LBW Community College students – many of whom will have the opportunity to vote for the first time on Nov. 2 – got their first taste of politics Wednesday as local and regional candidates campaigned for their votes.

More than 200 students,

LBWCC faculty and staff members and local citizens filled the bleachers of the LBW gym to hear the five-minute addresses given by each candidate.

Bryan Thomas of Andalusia; Blake Cullifer of Opp; and Cymberley Estis of Babbie are among that group of first-time voters.

Thomas said he felt that candidates should be passionate about the offices they are seeking.

“I like seeing emotion when (candidates) address a group,” he said. “I felt like we got that today.”

Cullifer said the day’s event was informative; however, he would have liked to have heard more comments from each candidate.

“I learned today that I need to do more research about who is seeking office, Cullifer said. “Their time was too short. I need to know more before casting my ballot.”

Estis took notes during each candidate’s address.

“(The notes) are for class, but they’re for me, too,” she said. “I’m excited to vote for the first time. I did a little research before I came, to know what to expect. So, I was really interested to hear what they had to say in person.”

When asked, none of the students had made their final decision on whom to for on Election Day.

The forum event, which was sponsored LBWCC’s Phi Theta Kappa chapter, featured comments by representatives of the Bobby Bright and Martha Roby campaigns, each seeking the seat of U.S. Representative, Second Congressional District; Don Cotton and David Darby, candidates for state representative; Greg Gambril and Walt Merrell, candidates for Covington County district attorney; Norman Hobson and Wilson “Eddie” Rowell, county coroner candidates; and Betty Peters and Betty Ludlow, state school board candidates.