On a recent outing with The State Hornet staff, I realized that some individuals, even at the college level, lack social manners. I do not mean that the people I was out with on that fine Friday evening were ravenous monsters, but there were some mannerisms that could use some fine-tuning. As I looked to the right and left of me, there were elbows on the tables and napkins sitting at individual place settings.

I must admit that in the company of friends I often slip up and allow my elbows on the table, but this is a big no-no. Proper posture at the dinner table is very important. Sit up straight with your arms held near your body. You should neither lean on the back of the chair or bend forward to place your elbows on the table.

In addition, we all know that real ladies and gentlemen place their napkins on their laps during meal times. If you are excusing yourself from the table to use the restroom or to powder your nose, you place your napkin on your chair. When you finish your meal and leave the table, place your napkin next to your plate. Do not crumple or twist it, since this would reveal untidiness or nervousness on your part.

Britt Randall, a Sacramento State alumna, finds it annoying when people she is dining with do not ask for items to be passed, but instead reach over others. On the subject of passing, do we all know the rule about passing the pepper and the salt? If someone asks you to pass the salt, the answer to this very simple-sounding request is to pick up both the salt and the pepper and pass them together. Think of the pepper and salt as dating partners that do not like to be separated.

What surprises many people, with the numerous silverware options at place settings, is that some foods are meant to be handled with your hands. Bread, for instance, must always be broken. Never cut your bread with a knife. The rules that go along with eating bread at the dinner table are as follows: Tear off a piece that is no bigger than two bites worth and eat that before tearing off another. If butter is provided, butter the small piece just before eating it. There is an exception to this rule: If you are served a hot roll, it is permissible to tear (not cut) the whole roll lengthwise down the middle and place butter inside to melt.

I would hope that many college students know proper manners and etiquette; they just elect to not use them. If Emily Post, The First Lady of Manners and “Miss Manners” Judith Martin have been able to publish book after book on proper etiquette, then there still must be some manner mysteries to be solved. Jessica Wendt, a junior at Sac State, believes that men only use their manners when they are on first dates or around their mothers. I have found that once you have passed the dating stage with a guy, all manners go out the window. I will admit that some men are not up to par on their etiquette, but neither are some women. I know quite a few women who can, believe it or not, burp louder than some men I know.

Kiki, a senior who requested that her last name be withheld, takes pride in the fact that she can burp louder than many of the men she has dated. Just for the record, I do not burp in public, only in the company of friends.

Contact Crystal Clark at [email protected], but be polite.