It’s Monday morning as I arrive at Kenan 314 for Portuguese class. The class’ professor, Dr. Diviney, gently ambles into the room and greets me with a pleasant “Bom dia” (good morning), leading into a few minutes of random conversation before the lesson starts at 9:00. He is known affectionately by many as “Dr. Div”, and is naturally welcoming by his mellow demeanor. He is also one of the most interesting professors at Flagler. What we have in common is a wonderful past country of residence: Brazil. But prior to my junior year, the only thing I knew about Dr. Diviney was that he was head of the Spanish department. Now, two Portuguese classes and a Mesoamerican civilizations class later, I know a lot more about him based on the fascinating facts about Latin America and personal stories he shares during class. Having experienced Brazil myself as a middle and high-school student, it’s extremely refreshing to hear about Dr. Div’s first impressions of this beautiful country as a 19-year-old missionary in the 1960s. This is where his Brazilian adventure started.
Dr. Diviney went on his mission for the Mormon Church from September 1965-September 1967. He went to Caixas do Sul in Rio Grande do Sul, Curitiba and Apucarana in Paraná, and then back to Rio Grande for the cities of Santa Maria and Canôas. He recounts Brazil with eyes different from my own, from a time when Brazilians and Americans were more curious about each other’s culture, and from the eyes of a young man avoiding temptation while on his mission in an exotic land full of breathtaking landscapes and some of the friendliest people in the world. Brazil could have very well fostered Dr. Div’s laid-back attitude. One time, he was on a packed bus when a pretty young lady was trying to move down the aisle. When the bus hit a bump and sent her flying right into his lap, all she could say was a startled, “Com licença!,” (a polite ‘excuse me’), instead of “Perdão” (I beg your pardon) which would have been more appropriate. He was simply amused and replied, “Pois não?” the English equivalent of a combination between ‘of course’ and ‘why not.’
Dr. Diviney expresses his interest in culture and history as well as language by collecting interesting historical artifacts, including many from the 1800s. One time he made friends with a vendor in Brazil who couldn’t afford a family member’s important operation and gave the man the fairly large sum of money he needed. The vendor was so grateful, he later insisted Dr. Div take an antique gun he was going to sell as a present. This 1800s gun was completely unique, Dr. Div took it back with him and several years later found out it was worth several thousand dollars.
Brazilian student and Portuguese tutor Rafaela Faria agrees that Dr. Diviney is an admirable professor for introducing not only Portuguese, but also French and Italian as elementary studies at Flagler. Before this year, Spanish and American Sign Language were the only languages offered to study. “It opens up a whole new perspective to Flagler students,” says Rafa. “And Dr. Diviney is a great Portuguese teacher.” With regard to the new languages offered courtesy of Dr. Diviney, President Abare was shocked at how popular they were. Last semester and immediately this semester during registration, the language classes completely filled up as fast as they could. New classes the faculty thought were against the odds Dr. Diviney knew would be successful. I’m only one of many students who are very grateful for the now multiple-language opportunity he presented to our college.
He lived in Brazil one more time, for a year and a half from 1981-1982 in Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro may be Brazil’s most signature city, with good and bad extremes: crystal blue beaches, lush forests and a lovely climate, and some of the most concentrated crime in Brazil. There he went to the Brazilian Army Command and General Staff College, and learned an array of new things. Among them, how to deal with all kinds of weaponry and how to shoot well from extremely far distances. Dr. Diviney’s impressive weaponry knowledge is juxtaposed nicely with his signature calm disposition. He told me and fellow classmates that he used to go hunting, but stopped several years ago after he shot a deer, took a look into it’s big brown eyes afterwards and thought, “I shot Bambi!” Naturally, we responded with an “Awww!”
Dr. Diviney’s last visit to Brazil was in December 2000 for the 1st Encounter of Latin American Amazonian Poetry Conference. In the United States, he graduated from Brigham Young University in 1971 with a BA in Portuguese and Latin American Studies. He started his MA in Portuguese, but didn’t finish because that was when he entered the U.S. Army. Dr. Diviney came to Flagler in September of 2001 and he’s stayed ever since, this is how we’re fortunate enough to have him introduce such brand new-yet-popular classes and teach us all he knows (which is a lot).
The reason I personally appreciate Dr. Diviney is that he’s taught me so many things I didn’t already know yet I can identify with him about subjects we both know well. He is completely well read and knowledgeable on the lifestyles of most Mesoamerican civilizations, as I found out after taking his LAS 315 class. He is the only Flagler professor who’s experienced Brazil by living there, and if my lifestyle has taught me anything it’s that living in a country is a completely different experience than just visiting. We share as saudades- deep-rooted Lusophone nostalgia that Brazilians claim only true nationals of the country can feel and understand for their home. There is no known equivalent in Spanish or other Latin languages. I realize I’m fortunate to have landed in St. Augustine while Dr. Diviney is here too. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday he brings Brazil back into my life from five years ago and empathizes the saudades with me, as well as celebrates a few years of the Brazilian experience that I highly recommend to anyone.
Word Count: 1,026
Information/quotes from:
Dr. John Diviney
Rafaela Faria
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