It’s Friday night. The crowd of students is eagerly anticipating the start of another Belmont showcase and as the spotlights begin to hit in the Curb Event Center. Marcus Knight steps out. Knight always wanted to get involved, and he believes he has accomplished just that in his time at Belmont. “I never really liked stretching myself at all. I just kind of had this box that you know, other people put me in and I just kind of settled in that as well,” Knight said. “And so I told myself that when I got to college, you know, I'm paying all this money to be here anyways, so you might as well make the most of it.” Knight started his involvement by joining Belmont’s BSA and taking on the role of social media manager. “When I first came here, it was a great organization. It still is, but the problem is we also didn't know how to have real conversations,” he said. “We wanted to expand and expound on the entire holistic black experience, especially in the context of being at a private white institution.” Still itching to participate more, he attempted to reach greater ambitions and make even more monumental change on Belmont’s campus. “So showcase needed someone that could help rebrand that, and with the help of BSA and with the help of students all across campus, you know, I was able to be a part in the renaming of Belmont’s R&B and hip-hop showcase,” he said.
Whenever going into a new space or taking on a new challenge, Knight always asked himself the same question. “I'm always going into a space asking myself what have I learned? What is my experience? And how can I use that in order to not only bless somebody else but to inform and to make me and the other person more well-rounded,” he said. Knight, while not always the most outgoing, has been able to find his voice here on campus. “There's a lot of different areas in which I occupy but with every single thing, it's always about bringing your full self to the table,” he said. Knight, through his many extracurriculars, has made an impact on students all across campus. Logan Jalil, a senior political science major and fellow resident assistant, has noticed Knight’s unique personality first hand when he was Knight’s resident. “He’s an innovator in both the way he connects with people and his social media presence,” he said. “It's part of this just like his good nature, of wanting to know everyone and wanting to be everyone’s best friend,” Jalil said. Knight’s been an RA for four years and has been able to get to know students on a more personal level and guide them through life on campus. “I really enjoyed being an RA with mostly freshmen, helping them enter into their next stage of adulthood learn how to live with people, how to be well rounded human beings,” Knight said. After he finishes school, Knight hopes to find something that he enjoys and really fulfills him. “I love the idea of graphic design on social media, digital marketing in general. I've always enjoyed pouring into other people and you know, giving them tools to succeed,” Knight said. "And so hopefully I'd like to go into digital marketing, I want to somehow infuse that with training on diversity, equity and inclusion.” When walking across campus, odds are Knight will see someone he knows. And when he does, it's always a greeting with a smile and an acknowledgement like he’s known you for years.
This article was written by Braden Simmons