LEWISTON, Maine — After a mass shooting shook many community members in Lewiston, university leaders at Bates College are taking note of a spike in volunteer efforts by students on campus.
"After the mass shooting, Bates students were absolutely all about getting even more involved in Lewiston," Director Darby Ray, who helps to run The Harward Center for Community Partnerships on campus, said.
The center often times helps connect students to create partnerships with local organizations in need of some help, something student Emily Walsh admired when she applied to the university.
"I did a lot of community-engaged work in high school and I was looking for a college that kind of also had those values," Walsh said.
Alongside Walsh, hundreds of students jumped into action after October's tragedy to help listen to what community members needed during a vulnerable time.
Among a handful of partnerships, students helped to put on a card and poster-making session, a community vigil and even helped host a family-friendly Trick-or-Treat event on campus.
"I think over half of the campus, 800 students walked down to the basilica!" Ray recalled. "We had to keep making more and more slots because more teams and more clubs and more residents halls—they all wanted to be involved and it was the most beautiful thing you've ever seen."
For Walsh, she said that sight was the result of many students re-prioritizing their time; something taught through the university's values.
"I think I've really taken that through with me for the last four years," Walsh said. "Not just like 'Oh, what do I want to do to help the community?' But 'what does the community want from me, and how can I best support that?'"