Senior Jordan Knouse, Newport’s representative for the Poetry Out Loud competition, won first place at the regional competition held on Jan. 31 at the Landis House in Newport. Knouse competed against two other participants from other Region 10 high schools.
Knouse’s three poems were “Abandoned Farmhouse” by Ted Kooser, “Suppose” by Phoebe Cary, and “Tear” by Linda Hogan. As winner of the Region 10 competition, Knouse will move on to the Pennsylvania state competition on Mar. 4. There, she will compete against 13 representatives from the other Pennsylvania Poetry Out Loud Regions.
English department and poetry teacher Miss Elizabeth Helmick, who manages the event for Newport and advised Knouse throughout the competition, commented, “I have had the opportunity to see Jordan through her whole journey reciting poetry since she first started in sophomore English class, and it has been very rewarding to watch her grow and improve the whole way. I think she chose poems that really suit her performance style. She was able to show the judges the variety of her performative skills and I think a huge strength for her in this year’s competition was being able to show that range.”
Knouse said, “I am very thankful for this opportunity. I’d like to thank Miss Helmick for all her advice and hard work, and I can’t wait to represent Newport at the state level.”
More information regarding this competition and Knouse’s performance at the state level is soon to come.
