"Dr. Etiquette" Returns to College for Dining Etiquette Workshops

February 3, 2016

What: Dr. John Mellon will demonstrate and discuss manners for dining in a business/professional atmosphere or among family and friends in three interactive dining etiquette presentations at Hudson Valley Community College.

Why: Dining etiquette is part of a series of leadership workshops sponsored by the college to prepare students for the career world. The workshops complement the academic side of education and instill confidence in students as they move on to various life situations, according to Louis Coplin, Director of Student Life at Hudson Valley. Sponsored by the Student Senate, Dr. Mellon has led workshops at Hudson Valley for several years in a row.

Who: An associate professor of Marketing at Misericordia University in Dallas, Pennsylvania, Dr. Mellon also teaches etiquette for educational institutions and businesses under the name, Dr. Etiquette. He has written extensively on the subject and speaks at marketing conferences and symposiums within the tourism and hospitality industry. 

Where/When: Workshops for Hudson Valley students will be held on Monday, Feb. 8 from 3 - 4 p.m. in the Siek Campus Center, room 150 and again on Tuesday, Feb. 9 from noon - 1 p.m. in the Siek Campus Center, room 204. A presentation open to the public will be held on Monday, Feb. 8 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. in the Bulmer Telecommunications Center, Meeting Rooms 1 and 2.

Details: Topics to be addressed include understanding place settings, table conversation, when to sit or stand at the table, introducing oneself and meeting new people at a function, meal ordering and cell phone use. 

According to Dr. Mellon, knowing the proper ways to react in dining and related situations puts people at ease and makes the experience comfortable, enjoyable and relaxing. Each participant takes away something different, whether it's new information or a new way of understanding something you learned in the past, he adds.

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Founded in 1953, Hudson Valley Community College offers more than 80 associate degree and certificate programs in four schools: Business; Engineering and Industrial Technologies; Health Sciences; and Liberal Arts and Sciences; and an Educational Opportunity Center for academic and career training. One of 30 community colleges in the State University of New York system, it has an enrollment of nearly 12,000 students, and is known as a leader in distance learning initiatives and workforce training. Hudson Valley has more than 75,000 alumni.