Steamboat Springs — Many Colorado Mountain College students who watched Sunday’s second presidential debate in the campus auditorium said afterward they were unimpressed with the behavior of the candidates.

This is the first presidential election in which many of the students will be able to vote; it is also the first time some have taken notice of the presidential race and the issues.

“This is my first time voting or paying close attention. And I think they’re acting kind of childish,” said Madeline Johnson, 20, a CMC junior.

CMC student Kevin Fitch, 26, said he gets most of his election information online and was disappointed to see Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton stray from important issues during Sunday’s debate, which was a town-hall style event held at Washington University in St. Louis.

“I wish they would actually stick to the issues,” Fitch said. “These two candidates should be the cream of the crop, and watching them debate, it’s infuriating and depressing at the same time.”

Fitch said this would be his third time voting in a presidential race, adding that he feels campaign materials and media coverage aren’t focusing enough on important issues.

Sunday’s debate kicked off with a discussion about the recent leak of a decade-old video of Trump inappropriately talking about women, followed by the candidates discussing the Clinton email controversy.

It was about 25 minutes into the debate before the candidates were asked their first question related to national policy, but candidates continued to insert personal digs at one another into answers throughout the debate.

“It’s all drama and no substance,” Fitch said. “It’s pretty disappointing.”

CMC is hosting debate watch events for each of this year’s presidential and vice-presidential debates. The final watch event is from 6:45 to 9 p.m. Oct. 19 during the last presidential debate.

Communication associate professor Athena Murray said students are learning about politics in their civics classes and are eager to see the candidates take on important topics.

“I think they’re understandably disappointed with the tone (of the debate),” Murray said at the end of Sunday’s debate.

Murray said even if students aren’t pleased with the behavior of the candidates, they are getting a better understanding of what they want from politicians.

“People are thinking about what they want politics to look like, so that’s good,” Murray said.

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