I write in response to the Feb. 13 letter by Moira Finley regarding Bates students at the Democratic Caucus.

I also attended the caucus, and while there was indeed chatter during the mayor’s and other speeches, it cannot be blamed entirely on Bates students. I observed petitions being passed around, office holders connecting with their constituents, neighbors connecting with neighbors. Unfortunate perhaps, but the noise level was not all due to students. Bates students did not represent a single, monolithic “camp” as suggested. They reflected a diverse range of opinions, similar to our community.

Students at colleges in Lewiston and elsewhere in the state of Maine live here nine to ten months a year. They are frequently not able to return to their parents’ home to participate in elections there. They are actual members of this community for the period of time that they are enrolled in school.

They volunteer in schools, they contribute to the cultural life of the community, and make a substantial impact on the local economy, and yet some seem willing to deny them their constitutional right to vote. Instead, we should celebrate that students are paying attention in this election cycle, since it is their futures at stake.

Citizens of Lewiston who consider Bates students “foreign and alien” should be thankful for their active engagement in their civic duties, and ponder what poor shape Lewiston would be in if Bates and its students were not here.

Michael Reidy, Lewiston