay For Life, the American Cancer Society’s signature event, is an inspiring overnight experience that unites the entire community to celebrate those who have had cancer, remember loved ones lost, and provide an opportunity to fight back against the disease. Relay takes place every year in more than 5,000 communities nationwide and in 20 foreign countries. It offers everyone a chance to participate in the fight against cancer, with teams of people taking turns walking or running around a track or path at a local school, park or fairground. Relays begin with cancer survivors taking the first lap around the track and feature a luminary ceremony after dark – inspirational candle-lit ceremonies in memory of those who have lost their battles with cancer and honoring those who have survived.
Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
Praise the LORD with harp: sing unto him with the psaltry and an instrument of 10 strings.
Sing unto him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.
For the word of the LORD is right; and all his works are done in truth.
He loveth righteousness and judgment: the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD,
By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.
He gathereth the waters of the sea together as a heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.
Let all the earth fear the LORD: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.
For he spake, and it was done; he commanded and it stood fast.
The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect.
The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance.
The LORD looketh from heaven; he beholdeth all the sons of men.
From the place of his habitation he looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.
He fashioneth their hearts alike; he considereth all their works.
There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.
An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.
Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that fear him,
upon them that hope in his mercy;
To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
Our soul waiteth for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.
For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.
Let thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in thee.
Psalm 33
For a free Scripture packet, please write From the Bible, BIBLE FOUNDATION, PO Box 908, Newberg, Oregon 97132; e-mail: bf@bf.org.
“With strategy, the Source, and sweat, genius isn’t necessary for success.”
ATLANTA, Ga. – Kirstie and Kristie Bronner, best known as the “Bronner twins” who graduated as double valedictorians from Spelman College in 2013 making national news headlines, have launched the next phase of their budding, extraordinary career. Wise beyond their years, Kirstie and Kristie have combined their talents to write a book – “Double Vals: The Keys to Success in College and Life Beyond,” recently published and celebrated at a recent Book Launch Party held at the Riverside EpiCenter (Austell, GA).
Serving as youth pastors at Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral (Austell, GA), these young women have unleashed their skills, knowledge, personalities, and tireless energy, on those who will listen. People, young and old, are listening to what they have to say. Versed with the legacy of the Bronner family and with God in their lives, they are already a force in the 21st century, sometimes referred to as the “God Generation.”
Their latest achievement, Double Vals: The Keys to Success in College and Life Beyond, is a small part of their ministry and the work they do at Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral [WOF]. They lead the WOF Ignite Youth Ministry, which is designed to help young people grow by providing an environment of accountability, counsel, and friendship. WOF Ignite meets every Thursday evening at the Riverside EpiCenter, 135 Riverside Parkway at 7:30 p.m.
It was almost a year ago since the media blitz that introduced the Bronner Twins, now 23, when they graduated from Spelman College, both music majors with a 4.0 grade point average. The young women are currently focused on a career path with the youth ministry and music department at Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral, which is led by their father, Bishop Dale Bronner. Their immediate plans are to grow their ministry, record a contemporary Christian CD, and to write another new book.
