Left fork or right knife?

Students that participated in the “Dining, Networking and Professionalism” event learned more about table manners and professionalism as part of the career services at Eastern.

The career services employees, Bobbi Kingery and John Marr, demonstrated how each student worked their way through the utensils as part of a meeting with future employers in a restaurant-like setting.

The students should know the following about dinner table etiquette the food should be placed to the left of the dinner plate, drinks are placed to the right of the dinner plate, your fork goes to the left and your knife and spoon go to the right. Start with utensils on the outside, work your way in as the meal goes on, and many other tips.

The dinner participation made some students wonder why some should participate in dining, networking and professionalism.

“You don’t really have an opportunity to practice proper business dining etiquette,” computer science major Nathan Jones said. “So, coming here and learning that like an actual constructed area definitely is a unique experience that’s definitely worth trying.”

Students like Jones felt like it helped reinforce table etiquette that should be in place that was not in place for many college students growing up.

“I think the most important thing to learn would be basically just, it’s really reinforcing and like, developing table manners, and understanding the manners at the table, and I feel like that is probably the most important the most beneficial thing I’ve learned from it,” Jones said.

There were many table etiquette methods that students learned how to do, like passing things to the right and waiting for the host to start eating.

“I would say it’s just good to know all the little details on what to do at the table like I never knew to like you always got past stuff to the right,” freshman Zach Schultz, an elementary education major said.

The overall learning experience for students was important for many students participating in the dinner networking and professionalism at Brick House Bar and Grill. Students can participate in the next Dining, Networking and Professionalism event by going to Career Services on campus to get more information.

Chandler Smith can be reached at 581-2812 or at cbsmith5@eiu.edu.