The screams of delight have faded to anxious whispers. All eyes are focused squarely on the giant screens above our heads. I lean forward in my seat and click my pen nervously. Then she emerges.
The quiet crowd erupts into a wall of receptive sound as Gov. Sarah Palin makes her way to the podium. When the camera swivels toward Sen. Joe Biden or the debate moderator Gwen Ifill, boos echo throughout Chaifetz Arena.
Such was the scene last week as I attended my second political rally, after last month’s visit from Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean, which pivoted around the vice presidential debate in St. Louis and concluded with a victory dance care of Palin herself.
Days later, I was on hand when Taye Diggs, Aisha Tyler and Idina Menzel swung by Saint Louis University to stump for Sen. Barack Obama. Dozens of students gathered outside of the Busch Student Center to catch a glimpse of one of the award-winning, would-be politicos.
The former was an elaborate spectacle, the latter a low-key meet and greet. One featured a divisive political figure, the other a handful of lesser-known actors.
Both gatherings included crowds-differing in size by several thousand or so-of devoted, politically-minded citizens. Both groups voiced their opinions with copious clapping and cheering.
In both instances, I skirted the hustle and bustle and served as a (mostly) silent observer. While both crowds clamored for a change they could engage in, I did my best to play the sponge, seeping up my surroundings without voicing my support or criticism of each respective political schema. While my peers were taking their stands, I was taking notes.
This illustrates a fundamental, and sometimes vexing, tenant of student journalism. All too often I am called to play the part of impartial observer amidst a sea of hustle and bustle.
That’s not to say I don’t have opinions. It would be foolish to suggest that I am completely free from my subjective mental frame. However, I do make a conscious effort to subdue my noisy internal monologue when I’m on the job.
In my personal life I am all too often compelled to perform. I’ve always got a witty barb up my sleeve, ready to steamroll my way through any awkward situation that might arise, one quip at a time. I have opinions on everything, from politics to personality, from feelings to fashion, and anyone who crosses my path is bound to hear all about them when I’m on a roll.
As a journalist, I am allowed to be completely different. I take silence in stride. When conversations lull, I do not hasten to fill pauses with pithy one-liners-I sit back in the passenger seat and soak in my surroundings without trying to control them. When I’m working, I can finally relax my controlling superego and roll with the punches.
This is a challenge, to be sure, but there’s something comforting in the act of simple observance.
Through journalism, I am able to tap into a kinder, gentler Adam, with an appetite for quiet contemplation and critical, but not judgmental, thinking. He may serve as a stark contrast to the gruffer, off-the-clock Adam, but it’s nice to have him around.
Adam Tamburin is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He is Editor-in-Chief of The University News.
