Being a gentleman is a state of inward character, not outward appearance.

When David DiDiviglio was nominated by his sister Melanie, she wrote “David may not ooze and schmooze you with ‘flashiness’, but he is handsdown the FINEST gentleman of my acquaintance. His genuine actions, kind spirit, loving heart, penchant for justice, and quiet strength ofcharacter are the reasons why David is UF’s, as well as NeW’s, Finest Gentleman!”

It’s David’s character that prompted more than 430 people to “like” his nomination on Facebook even after the Gentlemen’s Showcase ended at midnight on Tuesday.

So NeW asked David, our Gentleman of the Year, some questions about what this title means:

NeW asks: What do you think a gentleman is? What compels you to compels you to act gentlemanly?

“To me, a gentleman is someone that puts others before themselves. One who seeks to truly know and love people and to treat those people right.
I guess I don’t usually consciously think about acting like a gentleman. Honestly, I just try to treat people right in any way that Ican, and I guess that translates into a gentleman-like appearance.”

NeW: What makes a lady?

A few qualities of a lady, in my opinion: A true lady is kind andsincere and modest. She mirrors many of the qualities of a gentleman.  She seeks to serve and treat others well.

NeW:Have you thought of yourself as a gentleman before?

I really haven’t. In an outward sense, I am not one to always make surea “lady” has an open door to walk through or a chair pulled back to sit in. That’s why I am humbled and honored that I won this award. Those that supported me and those that are closest to me have recognized meas a gentleman, even though I don’t open doors or do other chivalrousacts perhaps as much as I should. Maybe this is a wake up call for me!

NeW: Do you think there are many gentlemen like you on college campuses? Or is chivalry a dying concept?

Honestly, I think there are a lot of great guys out there. There aremany guys here at UF that I think really highly of, and that I know will be great husbands and fathers one day. That’s the most important thing a gentleman could do in my opinion.. Raise and guide a family inthe principles of the Word and Jesus Christ.

NeW: Who are your role models?

General Role model? Jesus Christ.
“Gentlemanly” Role model? My dad. He and my mom have a great relationship. I hope to one day lead afamily in the same way he did.

Search