Follow up with Etiquette Dinner

On Wednesday March 1st, the Etiquette Dinner took place in Maas Auditorium from 5:00pm-8:00pm. It was an extremely successful event and gave students, faculty, and staff the chance to learn about the proper rules concerning etiquette from communications professor and public speaker Rob Pocock . There were 61 students in attendance, some of whom, along with a few of the table hosts, were asked about their Etiquette Dinner experience.

Caitlin Lindman, a sophomore who attended the Etiquette Dinner stated that,

I liked the Etiquette Dinner because it was a nice chance to mingle with other students and professionals. The table conversations were great, and it was fun to learn about one another as well as learn about etiquette together. The setting allowed you to feel comfortable and not worry if you made a mistake.

She also learned that,

proper etiquette is not about following all the rules, but making everyone feel comfortable and welcome at the table. Rob Pocock shared a story about the Queen of England and how she brought a poor man to eat at her table as the honored guest. He didn’t know all the do’s and don’ts of table manners, but she was gracious and made him feel at home. For me, it’s easy to get caught up in the rules and forget why we have etiquette in the first place, so this was a nice refresher.

Mark Brice of Student Development was a table host for the event. When asked what he liked about the Etiquette Dinner, Mark stated,

It was wonderful to get to know current Hope students, talk about career aspirations, and to learn a little bit more about how to build connections with others during the job search process. Our table had a lot of fun making some mistakes and learning best practices regarding fine dining.

Etiquette Dinner also taught him that…

…spoons all go along the right side of the plate… even if there are three of them.

If you didn’t get the chance to go to the Etiquette Dinner this year, make sure that you sign up for it next year, as it is always second semester.

As one last etiquette tip taken from the booklet given to participants at the event, always remember to “be concerned with others and not just yourself. Learning other points of view naturally helps you get ahead.”

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