The article on Bates College students’ rating Bates among the worst schools for town/gown relations was disappointing, and paints an inaccurate picture (Aug. 29).

I suggest that much of the reason for the low score comes from a lack of awareness of the many ways Bates interacts with the community and from mistrust caused by recent tragic events.

We must not allow these to obscure the important community-building work that goes on every day and which, sadly, does not make for sensational news. Many may not be aware, for instance, that the Bates College Museum of Art, in collaboration with LA Arts, has teamed up with Lewiston and Auburn middle schools to improve writing skills and visual literacy through a project funded by the state of Maine and by a generous anonymous gift to the college. This collaboration includes a service-learning option for Bates students and builds upon a long relationship between the museum and community.

Through projects like this, there are numerous opportunities for meaningful and fulfilling interaction. I suspect that if more became involved in these, we would see a dramatically different story reported by the local news media.

Anthony Shostak, Bates College Museum of Art, Lewiston

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