Etiquette dinner prepares students for professional socials
By Casey Armand
Staff Writer
Thursday, March 3rd, 2010
Photos by Laura Belemjian
Charles
Birri eats french onion soup at the etiquette dinner hosted by Career
Services on Feb. 25.
Twenty-seven
well-dressed students arrived in the International Lounge on Feb. 25 to
attend the etiquette dinner presented by Franciscan University of
Steubenville's Career Services. Nancy Ronevich, the director of Career
Services, welcomed students to the three-part evening on manners with a
smile and a handshake.
Students had various reasons for attending this event.
“I thought I might learn something, and it looked like it could be fun,” said freshman Regina Planchet.
“I’m an accounting major and I’m graduating in May, so I’m going to have to go through this soon,” said Steve Kneier.
The first hour involved advice on how to dress and act to make a good impression to prospective employers. For example, the color of a business suit is more important than most people realize, Ronevich said. She said black can be overpowering, while navy blue inspires trust.
As for making further good impressions and just being polite, Ronevich said that a personal touch can never go wrong.
“If someone has spent more than 15 minutes doing you a favor, send a handwritten thank-you note,” she said.
Ronevich also introduced some rules of etiquette for the “Mocktail” social hour following the preliminary talk. She mentioned that the right hand should be kept free to shake hands, and a cold drink should be held with the left hand to avoid cold and clammy handshakes.
“If you’re not sure if you have a good handshake, tonight it’s OK to ask,” said Ronevich as students prepared to make small talk with their peers.
She also gave some good practical advice for interacting with new groups of people.
“If you start asking questions, suddenly you don’t have to talk a whole lot,” she said.
When the students moved into the Gentile Gallery for the dinner, Ronevich cautioned them against digging right into their meals.
“You’re not here to get full, you’re here to mingle,” she reminded them. The newly made ladies and gentlemen placed their cloth napkins on their laps and carefully began the first course: French onion soup with awkwardly large chunks of cheese in it. Students were told to pace themselves, use the silverware from the outside in, and remember that their bread plate was on the left of their plate and the drink on the right. Ronevich said that when students excuse themselves, they should leave their napkin on the chair instead of the table. She also said to place the silverware in a V-shape, because a fork and knife placed together on the plate was a signal for the servers to clear the dish.
Students thought some advice was rather strange.
“I thought it was weird that if you want to spit something out, you have to take it out of your mouth on a fork,” said one attendee, J.T. Armentrout.
Proper etiquette says to set down silverware after each bite in order to not seem rushed.
“It’s so much work!” said Brittany Carte of this particular rule.
Other advice gave the students a laugh, such as the rule to pass the salt and pepper together, not separately.
“They’re a team,” said Ronevich.
Certain subtle behaviors at a business dinner could create the wrong impressions. For example, salting food before you taste it could show that you are judgmental or jump to conclusions. Complaining about the food or a diet is a sure sign of a whiner. Finishing people’s sentences or interrupting means that you are insensitive and in a hurry.
Overall, the dinner was rather successful, and most students found it to be useful.
“I’m going to a wedding later this year, so this might come in handy,” said Erica Ryan.
Students had various reasons for attending this event.
“I thought I might learn something, and it looked like it could be fun,” said freshman Regina Planchet.
“I’m an accounting major and I’m graduating in May, so I’m going to have to go through this soon,” said Steve Kneier.
The first hour involved advice on how to dress and act to make a good impression to prospective employers. For example, the color of a business suit is more important than most people realize, Ronevich said. She said black can be overpowering, while navy blue inspires trust.
As for making further good impressions and just being polite, Ronevich said that a personal touch can never go wrong.
“If someone has spent more than 15 minutes doing you a favor, send a handwritten thank-you note,” she said.
Photos
by Laura Belemjian
J.T.
Armentrout passes the bread bowl to Kristen Shultz at the etiquette
dinner hosted by Career Services on Feb. 25.
Ronevich also introduced some rules of etiquette for the “Mocktail” social hour following the preliminary talk. She mentioned that the right hand should be kept free to shake hands, and a cold drink should be held with the left hand to avoid cold and clammy handshakes.
“If you’re not sure if you have a good handshake, tonight it’s OK to ask,” said Ronevich as students prepared to make small talk with their peers.
She also gave some good practical advice for interacting with new groups of people.
“If you start asking questions, suddenly you don’t have to talk a whole lot,” she said.
When the students moved into the Gentile Gallery for the dinner, Ronevich cautioned them against digging right into their meals.
“You’re not here to get full, you’re here to mingle,” she reminded them. The newly made ladies and gentlemen placed their cloth napkins on their laps and carefully began the first course: French onion soup with awkwardly large chunks of cheese in it. Students were told to pace themselves, use the silverware from the outside in, and remember that their bread plate was on the left of their plate and the drink on the right. Ronevich said that when students excuse themselves, they should leave their napkin on the chair instead of the table. She also said to place the silverware in a V-shape, because a fork and knife placed together on the plate was a signal for the servers to clear the dish.
Students thought some advice was rather strange.
“I thought it was weird that if you want to spit something out, you have to take it out of your mouth on a fork,” said one attendee, J.T. Armentrout.
Proper etiquette says to set down silverware after each bite in order to not seem rushed.
“It’s so much work!” said Brittany Carte of this particular rule.
Other advice gave the students a laugh, such as the rule to pass the salt and pepper together, not separately.
“They’re a team,” said Ronevich.
Certain subtle behaviors at a business dinner could create the wrong impressions. For example, salting food before you taste it could show that you are judgmental or jump to conclusions. Complaining about the food or a diet is a sure sign of a whiner. Finishing people’s sentences or interrupting means that you are insensitive and in a hurry.
Overall, the dinner was rather successful, and most students found it to be useful.
“I’m going to a wedding later this year, so this might come in handy,” said Erica Ryan.