By Jamil Oakford/ editor-in-chief

When a student in her 20s, sitting alone in the hallway between classes, was asked about her thoughts on the race for the presidency, she started tearing up. 

Like many others, she has lost friends over this election.

“It’s been like walking on eggshells,” Susie Lattin said.

With only two weeks left until Election Day and as early voting takes place on TCC campuses, The Collegian asked students about what for many is their first presidential election experience.

Many said their view on the election process has been tarnished.

“I feel like we are not taking it serious enough because the future needs strong leaders,” TR student Jamal Dillon said.

NW student Garrick Reynolds said this election has been insane.

“It’s definitely one of the craziest ones in history,” he said. “Overall, it’s just a big mess.”

NE student Melanie Jones, who is another first-time voter, had a more blunt analysis.

“More society means lots of stupid people,” she said.

South student Lynn Dahn isn’t excited about her first chance to vote for president due to the choices.

“I don’t like any of the candidates, but I wanted my first time to be memorable,” she said. “Unfortunately, our candidates aren’t really the best.”

For many TCC students who were approached, most discussed their displeasure with the two major party candidates: Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

“I think it’s really dumb,” said NW student Liliana Gomez, who added she was supporting Clinton. “I just feel like I’m not voting because I’m not agreeing with the other person — I’m just voting so that he doesn’t win.”

SE student Cameron Black said he plans to back Trump.

“I don’t like either of the candidates, but I’m going to vote for Trump because I really don’t like Hillary,” he said. “She’s a traitor to the country.”

South student Quinton Young plans to vote for Clinton.

“She seems more outgoing, more presentable than Donald Trump in my eyes,” he said. “Also, he just seems like a liar, a racist.”

South student Micah Reeder is surprised with the two major party choices.

“I definitely didn’t think that the two candidates that we have now would have been our candidates,” said Reeder, who is supporting Trump. “I’m not really for either one, but I definitely prefer one more than the other.”

NE student Hunter Meeks said this election has made party lines visible to him more than ever.

Meeks said he plans to vote for Libertarian candidate and former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson.

“The bipartisan cycle needs to end,” he said.

NE student Kyle Chitwood supports another third-party candidate in the presidential race, Green Party nominee Jill Stein.

“I feel in mainstream politics, the main argument is, ‘Hey, this person is worse than me,’” he said. “It’s less policy and more about insults.”

NW student Alan Ashley intended to vote, but he missed the registration deadline. Despite that setback, Ashley still expressed how he felt about the democratic process after the last year or so.

“We definitely have a lot of work to do,” he said.

While most students said they planned on voting, a few were less than convinced their vote would be worth it.

“I am not planning on voting because I think all parties are bad choices,” SE student Kayla Taulbe said. “I feel like voting won’t change anything, so I’m just not going to.”

This would be the first election she’s eligible to vote in, but Taulbe still doesn’t think it would help.

“I don’t think I would vote even if there were different candidates,” she said. “But maybe if either one of them was more favorable, it might be more encouraging.”

NW student Dominique Solis said that she hasn’t had any focus on the campaigns because her interests lie elsewhere. However, from what she’s heard from her family and friends, she doesn’t understand how anyone could choose.

“If I don’t like either of them, how do I make a decision?” she said.

South student Carlos Mata wants to pass on voting in this election.

“Well, the candidates this year were a bad choice, and I didn’t register,” he said, “mostly because I was deciding if I should vote.”

Mata then admitted, though, that he should’ve at least registered to vote.

NW student Giselle Ventura said she had her mind made up on which candidate to support.

“I’m voting for Hillary,” she said. “I was watching a speech from Michelle Obama, and she made some good points.”

Trump might have had a chance, she said, if he wasn’t so racially insensitive.

“He’s just going to have to get used it: America is full of a lot of other races and cultures,” Ventura said.

Between all the different views compiled, one idea seemed to connect most everyone: the importance of voting.

SE student Melanie Melesio said that voting is about being heard more than anything.

“It is very important that we use our voice because not voting is like voting for Trump,” she said.

Reeder, who supports Trump, believes that not voting is a counterproductive response.

“If you don’t vote, then one, you can’t really have a say in who your president is after the voting closes, but also, if you’re not voting for one, you’re voting for the other,” he said.

Additional reporting by Katelyn Needham, Hannah Lathen, Sheri-Lee Norris and Colt Taylor.