It s the best way to nourish and nurture their writing, said DeRoche. He calls this joint method of critiquing collegia. It s always important for a writer to have people nearby who appreciate what you re doing but are willing to say where it isn t working, DeRoche said. This point of view is echoed by the modern-day staff. Being on Spectrum s editorial board teaches the difficulty of making choices, he added.
Members have to develop objectivity and standards of quality.
The staff is not necessarily better poets, but they have a knowledge of what poetry has done in the past, said Zenh, a junior pharmacy major. Those with a knowledge of poetry are better able to assist aspiring poets, he added. A few classes behind Hohman, DeRoche started out as a history major, but switched to English after taking a poetry class with Dean Melvin. He dies and he becomes a building, DeRoche said, letting out a sigh. Melvin encouraged DeRoche to join NU Writer where he worked as editor his sophomore year.