SpringfieldNewsSun.com

SPRINGFIELD — Wittenberg University seniors, alumni and corporate sponsors learned Tuesday night that they'll never get a second chance to make a first impression.

Amid aspiring and established professionals at an etiquette dinner sponsored by the university, etiquette expert Cathi Fallon explained that showing up to an event without an RSVP is not acceptable, neither is the wet-fish handshake nor the left-side nametag.

A collaboration of Wittenberg departments, including the career services, alumni relations, student activities, the senior class and corporate sponsors, came together to offer the etiquette dinner for the fifth year at the Springfield Marriott.

Mark DeVilbiss, director of student activities at the university, described the event as, "A way to give seniors a way to practice interview skills over a meal."

Fallon, who is the founder and director of The Etiquette Institute of Columbus, Cincinnati and Dayton, started the evening with a speech about how technology enables this generation to do many things independently but the most important impact is made face-to-face.

DeVilbiss said this is the first year the dinner has been held at the Marriott.

"We wanted to get students out of their comfort zone," he said.

A record 107 students participated along with a few Wittenberg alumni and about 10 corporate sponsors.

The organizers wanted to re-create the interview atmosphere, DeVilbiss said. Students were arranged by majors and seated with an alum or corporate sponsor familiar with their respective field. A bit of a networking opportunity was also available, he said.

Thales Pavlatos, anesthesiologist and a 1976 Wittenberg alum, said he attended the dinner to reconnect with the school. He was seated with a table of pre-med majors and said he'd like to do what he can to help them.

Kristin Sims, an education major, said she appreciated Fallon's emphasis on international customs. "It's really interesting," she said. "Interesting and appropriate."