I write to you regarding the article "Growing up in the Bates Bubble," which appeared in last week's issue. Before all else, I would like to commend Tina Iyer for a job well done; I thoroughly enjoyed the content of the article and the style in which it was written. Great work!

However, I would like to take issue with a statement that hides near the end of the article. While speaking of the "lack of diversity in Lewiston" being the "biggest worry of Bates parents," Professor Georgia Nigro is

quoted: "I'm sorry it's so white." Apologizing for the "whiteness" of the surrounding community is denying the value of the contributions of the several ethnicities who built this community, and unjustly so, simply

because these groups happen to be white.

The Lewiston-Auburn area is rich in Franco-American culture, and Irish-Americans were a strong force in building the two communities. The state of Maine, generally criticized by outsiders because of its "lack of diversity," is home to descendants of just about every nation and ethnic group in both Western and Eastern Europe. I would think that we should appreciate this cultural heritage and the values that are part of it, as we would any other, rather than being sorry and even ashamed that it exists.

Sincerely,

Benjamin Kloda '98