The ELI Weekly
The Weekly Newsletter of
the English Language Institute
Volume 145, Issue 1
May 19. 2021
Butterfly Rainforest at the Florida Museum
Join us on Saturday!
May 22nd – Museum of Natural History and Butterfly Garden– 1:00 to 3:00pm.
Learn about Florida’s natural history! See cool animals and visit the garden filled with a lot of butterflies! Free with your UFID. Take bus 20/21 and meet LAs and students outside the front of the museum.
You must sign up on the weekly activity signup to attend this activity.
You must wear a mask at this event and be campus cleared to attend.
Notes from the Office
Student Addresses: It is important that the ELI has each student’s address. If you have an F or J visa, you should report a change of address within 10 days of any change. You can update your address in myELI using the ‘Basic Information’ tab in your ‘My Profile’ page. If you are outside of the United States, please provide the address in your home country. All students should update their address in myELI by Friday, May 28th.
If you need help updating your address in myELI, please contact Daryl at studyenglish@eli.ufl.edu.
Withdrawing from the ELI or one course: Students who withdraw from a course or from the ELI after the drop/add deadline (5/19) will not be able to receive a refund or credit for their courses. Their transcript will have a grade of W (withdraw).
Deadlines: The deadline to drop or add a class, pay tuition, submit proof of insurance and immunizations, and turn in financial guarantees, is Wednesday, May 19th. If you miss any of these deadlines, you could be removed from classes or charged a late fee! If you have questions about paying tuition or submitting a financial guarantee, email Jennifer Vann at jvann@eli.ufl.edu. If you have questions about insurance or immunizations, email Victoria Dolce at vcshelly@ufl.edu.
COVID-19 Update: If you want to get the vaccine on campus, please make an appointment through ONE.uf and notify Victoria at vcshelly@ufl.edu. The vaccine is free. Once you get the vaccine and notify Victoria, you are not required to do the screening every week and testing every two weeks.
If you have not been vaccinated, this week you must complete the online screening questionnaire by 3pm on Monday, May 17 with this link: https://uf.tfaforms.net/440
You are not required to do a saliva test this week. If you do not forward the test appointment confirmation email by 3pm on Monday, you cannot attend classes. Please email Victoria with any questions at vcshelly@ufl.edu!
Afternoon Activities
Join us for the following weeknight activities:
Monday May 17th – No Activity, stay tuned for Reitz Hangout NEXT week
Tuesday May 18th – No Activity, stay tuned for Soccer NEXT week
Wednesday May 19th – Movie Night (Zoom) – 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Come vote on a movie and watch it with LAs and ELI friends as we chat in the chatbox! Stick around for a fun discussion afterward! Movie choices this week are Moana, Crazy Stupid Love, and State of Play.
https://ufl.zoom.us/j/92246818257?pwd=Qk1EUlNjOEZmczZxUE51RTZETk5UUT09
Meeting ID: 922 4681 8257
Passcode: movienight
Thursday May 20th – Rotating Thursdays: Depot Park – 6 – 8:00 pm
Hang out at one of Gainesville’s coolest parks! Check out the trails and meet new ELI friends and LAs! Take bus 36, 5, or 1. Meet outside the tables in front of the restaurant area.
You must sign up on the weekly activity signup to attend this activity.
You must wear a mask at this event and be campus cleared to attend.
Sign up here for all in-person activities this week: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA9A823A02-activity347
Be sure to check myELI, your email, and LA Chat for updates and changes to activities!
Birthdays
The following are ELI Birthdays for the week of May 19 to May 25:
None this week.
Conversation Partners
Want to meet with an English speaker every week to practice English and make a friend? Sign up for a conversation partner! You can sign up by filling out this form: https://forms.gle/suiDzLXrcb9msMcE8
Remember, if you sign up, you must meet your partner at least once a week and respond to their messages. Email conversationpartners@eli.ufl.edu if you have any questions or problems.
Countries Represented
The following are the countries of our students this semester:
| Bolivia
Brazil Chile China Colombia Ecuador Haiti India Japan Jordan |
Kuwait
Mali Mexico Saudi Arabia Spain Switzerland USA Venezuela Viet Nam |
Manners and Culture
Q: I go to restaurants a lot and I don’t understand when I should tip. What restaurants should I tip at?
At restaurants where you have full service from a waiter like The Top or The Cheesecake Factory, you should leave between 15% to 20% of the total bill. If your bill was $25 and you leave $2, this is not enough!
Some full-service restaurants nowadays automatically include an 18% gratuity in the bill for large groups. If you’re splitting the bill and the restaurant didn’t add the gratuity, make sure you calculate it and add it.
At restaurants that have partial service like Tijuana Flats or Bento, where you order at a register and they bring the food to your table, it’s nice to leave a small amount. Here $2 is ok, usually on your credit card receipt.
Restaurants that are complete self-service like Chipotle or Five Guys where you order at the counter or the drive-through and then pick it up at the cashier, it’s not necessary to leave a tip. However, if they were extra friendly or helpful, it’s always nice to leave a couple of dollars for the tip.
Tipping in restaurants is particularly important here in the US; servers in restaurants in Florida have a minimum wage of only $5.63 an hour, which is much less than the Florida minimum wage of $8.65. Also, please remember that restaurant workers have been particularly hard-hit during the Pandemic; an extra tip will be greatly appreciated.
Grammar
Q: When can I use on when talking about transportation?
A: On is used for mass transportation that requires a ticket. Also use on for bicycle, horse, and motorcycle. For personal modes of transportation like cars, vans, and trucks, use in.
- I got on the bus.
- I got on my horse.
- I got in my car.
Quote of the Week
The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.
–Mark Twain
PO Box 117051
223 Matherly Hall
Gainesville, FL 32611-7051, USA
Phone: (352) 392-2070
Fax: (352) 392-3744
StudyEnglish@eli.ufl.edu
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