))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.