Etiquette and Expenditures: Student Senate Welcomes Dr. Adam Rapp and Reviews their Progress During the Fall Semester
Welcoming back students after last week’s break, the Ohio University Student Senate opened its meeting with announcements about ways to give back to the community, both within and outside the university. Director of Community Services and Social Activity Rachel Grant announced that the Student Senate will be hosting a toy and clothing drive, and its proceeds will be going to elementary, middle and high school children in need this holiday season. Donations will go to the non-profit Kids on Campus, which is located on Ohio University’s campus and works with at-risk children.
Director Grant also brought up an event that will be held in collaboration with the Latino Student Union to show their gratitude to Ohio U President, Lori Stewart Gonzalez, for all her efforts toward helping students since she took office. The event will be similar to the Puerto Rican tradition of Parranda, where people carol and celebrate during the holiday season, and it will be held on Monday, Dec. 11.
Following announcements, the Senate welcomed Dr. Adam Rapp, a professor in the marketing department at the College of Business at Ohio U whose research has led him to write 70 peer-reviewed articles and three books. Dr. Rapp also previously served as the associate dean for the College of Business, but he now mainly works with the Schey Sales Center and does research. Throughout his presentation, Rapp emphasized the importance of etiquette in all aspects of life and the fact that there are different types of etiquette for different situations, including many that people may not consider.
For instance, the word “etiquette” may bring to mind images of painstakingly laid dinner tables or rules such as no elbows on the table during meals. While this is certainly one case where etiquette may come into play, it is not the catch-all for what etiquette is. Rapp defined etiquette, specifically business etiquette as, “The way we conduct ourselves while doing business…Acceptable behavior at the workplace.” Even this definition has multiple parts to it, including telephone etiquette, handshake etiquette, device etiquette, and many more types.
Beyond simply reviewing the different kinds of etiquette in different situations, Dr. Rapp also spoke about the reasons why it can be difficult at times to follow proper etiquette. The two main reasons he identified were a lack of understanding and the fact that people come from different backgrounds, which can influence how they interact with others. What may be deemed acceptable in one case may be unacceptable in another, and it may be difficult to adjust when faced with gray areas where there is no one “right” way to behave.
This disconnect, Rapp noted, occurred frequently with intergenerational interactions. In today’s workplace, there are four generations: Baby Boomers, Gen X’ers, Millennials and the newest entry Generation Z. These generations span decades, so naturally there are vast differences between what each had been taught was proper business etiquette, as well as the conflicts that may result because of this. According to Rapp, the key to bridging the gap between generations in the workplace is communication and understanding, a process that can hopefully make the workplace a more comfortable place for all with time and effort.
With the conclusion of Dr. Rapp’s presentation, the Senate moved on to new business as listed below, which was followed by commission reports. The Women’s Affairs Commission reported that the rollout for their safer sacks would begin soon and include a healthy relationship pamphlet to continue the conversation about safe relationships on campus. They also discussed plans for a diversity in STEM event that will be held alongside the Black Affairs Commission next semester. The Environmental Affairs Commission stated that their recent collaboration with Community Food Initiative and Cats’ Cupboard was a success and that they hoped to host a similar event next semester.
During her report, President Megan Handle discussed plans for period product dispensers that would begin installation shortly, with the first 20 buildings hopefully being completed before students return from winter break. Treasurer Reagan Farmer then reviewed the budget report and stated that in total, the Senate had spent $8,256.24 and $1,949.89 of their discretionary spending this semester.
The meeting adjourned with Graduate Assistant for Student Senate Luvina Cooley reminding the Senate of a mandatory executive session where a no-confidence vote for executives will be taken. The vote will reflect the body of the Senate’s opinions on the executive officers’ ability. The vote will be held on Friday, Dec. 8, 2023, and will be followed by a performance evaluation for the executive officers.
In other business:
Claire Devine was appointed Women’s Affairs Vice Commissioner for Programming.
Kiandra Martin was appointed Black Affairs Senator.
James Mobley was appointed Environmental Affairs Vice Commissioner for Programming.
Rana White was appointed Black Affairs Senator.
Aidan Kirk was appointed Residence Life Senator.
The Senate passed a resolution to purchase an Amazon gift card as part of a gift card survey incentive for a total of $25.00.
The Senate passed a resolution to purchase Ohio Student Government Summit Registration to allow interested students to attend without having to pay the registration fee for a total of $585.00.
The Senate passed a resolution to purchase supplies to make 40 environmental goodie bags to distribute to Ohio U students to encourage sustainable practices for a total of $1,955.80.
The Senate passed a resolution to purchase supplies for Winterfest events for a total of $125.12.
The Senate passed a resolution to purchase office supplies for a total of $14.24.
The Senate passed a resolution to purchase healthy relationship brochures as part of the Women’s Affairs Commission’s goal to encourage conversations about safety on campus for a total of $487.68.
