Mind your manners

Boston is known more for its crazy Red Sox fans and bad-tempered drivers than its polite citizens.

In etiquette expert Marjabelle Young Stewart's unofficial "top ten list of best-mannered cities in the United States," Boston did not make the cut -- while Charleston, South Carolina was designated the most polite city for the tenth time.

Boston may not have been honored with bragging rights, but how do Tufts students rate on the politeness scale? Pretty well, according to both students and professors.

While Southerners may be known for their manners and their "southern gentleman" persona, assistant mathematics professor Jonathan Bihari disagreed, saying that the majority of Tufts students are respectful -- even more respectful than their counterparts down South.

"I have taught at the University of Virginia (UVA), Duke University, and, of course, Tufts," he said. "I have found the students here to be the most polite and down to earth."

Despite "a few ornery students every now and then," Bihari said, "[I have] never had a bad class here. I had some horrid teaching experiences at UVA and at Duke."

Spanish Lecturer and Boston College alum Tamara Marquez-Raffetto said that in comparison to students at BC, Tufts students are more "well-mannered and considerate. There hasn't been any blatant rudeness. I don't want to put down my alma mater, but I've definitely encountered more rudeness at BC."

Marquez-Raffetto added that Tufts students are "more energetic and prepared, and have much more of a genuine interest in the material" than their BC counterparts.

Students who have transferred to Tufts have the ability to compare the University to their prior colleges.

Alicia Harvie, a sophomore and transfer student from Arizona State found that "in general the politeness is generally about the same," though "people were a little more laid back in Arizona. The east coast has a more intense pace."

However, the typical Tufts classroom-like classrooms nationwide-- is not without its rude disturbances. Universities across the country have seen the increasing frequency of cell phone rings during lectures.

"I think a cell phone has rung at least once in every single class I'm taking this semester within the first couple of days," sophomore Melissa Marver said. "I think it's disrespectful."

President of the Alumni Association Alan MacDougall (LA '65) finds the idea of a cell phone ringing in a classroom "somewhat horrific...I would think that the minimal amount of courtesy would require the owner to turn it off before going into class."

Professors deal with this rising issue in different ways. "Either they ignore it or they joke about it," Marver said.

"There have been a couple of cases where the cell phone has gone off, and I find that distracting," Marquez-Raffestto said. "It's hard to ignore it only because the class turns to face the person. As a result, I don't even have to handle it. The student is usually embarrassed because of the clear faux pas, so it doesn't happen again. In fact, the student often apologizes profusely."

"Each professor has different expectations for student behavior in the classroom. Other professors feel more strongly about the ringing of cell phones in class," Bihari said, noting that it rarely disturbs him.

Unfortunately, cell phone rings are not the only distractions. "The one thing that bothers me most is talking during lecture. I find it incredibly distracting and disrespectful, especially since I feel as though I owe students my best," Bihari added.

Many professors are most bothered when students blatantly read non-class related materials during lecture. "Everybody grabs a Daily before they go into class," Marver said.

Despite these occurrences, Tufts students seem to be more polite than many would expect from a school located in a city known for its rude drivers and aggressive sports fans. "In terms of treating people with respect, students are fairly good about it," Marver said. "Only a portion of the students demonstrate lack of courtesy, and a lot of the time they just don't realize that what they are doing is disrespectful."

Marver also offered examples of politeness on campus. "I notice quite a few people who treat the dining hall ladies with a lot of respect, both at the dining halls and at the campus center," she said. "They seem to know them by name and recognize them, and have conversations".

A Hodgdon worker agreed. "Most of the students are very polite and courteous. You get one or two that are off, but I think that in general they are good kids. A lot of them have a sense of humor and it is nice to see them come in," she said.

Tufts students should take pride as they are, in general, highly regarded. "My experience with Tufts students is that they are well mannered and polite to aging alums like me," MacDougall said. "I would hope that they extend that courtesy to each other."