Barack Obama Rally

So, Wednesday I went to cover my first political rally as a working professional journalist. I got a call from my editor Tuesday night saying she needed someone to cover the Barack Obama rally in Dallas the next day. Of course I said yes, despite the fact that I was going to miss two classes, and had about three stories that were half done and due by 5 the same day as the rally. After happily accepting the assignment, I packed up my gear and prepared to for what would turn out to be a very exciting day. When I arrived at Reunion Arena the crowds were already huge and I got the feeling that these people had probably been there for a while. The process to get into the facility was quite interesting. I had to set my camera and all other electronic devices on the ground to be sniffed by bomb dogs. I have never felt so suspicious as I did when I placed my audio recorder that, to the police, could have easily been mis-identified as a bomb detonator. After I cleared security I was led down a narrow corridor that would deliver me to the floor of the rally. The setup was OK for photos. I found myself standing on the railing most of the time so I was able to get over other people’s heads to get the shots that I needed. I have also found it interesting that I see the same journalist at these big events, and most of them are very approachable. I had a good conversation with Neil Foote, who is on the staff at UNT, and a very respected journalist. I am actually going to be posting some pics of the rally on his web site. The day ended with some pretty good coverage, I think. Check out the NT Daily Website for more Pics.