Vanessa Gomez heads to state

Gomez is granted new experiences in Denver at Poetry Out Loud state

Abigail Vondy, Managing Editor|March 9, 2020

Imagine standing on a stage, ready to burst with passion as the lines of a poem ready themselves to be recited. The very lines of a poem that go up against the best in the state. Vanessa Gomez (20) knows this feeling well.

After placing first at the Poetry Out Loud competition in Eaton, Gomez memorized two poems and headed to state on March 3 with English teachers Deirdre White and Kylie Griffin. With the words of “April Love” by Ernest Dowson, “The Consent” by Howard Nemerov, and “One Hundred Love Sonnets: XVII” by Pablo Neruda in the back of her mind, Gomez recited her heart out.

Competing against 15 other students at the Lakewood Cultural Center in Denver Colorado, Gomez recites her poems beautifully. Griffin said, “Vanessa killed it, she did so well. It seemed so natural; as if you were speaking with her. One of her poems was a love poem and it genuinely felt as if she was speaking to the person she loved. She really embodied the poem.”

Gomez was unable to make it to the third round with the top five competitors, but she was happy with the experience and grateful for the opportunity. “It was pretty amazing. I loved the experience of meeting new people and watching them recite the poems,” she said.

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About the Contributor

Abigail Vondy, Editor in Chief

As Abigail dives into her fourth year of newspaper, she is excited to continue her position as the Editor in Chief of the Eaton Red Ink. Abigail has fallen in love with the art of informing others and has spent much of her free time in high school dedicated to the paper. Whether she is at home editing articles or out covering those memorable high school experiences, Abigail has found her purpose through the freedom of press. She is always willing to cover any story, but shows the most excitement in news and features. Abigail adores the rush of interviewing new people and promises to give everyone in the school a voice. Abigail is excited to lead the new reporters as they become familiar with paper, and she can’t wait to witness their growth. When she is not in the newsroom, Abigail can be found curled up with a good book or out providing for the community through volunteer work.

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