HTM students learn the basics of table etiquette from instructor Anthony Cawdron. Business Etiquette is a new class being offered by CFS.

With the help of a former English butler and a new class offered in the School of Consumer and Family Sciences, students are finding that minding their manners has never been easier. HTM 390E Business Etiquette is shedding light on etiquette do's and don'ts and preparing them for the professional and social situations they will encounter.

Many students take the class to prepare for the interviewing process, but class instructor, Anthony Cawdron, says the lessons learned will go far beyond getting your first job.
"Whether you're going on a date, to dinner with your parents, or an important business lunch, you can make more of an impact if you're not worrying about which fork to use. A knowledge of etiquette allows you to feel more comfortable in a wide variety of social settings."

Cawdron is event coordinator to the president and is responsible for coordinating more than 200 events (with up to 12,000 guests) each year at Westwood, the president's home. In addition to overseeing every detail of these events, he ensures that Westwood stands ready to handle any spur of the moment events that may arise.

He worked with President Martin C. Jischke and his wife, Patty, at Iowa State University for nine years in a similar capacity. While there, he instructed up to 1,500 students a year in etiquette sessions for sororities, fraternities, and other organizations across campus.

Anthony Cawdron instructs students in his business etiquette course on the proper way to order from a wine list.

When he followed President Jischke to Purdue, it wasn't long before Cawdron's talents were called upon again. In the class he teaches, Cawdron covers everything from knowing how to make an introduction to knowing how to order from a wine list.

"The need for etiquette is universal. It doesn't matter what your school is or your major - you're still going to be interviewed and you're still going to go to a restaurant," Cawdron says. "These things may seem insignificant at the time but they'll be needed one day."

Much of the course content focuses on dining etiquette. Basics, such as being able to identify your salad fork from your dessert fork, are taught as well as the finer points of being a good dinner companion. Students learn what to do when presented with a bottle of wine and how to make a toast.

One of the secrets Cawdron shares with his students is how to gracefully juggle one's plate, glass, and utensils at a buffet while trying to mingle and make conversation at the same time. He also shares tips on hosting events, including how to seat guests and initiate conversation among groups.

"Using common sense was one of the best things I learned," says Chris Howe, an HTM senior who took Cawdron's class last semester. "When you're at a reception and you know something is going to be messy, then avoid eating it."

Cawdron says many of his students are unfamiliar with the lessons he teaches because those experiences were not available at home. "All of the homes are built with a dining room, but no one ever uses it," he says. "People just don't entertain at home like they used to."

Cawdron also gives pointers on what to do when interviewing for a job. "Students, often for the first time, become aware of what a potential employer may be looking for in the interview other than academic skills and experience," he says.

Misty Thompson, another HTM senior, says she took Cawdron's course in the hope of "improving her game" because the field she's interested in, tourism, is becoming more competitive.

"What I learned last semester has already helped me in interviews and everyday social situations," she says.

Anne Edwards, a junior in HTM, says the most important things she learned from Cawdron's class are the proper way to send and respond to invitations and table etiquette.

The class, which debuted fall semester 2001, is open to all Purdue students although most are hospitality and tourism management majors.

In a world where breaking the rules is the standard rather than the exception, Cawdron's class stands out.

"There's always a certain amount of rebelliousness among some of my students. They wonder why they have to do things this way or that." Cawdron smiles, "But, you can only be a rebel for so long; then you have to conform like everyone else."

Anthony Cawdron earned a master's degree in hotel, restaurant, and institution management from Iowa State in 1992. Born in England, he studied hotel and restaurant operations at Brookes University. Upon graduation, he worked as an assistant to the butler at Blenheim Palace for a year and as butler at Sutton Place for three years. He was teaching in Switzerland at a hospitality school when he had the opportunity to go to Iowa State on a faculty exchange program.