NASHVILLE, Tenn. (TSU News Service) – Mark T. Davis, Jr., the new Mr. Tennessee State University, says his goal is to help male students develop into men with good character traits that others can emulate. The goal, he says, is to change the stereotypical view people have of “our young males” because of the way many carry themselves. 

‘We must try to change the way the world looks at our students, especially the black males, and TSU is doing a very good job in that area,” says Davis, a Cincinnati native. “I came here on an HBCU college bus tour, and immediately fell in love with the university.  ‘No durags, wife beaters, or sagging pants.’” 

A senior mass communications major, Davis has developed a five-point plan called “BLUE IS KING,” where BLUE stands for Building Legacies Upon Existence. The plan focuses on sexual assault awareness, mental health, campus engagement, creating a definition of what a man is, and embracing your difference. He hopes this will leave a legacy that impacts future students. 

“This HBCU is preparing us for the real world,” says Davis, who formerly served as Mr. Junior. “What I want to accomplish as Mr. TSU is to really make sure that by the time I am done with my reign, people will remember how I made them feel as Mr. TSU,”  

As part of his plan, Davis has initiated several events he says help students stay engaged. They include: “Eye of the Tiger Scavenger Hunt,” an informative program with hints that tell something new about TSU; “Tailored Tuesdays,” which challenges males and females to dress up in business casual attire but emphasizes business professional; and “Today’s Quote,” that involves passing out motivational quotes in the courtyard on Wednesdays. 

“I really just am excited about my initiatives, in pushing forward what kings or professionals are supposed to look like, or what’s business casual,” says Davis. “I just want to make sure that when other people come on our campus and see a male, that that male is a good representation of TSU.”

Davis is part of Allure Modeling Troupe, Collegiate 100, and Pep Club.

The coronation of Mr. TSU and Miss TSU will be part of Homecoming week activities. It will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 27 in Kean Hall, starting at 7 p.m. 

For more information about TSU’s 2021 Homecoming, visit https://bit.ly/3aBoV7M.

Department of Media Relations

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Founded in 1912, Tennessee State University is Nashville’s only public university, and is a  premier, historically black university and land-grant institution offering 39 bachelor’s degree programs, 24 master’s degree programs, and eight doctoral degrees.  TSU is a comprehensive research intensive institution with a R-2 Carnegie designation, and has a graduate school on its downtown Avon Williams Campus, along with the Otis Floyd Nursery Research Center in McMinnville, Tennessee.  With a commitment to excellence, Tennessee State University provides students  with a quality education in a nurturing and innovative environment that prepares them as alumni to be global leaders in every facet of society. Visit the University online at tnstate.edu.