Student Leader Michael Eagan
Rose E. Gorman
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"Right now I'm just giving a hundred percent to the whole deejay thing" may not be what you're used to hearing from a student in the Campus Spotlight. But for Mike "Spynfo" Eagan, that is exactly what landed him in the spotlight.
"My parents wanted me to stay within the Catholic realm. They basically said, 'You've been in Catholic school all this time, so why now would you want to go to public school,'" he said.
But little did his parents know that Eagan had beaten them to the punch; he had already posed the same question to himself, but more importantly had already answered it: He didn't want to leave the Catholic education.
Distance also played a major role in his college decisions. "I really didn't care to go somewhere too far from my parents," Eagan said.
But in an attempt to escape the "fifth-year high school" the Bronx native was set on definitely going to school outside of his borough. And SJU was a natural choice for him. "St. John's was right in Queens, and they had dorms," he said.
And now, the communications major is a senior preparing for graduation.
So, that's the genesis of Mike Eagan the college student: He came; he saw; and some may even say he conquered, but when did Eagan become the DJ Spynfo we know today? Well, that story takes us back to the Bronx, for that is where he began his craft the summer before he began at SJU.
Like many DJs, Spynfo began really practicing his technique in his basement. Spinning began as a hobby for him, but soon developed into something more. He brought that enthusiasm to St. Johns - more specifically Hollis Hall, Room 108 - and began to get the accidental publicity that many performers would kill for.
"Brad from Haraya had heard me practicing, and he had me do open mics and things like that, which led to other exposure. Then different people from various other organizations let me deejay for their parties and other events," said Eagan.
All this happened his freshman year, and things could only get better. Beginning sophomore year, Eagan began his work in entertainment off-campus, with Georgetown, a local bar, setting the stage. "Yeah, that was my golden year," he said.
Eagan's work began to pick up when he started working in clubs like Speed, Mirage, Crystal, Latin Quarter, and different lounges. All the while, he was still faithful to SJU's organizational parties.
Despite his talent at the turntable, spinning is not what Eagan ultimately wants to do as his career. In a sense, one can compare him to an athlete who uses his or her talent with a ball to open other doors to some great career. With Eagan as a DJ, one can make such a comparison.
Fully immersing himself in the college scene and very aware of many of his peers' concerns, Eagan has found a cause with which to align himself.
"With the housing situation, there are going to be so many more people looking for housing, and there's nothing but housing around here. I've been searching and weaving my way through different real estate agencies, and the prices of houses around here are expensive," he said. "But I definitely have an interest in purchasing property in this area because we have juniors and seniors that can't come in from Brooklyn."
Once a resident student, but forced to become a commuter, Eagan knows the plight of the "traveling student." But such circumstances have made him passionate about his future goals of business and real estate, for they are aimed towards college students and improving that four to five year period of their lives with pure and simple fun.
As different as the world of DJ Spynfo may seem to students preparing for "traditional" careers in the work force, one can see that maybe there are more than a few similarities to their modes of operations. Some of the key connections are those of professionalism and networking, and even Eagan realizes that.
"Even I need to go to other places, other schools. People at St. John's know me, but other schools may have only heard of me," he said. To remedy this, he is currently working on a website to promote his image and any future business - and advises others to do the same.
For more information on Mike "DJ Spynfo," Eagan visit www.djspynfo.com.
Michael Eagan
AKA: DJ Spynfo
Hometown: Bronx, NY
Major: Communications
Minor: Business
Year: Senior
Current Involvement:
Campus and Citywide Disc Jockey
Aspiring Entrepreneur
