On Oct. 4, the eyes of the world were on the town of Farmville and Longwood University thanks to the 2016 Vice Presidential Debate. While the town and school were certainly the focus, people from other parts of the region were among those who participated in debate activities.

And among those were two Lunenburg residents who represented the county well.

Mike Hankins, for example, had a backstage view, as recounted on today’s front page. Hankins is the current county Republican Party chairman and has been involved with all sorts of campaigns for years following his retirement as a health-care administrator.

Hankins had many roles on Debate Day, helping campaign workers and the media get through the day smoothly.

Then there’s Jonathan Clarke. The Central High School senior won his way to attend the debate by being one of 17 Virginia Farm Bureau Federal Essay Contest winners. Jonathan’s essay focused on an idea to get more crops and a greater food source and then expanding the idea to the educational system.

As one of the winners, Jonathan received three tickets — one for himself and two for guests. He took one of his teachers, Mary Myers. Good choice; we’re hoping he took his mom, too.

One helped, one watched, but Mike Hankins and Jonathan Clarke went to the debate for the rest of us and did so in good fashion.

A responsibility of citizenship is not merely to vote, but to participate. They did.