D e c e m b e r 14, 200S-J
w w w .p o rtla n d o b s e rv e r.c o m
Page AIO
Committed to
M etro
Cultural Diversity
ÍIk JJ n rt Ia n b ffihserver
o m m u n ity
C a l e n d a r
Soccer
Heroes
Salvation Army Hair Cuts
The Salvation Army M oore
Street W orship and Community
Center, 5335 N. W illiam s Ave.
offers free professional haircuts
for children in need, on a first
com e first serve basis, from 10
a.m. to 3 p in. on Monday , Dec
19. For more inform ation call
503-493-3927.
Meet Fans
Portland Jazz History
Bob D ie tsc h e , a u th o r o f
Jumptown, a history of Jazz in
Portland and the African Ameri
can community, will hold a book
signing and reading event Satur
day, Dec. 17 at 3 p.m. at Talking
Drum Bookstore and Reflections
C o ffe e h o u se ,
446
N.E.
Killingsworth. He will be joined
by Portland Observer writer Ron
W eber w ho w orked w ith
Dietsche on the book.
The Pilots, University of
Portland’s Soccer Champions,
braced the cold, signing auto
graphs for faithful fans Friday at
Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Red Cross Teaches Safety
The American Red Cross offers a
range of safety classes for crisis
situations, from learning how to
baby sit to performing CPR. The
courses are intended for children
aged 8 through adult. For more
information visit www.redcross-
pdx.org.
photos by I saiah B o i \vJ
T he P ortland O bserver
The University of Portland
Pilots’ latest national
women's soccer championship
is sweet for Pilot fans who
braced the cold to rejoice with
the team at Pioneer Court
house Square Friday. The fans
were thanked for being sup
portive all season.
Winter Solstice Blood Drive
The 3rd annual W inter Solstice
Blood Drive at the American
R ed
C ro s s
on
N o rth
Vancouver, Dec. 19-23, features
free gift-w rapping for partici
pants. To make a blood dona
tion call 1-800-GIVE-LIFE.
African Drumming, Dance
The North Star Ballroom, 635 N.
Killingsworth Ct., hosts begin
ning drumming and Ghanaian
rhythm classes on Tuesdays at 6
p.m. On Wednesdays, intermedi
ate drumming is offered in addi
tion to an African aerobics and
dance. Chata Addy teaches all
classes. For more information call
503-6324)411.
Al-Anon Meetings
Al-Anon meetings are held Mon
day evenings from 7:15 to 8:30
p.m. at Miracles Club on the cor
ner of Northeast Martin Luther
King Jr. Boulevard and. Mason
Street. Al-Anon is for friends and
loved ones o f alcoholics and
addicts.
Bradley-Angle House
The Bradley-Angle House needs
volunteers to help its outreach
a g a in st d o m e stic v io le n c e .
Women of color and bilingual
women are encouraged to call.
For more information, call 503-
282-9940.
Work For Change
Community Advocates invites
those interested in protecting
children from abuse to become
an event volunteer, event out
reach, technology expert, graphic
artists or office support team
member. For more information,
call 503-280-1388.
Women in
Community Service
V olunteer m entors are being
sought by W omen in C om m u
nity Service to work with incar
cerated women at the Coffee
Creek C orrectio n al Facility.
M entors provide support and
e n c o u ra g e m e n t fo r w om en
transitioning from prison back
into the community. Volunteers
must be fem ales, age 24 and up.
For more inform ation, call 503-
570-6614.
years«
* community service
Bar to Codes
Bar Member
BPA attorney got start
with Saturday Academy
A ndrea D yal
F or the P ortland O bserver
by
When Melanie Spraggins at
tended Reynolds High School her
skills in math and science wereclear.
Her career plan, however, was not.
But soon an apprenticeship
th ro u g h S a tu rd a y A c a d e m y
played a springboard role, shap
ing the young woman she would
become.
Spraggins’ talent and hard work
in the high school program cap
tured the attention of a Saturday
Academy instructor, who encour
aged her to apply for an apprentice
ship. In 1994. the pursuit was suc
cessful and she was working and
learning about science and engi
neering with the Bonneville Power
Administration.
At BPA, she solved complex,
real-world problems, learning re
sourcefulness and engineering
skills. One of her accomplishment
was the development of a system of
bar codes for power substations
that are still in use today.
The experience gave Spraggins’
a glimpse of her future.
She completed a second summer
with BPA as an advanced appren
tice. teaching new interns. After
wards, Saturday Academy con
nected her to an internship at O r
egon Health and Sciences Univer
sity, which helped clarify her career
goals.
At Oregon State University, she
was elected vice-president of the
student body and later president
on the first African-American ticket
for student body president and
vice-president.
Spraggins’ felt the experience
from her apprenticeships set her
apart and gave her distinct advan
tages in pursuing her career. She
better understood the value of tak
ing a more comprehensive approach
to her performance. Daily distrac
tions carried less importance.
photo by
M ark W ashington /T he P ortland O bserver
Melanie Spraggins is a successful attorney with the Bonneville Power Administration in Portland. Her
springboard into the professional world began as a Portland area student in Saturday Academy.
She had a clear picture o f how
excellence in learning could lead
to excellence in her professional
life.
Before she graduated from col
lege, the BPA hired Spraggins as an
environmental scientist. When she
decided to enter law school, BPA
helped her out.
Fast-forward to 2005. Spraggins
is now a lawyer for the BPA. With
nearly 12 years experience at the
federal agency, she has a firm grasp
on the technical aspects of high
voltage electrical transmission sys
tems and enjoys a unique niche at
the organization.
In retrospect, Spraggins says
that her Saturday Academy appren-
continued
on page A 6
No Homes for Thousands of Oregon Kids
Heartbreaking report
measures impact
O regon's homeless student population
from the most recent school year was 11.294
kids between 5 and 18 years old. a stagger
ing figure, according to state Schools Su
perintendent Susan Castillo.
‘‘This is a heartbreaking report that
shows thousands of children in Oregon
attend school despite lack of safe and
sta b le living situ a tio n s ,” C a stillo
said. "Homeless youths face huge chal
lenges before they even get to the school
door, and schools work hard to provide
Homelesschildren are de
these students with what
fined as minors who lack fixed,
they need to ensure they can
regular and adequate night
access the same educational
time residences. A homeless
opportunities available to
family could live in an em er
every other student.”
gency shelter or share hous
The Census Bureau esti
ing with others due to loss of
mates that I -2 million youth
housing or economic hard
are hom eless nationw ide,
ship, stay at motels or live in
about 2 percent of all 5-18
cars, parks, public places,
yearolds. The same percent
tents, trailers, or other similar
age was found in Oregon.
Susan Castillo
settings.
Out o f the state’s 552,320
In Oregon, 56 percent of homeless stu
students from kindergarten through high
school, 5,052 were homeless in grades K-5. dents reported sharing housing with rela
2,464 were homeless in grades 6-8, and 3,778 tives or friends due to economic hardship or
similar reason; 17 percent reported living in
were homeless in grades 9-12
a homeless shelter; 9 percent reported being
unsheltered; 5 percent reported living in
motels; 13 percent were unknown
Federal law requires that hom eless chil
dren have equal access to the same edu
cation provided to other children. Each
school district is required to have a H om e
less Liaison to coordinate outreach e f
forts and services for hom eless students
in their area.
Castillo credited the work of school offi
cials for compiling the data and for providing
services to homeless students that include
school enrollment, extra tutoring, referrals
for shelter, housing, health care and coun
seling services.