By: Paige Scofield Campus Life Editor
On April 10, Western’s Service Learning and Career Development Center hosted an Etiquette Dinner in the Pacific Room of the Werner University Center. The Etiquette Dinner was held to teach students the “proper” way to interact in a formal business dinner setting.
This event featured keynote speaker Mindy Lockard, an etiquette consultant. Lockard is an internationally known etiquette writer and speaker. For over a decade, Lockard has worked with colleges, businesses and corporations, speaking about the power of interpersonal interactions. She has been in many magazines because of her work, including “Forbes Women.”
“It is such a pleasure to be here tonight. I think this is my sixth year on campus doing this dinner,” said Lockard. “It is an honor. I travel around the country and around the Pacific Northwest doing these workshops and I’ve always loved it when I get the chance to come to Western.”
Throughout the five course meal that was served, Lockard taught the participants the correct way to set a table, hold silverware, eat, drink and other valuable tips to dine properly, including how to correctly butter bread.
This event was held to help students get comfortable in situations like dining in a high class restaurant, because when going into the business world, most of the discussions and events revolve around dinner.
Shelby Worthing, senior economics major and Service Learning and Career Development Center employee, helped coordinate the Etiquette Dinner. She explained that the dinner, “… is really great, because in our society, today, we don’t just graduate college and then get a job.”
“There’s a lot of networking that’s involved,” continued Worthing. “You might be out to dinner with someone or interviewing over a dinner … it’s a great learning experience. This is about manners, and we need those everywhere.”
The event lasted for two hours and, while the participants were eating, Lockard would walk around and correct them or answer any questions that came up.
“I really want to encourage you to be bold” said Lockard, “I want to encourage you to use and refine these skills, so that when you get into a situation professionally, that you can really be bold.”
Contact the author at journalcampuslife@wou.edu
