June 2, 1999 Committed to Cultural Diversity \oluille X X IX , Number 22 Wlje ^ o rtla n h (©bserüer SECTION ■MMHHHHHMHHHHHI n m m u n ito a 1 c n h a r Dynamic Differences D ynam ic D ifferences, an interactive w orkshop that exam ines various forms o f prejudice and oppression will be pre­ sented by the M etropolitan Human Rights C enter on W ednesday, June 16, from 6:30 PM - 9 PM at Trinity Lutheran C enter, 507 W. Powell in Gresham . The w orkshop aim s to increase understand­ ing o f cultural differences and percep­ tions on a basic level, and further to identify w ays w e can w ork together for the com m on good. To register, call Linda H unter at 503/823-5136 (V oice/TTY ). Learn to Meditate Learn how to m editate - it’s sim ple, effective and pow erful. D evelop peace ofm ind, confidence, and happiness. C re­ ate a life o f inspiration and infinite pos­ sibilities. A free w orkshop w ill be of­ fered on Sunday, June 6 and 20 from 1 :3 0 - 3 PM at the C entral Library (801 SW 10th). No registration required. For questions, call 206/324-3294. Summer Volunteer Training B radley-A ngle H ouse is pleased to announce our Sum m er V olunteer T rain­ ing. W e need volunteers to do direct service work: answ er our 24-hour crisis line, sta ff our em ergency shelter and transitional houses, w ork with children’s groups, o r s e n e on our Board o f D irec­ tors. W e are also in.need o f volunteers to do adm inistrative and m aintenance work. O ur next training w ill begin Thursday, June 10,h. C all 282-9940. Oasis Senior Housing Fair Set For June 16th O A SIS (O lder A dult Service & In­ form ation System ) w ill host the second annual Senior H ousing Fair in the M eier & Frank A uditorium D ow ntow n, 13,b floor on W ednesday, June lb* from 11:00 to 2:00 p.m. An educational organiza­ tion, O A SIS offers classes, trips and activities to adults over 55. To becom e a m em ber and receive an O A SIS catalog o f current offerings, call 241-3059. Draw Wildlife The Portland Fine Arts G uild is hav­ ing a w orkshop on draw ing wildlife in colored pencil w ith Judy Jam ison on June 14,21 & 28 from 10 AM until 2 PM at the R u s se llv ille G ra n g e (a t 12105 N E Prescott). The cost is $4 form em bers and $5 for non-m em bers. Call 503/252-9937. Soul Food Classes N eighborhood H ealth Clinics (NH C) w ill hold a series o f tw o-day Soul Food M odifications W orkshops and Hands- on C ooking Classes. W orkshop partici­ pants are asked to bring a favorite soul food recipe, a friend and enjoy an evening o f learning, fun and food. There w ill be no food for the classes. N H C will spon­ sor three classes on W ednesday eve­ nings at Self-Enhancement Incorporated, 3920 N orth K erby A venue in Portland. The sessions will take place on June 16 and 23, and Septem ber 22 and 29. All classes will be held from 6-8 PM. Call A Different View of Jefferson BY JEANETTA FRUEN n o th e r lo c a l p a p e r ’s h e a d lin e “Jefferson still in a tailspin” (M ay 23,1999) gives a very different im p ressio n o f the Je ffe rso n H igh that I know m y in v o lv em en t w ith Jefferso n goes b ack six y ears. F o llo w in g th e Los A n g eles rio ts a fte r th e first R o d n ey king v erd ic t, so m e o f us from th e E p isco p al P arish o f St Jo h n B a p tist C h u rch m et to d isc u ss how w e m ig h t w o rk on issu es o f racism in o u r ow n co m m u n ity . A s E p isc o ­ p alian s, it seem ed n atu ra l to rea ch o ut to A lce n a B o o zer, o rd a in e d E p isco p alian p riest, an d th e n -p rin c ip a l at Jefferso n . W hat w e d isc o v e re d ex c ee d ed all o u r ex p e ctatio n s an d m o tiv a te d o u r co n tin u ed co m m itm en t to its stu d e n ts and its p ro ­ gram s. Ju st tw o w eek s ag o , n ea rly 70 o f us and o u r frie n d s- ag es 6 to 90 th rille d at b rea th tak in g p e rfo rm a n c e s by th e n a tio n ­ ally ac claim ed Je ffe rso n D ancers. O v er the y ea rs w e h av e b ee n in v o lv ed at Je fferso n in a v arie ty o f w ay s. A s an ex am p le w e h av e b ee n m o n ito rs in the g ir ls ’ d ressin g ro o m d u rin g d ress re h e a rs­ als fo r th e ir w in te r an d sp rin g d an c e re c it­ als. It is alw ay s a jo y to w atch th e se p o lite, frien d ly all sh a p es an d siz es, ra c ia lly and ec o n o m ic ally in te g ra te d yo u n g w om en w ho are all fu ll-tim e Je ffe rso n stu d en ts. T he team s are o r in d e p e n d e n tly d oing w arm -u p e x e rc ise s, p o lish in g ro u tin e s, help in g one a n o th e r ch an g e co stu m e s, and get to the stag e on tim e w ith o u t ad u lt d irectio n . T h ey are s e lf d isc ip lin e d , c o n ­ fident - an d c le a rly h av in g fun. I t’s as g o o d as a sch o o l situ a tio n can be. A nd w e ’ll b e th e re ag ain th is y e a r on June 2 as m o n ito rs and on Ju n e 3 as u sh ers for the sp rin g rec ital. I h ope y o u ’11 jo in as for th e recital- y o u ’ll b e d elig h te d by w hat A y o u see. T he stu d en ts w e know are w inners! Ju st look at som e o f th eir recent ach iev em en ts T h e Je ffe rso n M usic D e p a rtm e n t • had five All - S tar soloists com pete in the S chool State Finals Contest • had the h ig h est num ber o f so lo ists re ­ ceiving S uperior R anking in the D is­ trict 1 Solo/Ensem ble C ontest • was chosen to send its saxophone section to appear w ith Mason W illiam s, world- -famous musician, and the Oregon Sym­ phony. T h e T h e a tre D ep a rtm en t: • P e rfo rm e d in a cu ltu ral ex c h a n g e at the 1999 M artin Luther K ing Jr D ay at E vergreen M iddle School • Perform s in student - to- student w ork shop exchanges with m iddle schools in the region. T h e V ideo P ro d u c tio n D e p a rtm e n t has w o n n u m e ro u s lo c a l a n d n a tio n a l awards. R ite s o f P a ssa g e , the stu d e n t arts an d lite r a r y m a g a z in e , is c o n s is te n tly ranked am o n g the top 15 in the nation by the N atio n al C ouncil o f T eachers o f English. A n d th e n o f c o u rs e th e re are th e J e f f e r s o n D a n c e r s . L a s t s p r in g th e Je ffe rso n D an c ers add ed m o re stu n n in g su c ce sses to th e ir tw o d ecad es o f in te rn a ­ tio n a l re c o g n itio n . At the - by in v itatio n o n ly b ien n ial N ational H igh S chool D ance F estiv al in M iam i. T he tw enty-tw o dancers received a rous­ ing sta n d in g o v atio n from 1,500 o f their peers for their perform ance o f In the M ood. T h e Je ffe rso n se n io rs w ere h o n o red as o u tsta n d in g stu d e n t ch o re o g ra p h ers and receiv ed cash prizes fo r their tap Jefferson High School a school w here freshm an co n tin u e to arriv e reading at th ird - an d forth - g rad e levels. In a school that has had th ree p rin cip als in th ree years (due p artly to sch o o l b oard action). In the school th at this y ears h as an alm o st en tirely new s ta ff (ca u sed w h en the school b o ard fired ev ery p erso n on last y e a r's s ta ff reg ard less o f his o r h er co m p e­ efferso n g rad u ates a tte n d top u n iv ersi tence ex p erien ces o r p o sitio n ) ties aro u n d the n atio n , in c lu d in g U o f W h en I th in k o f Je ffe rso n H ig h an d the O , O SU , P SU , Y ale, S tan fo rd , N ew Y o rk stu d e n ts 1 k now I d o n ’t see th em a “ ta il­ U n iv ersity , U n iv ersity o f U tah , G eo rg e sp in ” I see “ w h irlin g ” s e e d ’s th a t h av e W a sh in g to n , G o n za g a U n iv e rsity , an d flo ated in air and fo u n d the n u rtu rin g place B row n. A nd th ey atten d sc h o o ls sp e c ia l­ th a t allo w s them to fin d and fo llo w th e ir izin g in the arts an d th e P h ila d e lp h ia dream s. S ch o o l o f A rt inc lu d in g P u rc h ase C o lleg e ( SUN Y ), North C arolina School o f the J eanette F ruen a political and public re ­ A rts, and the Philadelphia School o f the Arts. lations STRATEGIST AND MOTHER OF TWO ADULT O bviously, there are enorm ous problem s DAUGHTERS, LOVES JEFFERSON HlGH SCHOOL. at Jefferson. But there are also m iracles ev eryday- in routine. O f the eight Jefferson students who audi­ tio n ed for sch o larsh ip , tw o received scholarships from schools know n for excellence and invited for further in­ terviews. J Adidas Provides Sportswear and Shelter In Northeast Portland Adidas America and Portland Habitat Raise the Walls on Adidas’s 2nd Annual Home n F rid a y , M ay 14lh, a d id a s A m erica, Portland H abitat for H um anity and volunteers from Portland C omni unity C ollege met to raise the w alls on the second H abitat hom e ad id as has sp o n so red in the last tw o years. T h e hom e, at 3602 N orth A lb in a, w ill b e read y for M a rth a and A lfonso F ern an d ez and th eir three children O by th e end o f th is year. W ith its year-old flagship retail store on NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Adidas America understands w hat it m eans to give to their community. Last July Portland P back ortland Habitat for Humanity and adidas dedicated their first partnership hom e to the Hernandez family o f four, this M ay Adidas America stepped up as the Presenting Sponsor for Port- land H abitat’s 7Ih annual W alk for Humanity, and last Friday, President and C EO o f Adidas America, Steve Wynne, helped raise the walls on A didas's second single-fam ily home. It is not unusual to see an A didas adm inistrator on a Habitat site. In addition to the $50,000 sponsorship for each hom e, A didas has pro­ vided staff as on-site volunteers for both the Hernandez homes. “W e are so pleased to be 503/288-5995. How to Help Your Child Learn To Read Instructor: Robin Lindsley Tuesday, June 15, 7 To 8:30 p . m . Fee: $15 back for a second year with Habitat for Hu­ manity,” said Steve Wynne, President and CEO o f adidas America. “The staff response to both projects has been truly overwhelming. Projects o f this nature are a win win for every­ one involved; a com munity need is filled while teaching staff about the importance o f good corporate cinzenship.” For P o rtlan d H abitat, sp o n so rsh ip like A didas A m e ric a ’s is like a dream com e true. P o rtlan d H a b ita t's site su p erv iso r, Sue Jones, w ill w o rk w ith A didas A m erica, Portland C o m m u n ity C o lleg e, and H abitat v o lu n teers to co m p lete P o rtlan d H a b ita t's 49,h hom e. In the last y ear P ortland H abitat has n early trip led its co n stru ctio n , housing six fam ilies in 1997 a n d 16 in 1998. T he 2nd A nnual A didas A m erica b u ild w ill house one o f the six teen fam ilies P o rtland H ab i­ tat plans to h o u se in 1999, m aking us one step c lo ser to elim in atin g p o v erty housing. F or m ore in fo rm atio n ab o u t the 2nd annual adidas A m erica b u ild or P o rtlan d H abitat for H um anity, p lease call 287-9529. All Sports Camp D on’t miss the Roy Pittman/Straight Up Sum m er Sam pler All Sports Cam p on Friday. June 4lh at 9 AM until 1.30 PM. It is open to kids between 6,h to 8,h grade The fun will be held at Peninsula Park. W e will have Portland State University coaches and athletes as well as the G old’s G ym Straight Up speed trainers on hand for a half-day o f fun, games, and skill building. W e’ll have stations set up for speed, football, basketball, softball/base- ball, volleyball, g o lf and soccer. Call Roy Pittm an at 503/823-3620. SI BM ISSIOXS: ( «un iimiiity ( alen d ar iiriin i n a l i m i «ili be giren p iim ilr rid ateli t« n «eeks before the « « v i r i dale. Adidas's America's President and CEO. Steve Wynne, holds up a wall with long-time Adldlas man, Harold Strausser. i I Ray Leary. AcHdas'a Executive Assistant to the President, chats with volunteers while others raise the walls on the future home of the Fernandez Family.