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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 9, 2013)
))ortlani> (Observer Page 6 O ctober 9, 2013 New Prices Effective May 1,2010 Martin Cleaning Service Carpet & Upholstery Cleaning Residential & Commercial Services Minimum Service CH G $45.00 A small distance/travel charge may 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. $25.00Minimum Area/Oriental Rugs (Wool): $40.00Minimum Heavily Soiled Area: Additional $10.00 each area (Requiring Extensive Pine-Spraying) UPH OLSTERY CLEANING Sofa: $69.00 Loveseat: $49.00 Sectional: $109 - $139 Chair or Recliner: $25 - $49 Throw Pillows (With Other Services): $5.00 % ADDITIONAL SERVICES • Area & Oriental Rug Cleaning • Auto/Boat/RV Cleaning • Deodorizing & Pet Odor Treatment • Spot & Stain Removal Service • Scotchguard Protection • Minor Water Damage Services SEE CURRENT FLYER FOR ADDITIONAL PRICES & SERVICES Call for Appointment (503) 281-3949 Embrace Standing Out from the Crowd On defying low expectations C o lle g e an d c a re e r p la n n in g w a sn ’t a reality fo r th e p eople he knew : “N in ety -fiv e p ercen t o f the students are poor. W e co m e from by M arian W right E delman b asically nothing, b ecau se o u r p a r T h ese are the w ords o f ents w ere in the sam e situ an 18-year-old w ho recently atio n s that w e are,” he said. graduated from high school H is fath er had dropped in a high-poverty neighbor o u t o f s c h o o l in te n th h o o d in the n a tio n ’s c a p i g ra d e , a n d w h e n M ik e tal: “W here I live, w hich is s ta r te d h ig h s c h o o l h e W ard 7, ev ery o n e is the s a m e . . . If seem ed to be h eading dow n a sim i y ou follow th e crow d, y o u ’re going lar track: “N inety p ercen t o f the to en d up dead o r in ja il because school did th e sam e thing I did — th a t’s w here m o st o f th em are. B ut if skipped class, left school, and no y o u ’re a lead er and you m ak e your one seem ed to try to find ou t w hat ow n decisions, then you can set the p ro b lem w as.” H is grade point y o u r path fo r life.” average freshm an y e ar w as a 2.5, M ike R u ff had to m ake up his and at th e tim e his m ain am bition m ind a w hile b ack that he w as going w as to keep u p a D average so he to step up and becom e one o f the could graduate. leaders. T h a t’s w hat he told p artici B ut then he m et w ith M r. M ungin, p a n ts at th e re c e n t s y m p o siu m one o f the adults h e ’d m et through “ B lack M ale Teens: M oving to Suc an enrichm ent program he ’ d enrolled cess in the H igh School Y ears,” in during m iddle school, w ho asked sp onsored by the E ducational T est M ike how his plans for life after high ing Service and the C h ild re n ’s D e school w ere com ing. fense Fund. M ik e to ld M r. M u n g in h e ’d M ike ex plained how he cam e to started thinking about a career in e m b ra c e stan d in g o u t fro m th e h o spitality m anagem ent, and M r. crow d by d efying low exp ectatio n s M ungin asked to see his grades: — and how he reached a key turning “ So he lo oked at m y transcript, ju st point w hen a m en to r told him he fo r that ninth grade y e a r . . . saw m y c o u ld n ’t succeed. grades, D, D, B, D, D, A, and looked b ack up at m e w ith the straightest face and said, ‘Y ou c a n ’t do it.’ So that kind o f hurt m e, fo r a grow n m an tellin g m e that I can't do som ething. So then I ju s t g o t up, w alked out, and [caught] th e bus h o m e.” W ith som e uncarin g and u n in terested adults, th a t’s ex actly w here the story w o u ld end. M ik e w ould have left disco u rag ed fro m h av in g a d ream at all. B u t that w a sn ’t M ik e ’s story: “B y the tim e I arriv ed hom e, there is M r. M u n g in alread y there. I w as w o n d erin g , w hy is this m an at m y ho u se after h e told m e that I c a n ’t do so m eth in g ?” h e said. M ik e h ad b een lucky en o u g h to find a true m en to r on a m ission. As M r. M u n g in talk ed to M ik e and his m o th er th at day h e w as able to show M ik e that o f course he b eliev ed he co u ld succeed, b u t he also knew the path M ike w as on so far w a sn ’t going to get him there. M ike took the m essage to heart. O th er m entors stepped in along the w ay to support him . B y eleventh grade M ike had b rought his G PA up to a 3.0, and by tw elfth grade, a 3.75. N ow M ike is attending T uskegee U niversity, a h istorically B lack un i v ersity in A la b am a fo u n d ed by B ooker T. W ashington and the alm a m ater o f the brilliant scientist G eorge W ash in g to n C arv er and m any other scholars and leaders, w here he plans to double m ajo r in hospitality m an ag em en t and psychology. M ike know s that in his g rad u at ing class h e is one o f the lucky ones: “W e started o ff in this tw elfth grade w ith at least 300 students . . . but only 130 tw elfth graders graduated, h e said.” M r. M ungin help ed M ike realize h e n eeded to change, and every one o f the o th er young b lack m ale lead ers on the panel — all college stu dents and recen t college graduates — agreed o n the im portance o f the m entors in their lives. B ut w hat happens to the stu d e n ts w h o n e v e r k n o w a M r. M u ngin? W h at w ill h appen to the oth er students in M ik e ’s high school class w ho d id n ’t graduate at all or w ere co n ten t to get out w ith m ostly D s? Far too m any young black boys are only hearing the first part o f the m essage — “Y ou can ’t do it.” W e need supports in place to show them that they can choose a different path — and even if no one else they know has done it, they can decide to be the ones to step up and lead the way. Marian Wright Edelman is presi dent o f the Children's Defense Fund.