One of the best smooth-talkin’ radio personalities that the Comm Department has, Desmond McDonald is entrenched in the Comm Department as this to-be 5 year Olivet Nazarene University student reaches the twilight of his time as a Multimedia Communications Major with a concentration in Radio and Record Industry.
Brimming with hard work and passion, Desmond is working in his chosen career, as he is the Director of ONU’s own Spark 89.7 HD3 radio station. Spark is a proving ground for the universities’ most brave and talented students where they can speak live, on-air, to a wide audience from all over Illinois and is a sister station to the prolific Shine.FM.
Desmond, as a station Director, works with the other Directors to maintain the station’s brand. Earning his place, he worked as the station’s Webmaster as of Olivet’s last academic year. That distinction meant that he uploaded blogs, maintained the station’s website, and posted the top ten songs of each month. Now, on top of being a director, Desmond is in charge of Community Impact, a division of the station that creates and operates events, such as raffles.
When asked why he switched his major from Physical Education to Multimedia Communications, Desmond said that Physical Education was simply not turning out to be the place for him. He knew that he could not see himself with a career in that world and looked to God for the answer. When searching, one name stood out among the rest: Multimedia Communications – Radio/Record Industry. As he began to evaluate his God-given strengths and passions he began to see that God may have been preparing him for this all the time, providing him with eloquence, people skills, and so much more. Desmond’s twin brother and staunch supporter, Devaughn, said that, “Although he may seem quiet at times, [Desmond] is definitely a goofy person, he’s always the one to make people laugh by just being him…” And that is a characteristic undeniable in its value.
Desmond’s time in the Communications Department is more than simply work, though, and his major transition certainly did not leave him wanting when it came to staff and environment. He recognizes, first and foremost, the sheer talent, passion, experience and skill demonstrated in the department’s professors and associated staff. He finds those attributes to be consistent in both their respective fields as well as their day to day, noting that as a major tribute to the collective if not one of the reasons he chose his major.
Also apparent in both his work and his person, is Desmond’s interest in music and in particular, R&B and Hip Hop. For him, R&B speaks because of its ability to be a mouthpiece for such a great range of emotions and to be a model of such deep empathy. Ranked as some of Desmond’s favorite R&B artists are Aaliyah, TLC, and of course Prince. But more beloved to the future radio host is another genre. “As for Hip Hop, I really love that genre.” Desmond recounted, “I love the history, the foundation, the beats, the style of clothes, the messages, the pride in the music. The stories told. Everything!” The music and its whole cultural milieu is, as is apparent, incredibly important to him. Desmond is not blind to the reputation the genre may have obtained, however. For him, though, the music comes from an artist who has a story. He recognizes that the story they may have may not be the most comfortable, clean, or expletive free, and that can be reflected in the music. But in the end, the honest expression portrayed keeps him coming back.
Desmond McDonald is a settled spirit with high hopes and a hard-working ethic. He maintains his composure and his passion any way he can, following God every step of the way. And he is, undoubtedly, on his way to becoming the best him he can ever be.
