))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.