Every year the Exploring Business classes take a trip to the Graduate State College (formerly known as the Atherton Hotel) to enjoy a lunch that doubles as a way to demonstrate proper dining etiquette. Students have the opportunity to dress business professional, perform their etiquette skills, and savor a three-course meal around a circular table with their classmates (not to mention getting out of school for an hour and a half). 

The event on Tuesday, October 29th began when two buses left State High and arrived at the Graduate around 12 p.m. The group of about 70 students was greeted by fancy napkins, glasses of water and iced tea, and an array of silverware.

The first course included salad and bread. This year there were two options for the main course: pasta, or chicken with dijonnaise sauce. For many students, the ice cream sundaes for dessert were the cherry on top. 

The afternoon was about more than just the food. “It was a good way to practice the skills we learned in class,” freshman Emily Ishler said. 

Dining etiquette includes using the proper utensils, mannerisms, and wearing the proper attire. When passing something, offer it to the left before passing it to the right if you are the first person to pass the item or food. Pass the salt and pepper together. Place your napkin on your lap, and place it on your chair if you are leaving the table. Wait until everyone at the table has received their food before starting to eat yours. Recognize what plates, glasses, and utensils are yours. These are some of the dining etiquette tips that business students learned in class. 

To be eligible to attend the etiquette luncheon, a student needs to be enrolled in an exploring business class. “The class covers the different [business] classes that we offer at State High,” Mr. Raupers said. “It gives the students that are interested in a specific area the opportunity to dive into that deeper in the full semester or full-year course.”

The etiquette luncheon is important to both students who plan on going further into the business field and those who don’t. “I have gone to meetings and dinners where we’ve sat at a round table and people don’t know what drink is theirs or what fork to use, so today’s lesson just showed [the students] to identify what the proper utensils are, what drink is yours, and what bread plate is yours,” Mr. Raupers said.

Etiquette can be used in the real world. The etiquette luncheon teaches students how to demonstrate those skills in a real-world situation. “It’s a great way to become more familiar with the etiquette part of life,” Mr. Raupers said, “whether it is business or a wedding, it helps [to] learn those skills.”