Reporter's Notebook
Notes and thought from the travels of Virginia Business writers and editors

Virginia Business
April 2006

Are cell phones the new cigarettes? A couple of Richmond-based etiquette experts believe, that, just like smokers, cell phone users need to take it outside when they get a call.

Elizabeth Marth and Lila Putney, owners of the Protocol School of Virginia, say the rules of etiquette are struggling to keep up with the proliferation of cell phones. But, they note, etiquette really is based on simple consideration for other people. Just as you would not blow cigarette smoke into the face of someone standing next to you in line, you shouldn’t conduct a loud, distracting cell phone conversation in public.

Putney and Marth attribute some of the rising friction over cell phone use to a change in our infrastructure in the past 30 years. With the demise of the telephone booth, people don’t know where to go to have a phone conversation away from home or the office.

Maybe thinking of that cell phone like a cigarette, the etiquette experts suggest, will help people become more considerate.

******

The Travel South Showcase held recently at the Greater Richmond Convention Center attracted more than 600 tourism officials from throughout the Southeast. They came to hear presentations from the 12-member states of the Travel South regional area and to sample some Virginia hospitality via tours and other events. Tourism officials didn’t miss the chance to tout their attractions to the travel press. Officials from Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama told travel writers that their states are ready and eager for tourists despite the ravages of Hurricane Katrina.

Alisa Bailey, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corp., used the forum to promote the state’s attractions and talk up the celebration of Jamestown’s 400th anniversary next year. One tidbit she shared: Since opening its indoor water park last March, Great Wolf Lodge near Williamsburg has been recognized as having one of the Top 10 Best Pools in the United States, according to TripAdvisor’s 2005 Traveler’s Choice Award.

******

Students from Virginia’s five historically black colleges and universities hoping to pursue technology careers got this advice at the Ninth Annual 2006 Internship and Job Fair in Richmond: Get some real-world experience. The event sponsored by the Virginia High-Tech Partnership (VHTP) featured a panel of African- American executives from companies such as Northrop Grumman Information Technology, Unisys and Accenture. They noted that internships equip students to compete for high-paying programming, systems integration and Web development jobs after graduation. VHTP helps to place students in high-tech jobs and internships around the state and country.