WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2002
NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN = 5A
Dinner party teaches students good etiquette
Erin Beaty
ebeatty@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
In case you forgot the manners your momma taught you, KU Career Services sponsor periodic etiquette dinners for students.
Last night, 100 students enjoyed a five-course meal and listened to the professional advice of Lisa Clements, of Cerner Corporation, and Corey Calvano, the head chef of the Hereford House, at the Kansas Union.
Clements briefed the students on appropriate behavior at the office and at work functions, including office parties. She said employees should look at office events as opportunities to meet people and become networking pros, instead of looking at them as
something they have to attend to
"kiss up" to people.
"Every person you meet is an opportunity to learn something new." Clements said.
Courtney Kuhlen/Kansan
She shared tips on how to introduce yourself, remember others' names and start conversations.
She also discussed the proper etiquette at work parties, including where to set drinks, and being careful with public displays of affection with your date.
"Think about your professional image and be mindful of it at every event you go to," she said.
David Hall, Wichita junior, said Clements' presentation was helpful in learning ways to create small talk and avoiding difficulty in conversations.
"I learned ways around having awkward moments if you forget
someone's name," Hall said.
Next, the students were served a dinner that included rolls, chicken noodle soup, salad, chicken kabobs and broccoli. Dessert was chocolate cake with whipped cream.
Career services coordinators and Calvano planned the menu together to include foods that could be difficult to eat.
Calvano taught the students how to handle those foods in a business situation.
"Don't eat cherry tomatoes — they're gonna squirt juice." Calvano said. He also said not to eat lobster, croutons, crackers, spaghetti or any long-noodle pasta.
Damian Walker, Wellington senior, and Deborah Rhoads, St. Charles, Mo., senior, wait for a dinner etiquette lesson to begin at the Kansas Room in the Kansas Union. University Career Services hosted the last night night to offer students an opportunity to learn the rules of business dining.
"Just don't eat it. You're gonna make a mess," he said.
Jennifer Jordan, business career coordinator, said the dinner was a good opportunity for students to practice etiquette in a non-threatening environment.
practice_ enjoy a meal and network too,' she said.
"They have the opportunity to
Edited by Matt Norton
A little light could alleviate those winter blues
By Lindsay Hanson
ihanson@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
The sun triumphed over the clouds for a few precious hours Monday,breaking a gray streak that some students said had affected their moods and behaviors.
Mike Hannah, Lawrence senior, said he hadn't fallen into a depression, but his energy level had dwindled because of the lack of direct sunlight.
"I would sleep all day or wake up a few hours later than I usually would," he said. "The light definitely helps, but I don't really know why."
The answer may not be concrete, but one University of Kansas professor has developed a theory to explain Hannah's seasonal melancholy.
C. R. Snyder, Wright-distinguished professor of clinical psychology, pinpointed Hannah's sluggish tendencies to Mood Disorder with Seasonal Pattern commonly known as Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD. People with SAD experience the effects of periods or seasons with reduced amounts of light. Cloudy days psychologically impede people from thinking they can reach their goals, he said.
"I do think people don't per form as well," Snyder said.
SAD falls under Snyder's more encompassing "Hope Theory," which he has been tweaking since 1994. In his five published books about the theory, he describes hope as motivation that allows a person to find routes to achieve goals. According to the theory, periods of darkness reduce a person's ability to be creative and possibly a person's ability to generate goals altogether.
David Holmes, professor of psychology, said the absence of sunlight in the winter was, in most cases, a scapegoat for normal, cyclic mood swings.
"I think there's a bias in the reporting of it that leads us to believe it's more prevalent than it
really is," he said.
Holmes said people often blamed sluggish behavior on seasons known for lots of light as well.
"The data suggests that we also find people being sluggish in the summer," he said. "Oh, it's the heat, they say."
But a person doesn't have to simply accept the droldrums as a side-effect of the winter season, Snyder said. His book, The Psychology of Hope: You can get there from here, advocates phototherapy as a solution.
The book says exposing the eyes to a couple hours of bright light lifts the spirits within a few days. Snyder said several companies manufactured light-producing boxes to counter winter's blahs. One such product, a 10,000-watt, ultraviolet-free desk lamp from a company called Amjo, sells for $199.95 on www.sadlight.com.
"That's not some kind of bogus treatment," Snyder said. "It's actually legit."
Snyder said his work had been published in 30 languages, which allowed expansion of Hope Theory studies worldwide. He said studies in countries such as Norway, where the winters run longer than here in the United States, had supported his theory.
- Edited by Ryan Malashock
$ 40.00 $ 70.00 MY BIG FACE KINETIC WEDDING program
$ 12.00 $ 18.00 $ 20.00
Do you tapas?
Don't know?
4:38 7/10 9:20
$1 Free State drives on wednesdays
Tapas are
tapas are savory appetizer style dishes, that are meant to be shared amongst friends.
A Comfortable Classic.
The Bear Pass Sweater
By Woolrich...since 1830
804 Massachusetts St.
Downtown Lawrence
(785) 843-5000
Mix in some Spanish wines or sangria and you have the perfect recipe for fun.
Pinchos de Pollo Chicken skewers with a spicy peanut sauce $7
everchanging Menu
Albondigas
Spanish meatballs with a delicate mushroom sauce
Tortilla Española Traditional potato and egg pie with aioli $4
Gambas en Ajo
Shrimp in garlic sauce