The “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear” hosted by Comedy Central’s political satirists Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert delivered more than just an entertaining show on Saturday, Oct. 30 in Washington, D.C.

“The rally was what I expected except for the power of Stewart’s political message,” said junior Max Siegelman, who was one of the thousands of fans present. “He really impressed me with what he said and the conviction he showed in it.”

According to Siegelman, Stewart’s message criticized the people who blow issues out of proportion, moving the country in the wrong direction and lowering the level of political discourse.

Fans of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, Siegelman and junior Charlie Zhou decided to attend the “Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear,” their first political rally, on an ordinary school weekend.

“My mom and brother and I have been watching Stewart and Colbert pretty religiously for about six years,” Siegelman said.

Stewart hosted the “Rally to Restore Sanity” to counter Glenn Beck’s “Rally to ‘Restore Honor.”

The Restoring Honor rally took place on Aug. 28, the anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech. The purpose of Beck’s rally was to both remember King and “restore honor” to America.

In response, Stewart’s goal was to give a voice to the majority of American citizens who are often drowned out by the more vocal and extremist minority.

Stewart’s satirical, conservative counterpart, Colbert, organized the “March to Keep Fear Alive” to counter Stewart’s rally of “reasonableness.” However, Colbert’s rally was merged with Stewart’s rally at the National Mall, according to Zhou.

Siegelman and Zhou arrived in Washington, D.C., on the Saturday morning of the rally.

“The big question for me was how many people would show up,” said Zhou.

An estimated 215,000 people attended the satiric rally as opposed to the 87,000 approximated attendees of Beck’s “Rally to ‘Restore Honor'” held on Aug. 28, according to CBS and AirPhotosLive.com.

Stewart and Colbert’s rally featured many popular bands, including Yusuf Islam, Ozzy Osbourne, Sheryl Crow and more. In addition to a skit featuring the comedians, Stewart’s powerful and moving speech concluded the day’s events.

Siegelman and Zhou left Washington, D.C., reflecting on the importance of being reasonable.

“My reaction to the rally is that I try to be more reasonable in everything,” Siegelman said. “Stewart really showed that there isn’t a high enough premium on rationality and calmness.”