Known to his Instagram followers as, “that tall black kid with the red backpack,” the real Dr. Marist speaks to us about his true self, the man behind the iconic name.
Duane Jackson, a junior here at Marist College, was given this name as a freshman one night in the dining hall. A group of his friends were all asking questions about the school and he happened to know all of the answers. And of course, to that, a friend of his sarcastically replied, “Alright, Dr. Marist.” For Duane and his friends, this name continued to be a rolling joke and one day he decided to make it his username on Instagram. “Now, I feel like everyone knows my Instagram name before they know me! But hey, it’s an awesome conversation starter!” Duane comments. (Side note: I have to admit, I am one of those people who knew his Instagram name before his real name…sorry Duane.)
But there’s much more to Duane Jackson than just the name. He’s greatly involved in WMAR and intramurals on campus and is a proctor for Special Services. He is majoring in Media Studies and Production and hopes to one day become the advertising manager for a social media company. This summer he is even flying out to California to intern at the Instagram headquarters! Duane contributes significantly to the Marist Campus as a whole, but admits that his favorite spot is a simple one: the turf field. He enjoys laying out there on the hottest of days to just take a break and relax.
Some of Duane’s Favorites:
Music – The Weeknd
Food – Spare Ribs (But he swears he can never eat them in public.)
“One night, I was out to dinner with a professor of mine and a bunch of our classmates and I decided to order the ribs. I know I can’t eat them in public because they’re so messy, but I really wanted them! I literally did not touch them during the entire meal, claiming I wasn’t hungry; oh, but I sooo was! I packed them to go and ate them all when I got home. I just didn’t want to get so messy in front of everyone!”
Holiday – Christmas
“Because presents, PJs and no one bothers me. It’s like a tradition for me and my sister to hang out and play video games all day. It’s so much fun.”
Quality in a Girl – A sense of Humor
“I have a very acquired taste of sarcasm and if I’m with a girl, she’s gotta be able to laugh!”
Show – Game of Thrones
“Without a doubt, my favorite show. I binge watched this in one week!”
Childhood Memory – Scoring his first goal in Soccer
“When I was in third grade, I scored my first goal in soccer and it was the first game my dad came to! He didn’t know much about soccer but it was great to have him come.”
Role Model – His Big Sister
Duane and his sister are 14 years apart and he talks fondly of his relationship with her. “We didn’t really grow up together because of the age difference, but she has always made time for me. She had the same major as me and is always giving me advice about my future,” Duane comments.
Fun Fact
Before college, Duane’s doctor told him he would grow five inches. “I’m two down,” he says. Funny part is, Duane’s father was told the same thing by his doctor before he started college. “He went in 6’0” and graduated 6’5”.”
Ideal Vacation – Cancun, Mexico
“I used to go there when I was younger and all of the resorts and beaches are beautiful!”
Most Embarrassing Moment
“Oh boy, hmm…Okay, well, when I was in high school, there was this new girl in my class and she was pretty cute so I asked her to come to one of my soccer games. I started the game and in the first play, I was running, made a turn and face planted right in front of her. She was looking at me when I stood up. I scored two goals after that just to make up for it.”