Starting this week, DJ Spotlight of the Week will be a new weekly feature that highlights one of our DJ’s. Listeners will get the opportunity to get to know the voices on the the radio and learn about their fellow students. Our first DJ is Joel DeJong, who is not only an on-air personality, but our Operations Director as well.
1. What made you decide to join Impact and become a DJ?
I had always loved radio as a kid, calling into shows to request songs was always my favorite thing. When I realized there was the opportunity to work in radio in college, I jumped at it.
2. What has been your best on air experience?
I think one thing that I, along with many other Impact DJs love, is the “good job” call. You’ll be taking requests, and you answer the phone and the person says something like, “I just want to say you’re doing a good job.” And I’ll usually be like, “Thanks, want me to play something for you?” And they’ll just go “Nah, you’re doing fine.” Those are my favorite moments.
3. How do you think working in radio will affect your future career and life?
Well it’s definitely improved my public speaking skills, and it’s also helped my get over when I screw things up. I’ll trip over my words, mispronounce something, or tell a story that goes nowhere, and you just have to brush it off and move on. Fostering that sort of mentality is huge.
4. What is your favorite part of the station?
It’s not the station without the people in it. Trust me, I’ve been in there by myself. It’s not nearly as fun.
5. If you could play an artist non-stop on the air, which would it be?
Well right now I’d go with either U2, just to hear their stuff on the air, or Mike Mains and the Branches, since I’ve been on a kick of their stuff since we announced that we’re bringing them to campus (on the 22nd, by the way 😉 )
6. What is the best concert experience you have had? Why?
The Summer of 2015 my best friend and I won general admission floor tickets to see U2 on their Innocence and Experience tour in Chicago. I kept myself from reading anything about the tour, the setlist, or the show in general, and experienced it for the very first time in the front row with my best friend. It was magical.
Our next DJ Spotlight of the Week will be out on Monday, 9/12.
