Off The Mic
Nolan Donovan
DJ Name: DJ Roomba
DJ Shift: N/A
Exec Position: Former Communications Director
Year: Senior
Major: Business (Marketing)
Favorite Color: Seafoam Green
Hobbies: Photography, watching movies, longboarding
Mason Kilpatrick: When and how did you join KJHK?
Nolan Donovan: I joined KJHK at the start of my Junior year. I joined through what used be known as the “Multimedia Volunteer” staff. I then applied and was accepted in the Multimedia Production staff. I did more work, worked on bigger projects and was given more responsibility. I fell in love with the station. After walking into the door and seeing CDs everywhere from wall to wall, as well as see people who also love music, I knew I had to use my multimedia skills to get into this place. With my Marketing major background, I figured I could offer more so I applied for Communications Director. I come up with ads and I work with promoters to build strong and mutually beneficial relationships.
MK: What else is included with being Communications Director? Anything you didn’t mention?
ND: I manage all social media accounts with scheduled and real time promoting. I handle all ticket giveaways through the station to promote all of the local shows that occur. I also help with underwriting by offering opportunities to local businesses to support the station and get their message out there to our listeners.
MK: I know you are a very passionate and intense guy. You discussed earlier about the environment at KJHK. What does KJHK mean to you on a personal level?
ND: On a personal level, it is place for serious growth but also for relationships. As I challenge myself by applying for more difficult positions with more responsibilities, I have grown as a leader and a person. I learned to be aware of how my actions affect others and how that affects their job. An example would be me trying not to talk over people anymore because I realize that I do that. My time management skills have improved here as well. You can’t have poor time management skills and work as an director here. I am so grateful for my time. I am trying to get so many of friends here involved. But on a relationship level, everyone is here because they are driven to make KJHK better. Although it serves a lot for us on our resumes and portfolios, we all have a unified goal of making KJHK better. We all love the station and noncommercial radio.
MK: You have discussed growing as a person here at KJHK, pointing out that you are working on some habits you don’t like. What other areas have improved through your work at KJHK?
ND: Confidence. Before I applied to be Communications Director, I had to be coaxed by the interviewer (points over to Mason) who was telling me that I should apply. I thought that I was not completely qualified but you kept telling me that I could do it. I then realized that everyone in a position, even if it is Steve Jobs at Apple, is just another person. They don’t have capabilities that are much farther than yours. It is a job that takes time and dedication to get used to. If something scares you, you are challenging yourself and growing. If you stay within your comfort zone, you are never going to grow.
MK: I remember being in your room and lying on your bed at 2AM. You were sitting at your computer with all of these unanswered emails from promoters you had to respond to and you were so scared to email them. But now you get an email and you respond within a matter of minutes. There is a huge difference.
ND: You don’t need a pat on the back or a word of advice from everyone for every email. You just have to believe yourself and trust in your abilities. Now in retrospect, I think that if I had this confidence my Freshman year, I would have done so much more at KJHK. I remember opening a DJ application once and I had to put in a playlist to apply. I just closed it because I felt that my music taste wasn’t good enough. But I could have met so many cool people, especially after knowing how tight of a family KJHK is.
MK: We talk about KJHK being a family. What family title would you have? Brother Nolan? Cousin Nolan? Uncle Nolan?
ND: I honestly see us all of as brothers and sisters. I don’t see anyone being above someone, even if their position was technically higher in job structure. We are all just trying to help each other grow and we all have skills that make up for each other’s weaknesses. I know that I can call anyone and they can help me out. I called Kayci, the Music Director, and asked if she could edit my cover letter. She edits and writes all these music reviews so I knew she could help me. We can all rely on each other.
MK: You brought up motivation earlier. You are incredibly motivated as a human being. What causes this?
ND: I am always trying to judge the distance between my current self and my idealized self. I am not talking about “Superstar Nolan who lives on Mars” idealized self. I am talking about who I could be tomorrow. Like, I could be playing guitar tomorrow because I have wanted to learn how to play it for years now. I could be eating healthier or doing other beneficial things. I look back and acknowledge how far I have come. But I am always looking forward to where I want to be. That is what always motivates me. I am sure the Nolan I was years ago would look at current me and think I am a legend. And I want to continue that process into my future.