Editor’s note: For additional interviews, click the audio links on the right.

With ramen noodles, Easy Mac, pizza and a few Subway sandwiches comprising the diets of many college students, “dining etiquette” almost seems like a foreign phrase, but for graduating seniors who attended Senior Wine and Dine, some practice and several tips were provided to help them prepare for a time when they will be eating more formal meals.

Seniors had two opportunities to attend Senior Wine and Dine, with one held March 29 and another on April 1. Senior Jaci Kettler participated in the event on the first night, which was held at Collins House, and she said it was beneficial to attend.

“(After chatting,) we had a six-course meal, and between each meal, they explained proper etiquette you should use, like which silverware to use, which way to pass things, the proper way to eat, because graduating seniors will be going out having business dinners and will have to use these proper etiquette techniques that we may not have used before,” Kettler said.

Senior Anthony Billinger said the presenters showed not only how to eat food formally in the American style, but they taught the continental style as well.

“Each course, they tried to have an awkward food to eat so they could go over how to eat it continental and American style – just some tips on anything to do with etiquette,” Billinger said.

Although Billinger said he thought it was beneficial for attendees, he said the two-hour dinner was drawn out more than it needed to be, especially because he’s already had etiquette training as a former ParMentor. He said he also thought Senior Wine and Dine in the past was more of a farewell and congratulations dinner for seniors with a little etiquette training on the side.

“It was kind of drawn out for two hours, and you couldn’t enjoy the meal,” Billinger said. “I think a lot of seniors thought it was going to be more celebratory, like, ‘Here’s a good meal with a few etiquette tips,’ and more as a nice (farewell).”

Senior Amanda Luthi said former Baker students helped the seniors to learn the etiquette in the formal setting, which began with conversation before they took their assigned seats.

“We got there in business attire, and we mingled for the first 10 minutes or so, and then we had assigned tables,” Luthi said. “Then, a former Baker student was at the head of each table with the president and her husband at one, and they would give us etiquette tips throughout the meal. … I learned little things like how to hold your fork when eating certain foods – just little quirks like that.”

Kettler said it was somewhat nerve-wracking because she, like many others, had never participated in a six-course formal meal before. She said it was both a meal about etiquette and a time to celebrate all of the seniors’ accomplishments.

“The food was really good,” Kettler said. “It was a little awkward because it was like, ‘I’m really nervous. I want to be doing the right thing. What if I mess up?’ but eventually, everyone relaxed, and conversation was a little bit easier. Etiquette was not necessarily the purpose (of the dinner), but it was a major part of it because we do need to be prepared for it. It also seemed kind of a little bit of a celebration of ‘look how far you’ve come,’ like a class bonding thing.”

Although the night became more relaxed as it progressed, Kettler said she learned new little tips throughout the entire evening.

“I learned a lot of things I didn’t know before,” she said. “I knew some etiquette, like buttering your bread into individual pieces, but there were little mannerisms that I didn’t realize that we were supposed to do, so it was nice to learn those. One thing is when you’re picking up something to pass, you offer food to the person on your left before you pass it to the right.”

Luthi said eating correctly in a formal business setting is very important, as you want to look professional. The table she sat at had a former student who is studying to be a doctor.

“The former student that came to talk with (my table) goes to a lot of formal dinners,” she said. “I think if you’re going into a profession where you will be in a setting where you will be at these formal dinners, it would be nice to know how to behave in a way that won’t make you stand out.”