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| Greenville's Bethany Lumbert is shown with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton during a recent trip to Ohio. |
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3/18/2008 10:01:00 AM
Helping Hillary
Greenville teenager helped out with Clinton's campaign
By Jessica Dudenhofer
Daily News staff writer
GREENVILLE - A 2007 Greenville High School graduate has developed a real taste for politics after volunteering to help with Hillary Rodham Clinton's Democratic presidential campaign during recent months.
"It was really awesome," Bethany Lumbert, an 18-year-old freshman at Michigan State University's James Madison College, said of spending January's winter break with a small group of college volunteers campaigning for the former first lady in advance of the Iowa caucuses.
Lumbert took part in groups of about four students who canvassed door-to-door and made hundreds of telephone calls trying to persuade people to come out and caucus. She said it was the first time she'd ever done anything like that and was immediately hooked.
"We were lucky enough that they needed volunteers," the daughter of Jim and Barb Spitzley of Greenville said, the excitement of that week still evident in her voice. "It was an awesome experience and it all started because I didn't have anything better to do over winter break."
Lumbert said her student group was divided among smaller precincts around rural Iowa. It allowed Lumbert the opportunity to witness the workings of caucuses, which are much different than Michigan's primary elections, firsthand.
Clinton wound up finishing in third place in the Jan. 3 Iowa caucuses.
Lumbert also got a chance to meet former president Bill Clinton.
"He's just a real awesome, charismatic guy," Lumbert said, explaining how Clinton stayed around after a speech at a small Iowa high school to greet everyone.
Though Lumbert says she doesn't ever plan to run for political office, she said the whole experience opened her eyes to the workings of politics and "really expanded my social circuit."
"I made some good friends with some of Hillary's people," Lumbert said. "I got some really awesome contacts."
She also helped out a little bit in Ohio. And, yes, Lumbert said she plans to vote for Clinton on Nov. 4, if she's on the ballot.
Barb Spitzley said she enjoyed seeing her oldest daughter blossom during the experience.
"She's a natural at writing and speaking," she said.
Spitzley said the presidential campaign opened her daughter's eyes to her own potential.
"It's just phenomenal," she said with a smile. "She's who she is and she's not going to stop anytime soon. I'm so proud of her."
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