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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 15, 2012)
^lortlanb (¡Obstruer Page 6 August 15, 2012 Opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views o f the Portland Observer. We welcome reader essays, photos and story ideas. Submit to news@portlandobserver.com New Prices Effective May 1,2010 « Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CHG. $45.00 A sm all distance/travel charge m ay be applied CARPET — CLEANING _ 2 Cleaning Areas or more $30.00 Each Area Pre-Spray Traffic Areas (Includes: 1 sm all H allw ay) 1 Cleaning Area (only) $40.00 Includes Pre-Spray Traffic Area (Hallway Extra) Stairs (12-16 stairs - With Other Services)-. $25.00 Area/Oriental Rugs: $25.00 Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs (Wooly. $40.00 Minimum Heavily Soiled Area: Additional $10.00 each area (Requiring Extensive Pre-Spraying) UPHOLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $69.00 Loveseat: $49.00 Sectional: $ 109 - $ 139 Chair or Recliner: $25 - $49 Throw Pillows (With th Other Services): $5.00 % w ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Area & Oriental Rug Cleaning • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • M inor Water Damage Services SEE CURRENT FLYER FOR ADDITIONAL PRICES & SERVICES Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949 Stereotypes Stifle the Human Spirit Making room for what needs to come BY LOEY P owell It is often while doing the most m undane tasks that we remem- berthings learned from loved ones who are no longer with us. Like the other day when I was “deadheading” our neigh bors potted flowers as part of taking care of their house and cats while they were on vacation. All of a sudden, my father was close by. Dad was an avid gardener and he was the one who taught me that snipping off the dead and drooping blooms made it possible for fresh new blooms to burst forth. “Deadheading” (no, this has nothing to do with the Grateful Dead!) clears out what is past to make room for what needs to come. I was thinking about this along with the recent death of Sally Ride, the first U.S. woman astro naut to go into outer space. Her death touched me for many reasons. We are the same age, and I know her sister, the Rev. Bear Ride, a Presbyterian minister who lives around the comer from my mother. Sally Ride’s place in his tory and her dedication to inspir ing young people, especially girls, to consider the sciences as a ca reer through the Sally Ride Sci ence A cadem y (sallyridescience.com), is a tre mendous legacy. I recently read a report of research conducted by Boston Uni versity journalism professor, Caryl Rivers and Rosalind C. Barnett, senior scientist at the Brandeis W omen’s Studies Re search Center, that shows de finitively that girls are no less “hardwired” to excel in math and science than boys. In their co-authored book, “The Truth About Girls and Boys: Chal len g in g T o x ic S te re o ty p e s About Our Children,” Rivers and Barnett show that it is the early messages girls receive about not being able to do math or science well that contributes to many girls scoring lower than boys in these areas. In other words, if young girls did not get messages from par ents, teachers and peers that they are inherently not suited for achieving success in math and the sciences, they would likely be entering into the fields of science, technology, engi neering and math in equal num bers as their male counterparts. “Stereotype threat” can be a c o n fid e n c e -k illin g a n x ie ty , which can set in at very early ages. It is not good for either girls or boys. Sally Ride and her sister Bear, were both encouraged by their parents to follow their dreams and pursue whatever interests they had. God bless their parents, and all parents, who give their chil dren ample room to discover who they are meant to be. A lot of old stereotypes need to be deadheaded. Girls should only wear pink. Boys should learn how to rough-and-tumble early on and never should cry. Girls can’t do math. Boys are best at building things. Men should not show em otions. Women are not suited for top leadership positions - unless they act like men. Stereotypes kill creativity. They stifle the human spirit. Sally Ride reached for the stars and got closer to them than most of the rest of us ever will. Every child should have the same opportunity to dream, to reach, and to suc ceed. We adults need to deadhead old ideas so our kids can soar into their own heavens of wonder and possibility. Loey Powell serves as execu tive fo r administration and women’s justice for the United Church o f Christ.
