Zimmerman a summer Statehouse employee

By Editor | July 5, 2017 |

There is a new face” in downtown Vandalia this summer – David Zimmerman, a historical interpreter at the Vandalia Statehouse.

Working in a seasonal position, he started late in April and will be working there until he heads back to school in the fall,
“I always lived a couple of minutes from the Statehouse, but I never fully realized the magnitude of the history that has occurred with this building,” David said.
“There is more than Abraham Lincoln and more than the three years that the building was used as the state capitol. It’s been so exciting to experience the amount of history the Statehouse has to offer and to help others from across the country and around the world experience this history,” he said.
Meet David Zimmerman
David, the son of Steve and Sally Zimmerman, is a senior at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a double major, English education and theatre performance.
New Statehouse Story Time
Mark every Thursday in July on your calendar for the summer story times.
David has planned and scheduled a new program for every July Thursday.
“Statehouse Story Time is a new summer reading program for children,” David said. “Every Thursday in July at 10 am, we will have a different theme with stories, crafts and different members of the community helping out.”
The story times are: “Popcorn at the Palace,” with period cooking demonstrator Chris Jenkins (this Thursday); “Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt,” with area quilters (July 13); “Lily’s Victory Garden,” with local master naturalist Brad Brannon (July 20); and “If You Grew Up with Abraham Lincoln,” with retired teachers and homemade toy crafts and ice cream (July 27).
David said that he is very excited about this month and the different people who will be exposed to the history of our Statehouse in the process.
A Little More About David
This summer, David has been in rehearsals for“The Addams Family: A Musical Comedy."
“The show is a blast,” he said. “It brings so many talented people from the area to bring these famous characters to life. It has been a fun show to work on and is fun for the whole family. Our shows are July 14-16 and 21-23 at Southern Illinois University-Edwardville’s Dunham hall.”
David is the vice president of the student experimental theatre organization and has been involved in so many hands-on experiences, including teaching in schools in the area, and even directing a full-length play in February 2018.