The ELI Weekly
Hurricane Update
Dear students,
We are writing to let you know about Hurricane Ian. Right now, it is predicted to impact Gainesville starting tomorrow (Wednesday) evening through Friday. This might change, depending on how fast or slow the storm moves.
The University of Florida and the ELI have canceled classes and activities Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for the storm. All UF facilities (restaurants, labs, libraries, etc.) will be closed on those days.
Gainesville is not expected to see hurricane-force winds, but we will see lots of rain and strong wind gusts. If you live in a student apartment, you should be safe, but the electricity might go off. We strongly recommend that you stay indoors and limit travel outside as much as possible during the storm. If you feel your house is unsafe and you want to stay in a shelter, check the GatorSafe app or the UF Website for shelter locations and opening information. We also recommend having an emergency supply kit. We will be coming to your classes today (Tuesday) to be sure you know what to do to be safe.
In case of emergency call 911. You can call the ELI Emergency Cell Phone (352-672-0144) if you don’t know what to do.
The Regional Transit System (RTS) will probably stop or reduce services on Thursday and Friday. RTS buses will not run when winds reach a steady 35 miles per hour. Notification of suspension of service goes out through the GNVrideRTS app, rideRTS.app, Facebook, www.go-rts.com. Service will begin again once winds calm. All bus services are expected to return to normal when weather permits.
For up-to-date information on Hurricane Ian, please check the University of Florida website. You can also download the Gator Safe app to receive alerts about the university’s response. The UF website and the Gator Safe app are the best sources of information about any impact of Hurricane Ian on UF. You can also check for current updates on the storm from the National Hurricane Center.
Finally, please remember to communicate with your families back home to let them know you are OK.
We expect that ELI classes and activities will resume on Monday, October 3rd.
Be safe!
Your ELI Team
Out and About: Cabana Beach Pool Party
by Christian Solorzano, RW 31
Today, I went to the pool party CIP activity and had a good moment with my classmates. I arrived at 7:00 pm to the CIP activity in Cabana Beach.
When I entered the pool area, I saw a friend, and I went say hi to him. I tripped and I laughed at myself. Then I played table soccer for a total of 3 games. I won the first round against one of ELI’s assistant, the second match ended in a draw, and the third match I won again.
Then I went with my friends to play ping pong game, and I lost all the matches. I think ping pong is complicated. Then I went to the pool, and we played basketball in the water.
Today was a great day for me, because I played a lot of games that are very fun for me , I made new friends and I practiced my English. I promise from now I will go to all the activities of my ELI.
CIP Weekday Activities
Weekend Event
Saturday, October 1st–Gator Football Game–11:00am-3:30pm
See the Gators play football! ELI tickets are sold out. To attend this event, you must have purchased a ticket from Tate. If you still want to attend, try to purchase tickets online or call the Gator Ticket Office to buy a ticket. The ELI will be in section 53.
Students with tickets should meet the ELI at the Reitz Union Subway at 11am. Wear orange and blue! We will walk together to the stadium to watch the game that starts at 12pm. Make sure you have your electronic ticket ready on your phone.
NO BAGS, BACKPACKS, OR WATERBOTTLES ALLOWED. You will not be able to enter with any of these items, please do not bring them. Keep your wallet/money/phone in your pockets.
CIP Reminders
CIP Passports: Don’t forget to get your CIP Passport Stickers from the activity leaders AT the event (not after). Redeem your completed passport for a small gift and photo for the ELI Instagram! Remember the CIP Pineapple is hidden in a new place every Monday in the CIP office. Stop by and find it!
Conversation Partners: Want to make a friend and speak English? Sign up for a conversation partner! Wait two weeks to be paired and then meet your new partner for one hour a week to practice conversation and make a friend! If you are a returner and still want a CP, you should still sign up here, even if you had a partner last semester.
Sign up for a CP here!: https://forms.gle/h5NyWTrkpE331zzS7
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.
Notes from the Office
Teacher Workday: Don’t forget that Monday, September 26, there are no ELI classes. The ELI office will be open.
Weather and Gator Safe App: Please monitor the weather and the Gator Safe App for any important messages about the weather conditions from University of Florida. If you do not have Gator Safe, get it from your app store.
Test (TOEFL/IELTS) Preparation Class: Let us know if you are interested in taking a test preparation class! If enough students are interested, we can have a test preparation class in Fall B. Please take the survey to let us know:
https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0JHNXBQKGPr3ftY (opens in new tab) The deadline to complete the survey is Friday, September 30th.
Student Voices: We love to see our students writing! Every semester, we take your writing and publish it in Student Voices. Past submissions have included paragraphs, essays, creative stories, recipes, letters, obituaries, poetry, creative stories, class projects, and other interesting works on a variety of topics. You can submit any of your work that you wish to see published. It can be from any class or something you have written on your own, but ask your teachers for help editing! You can email it to Olga Moody (omoody@ufl.edu) or to your teacher. Please include your name and class on your submission. The deadline for submissions is Friday, November 18th.
Homecoming Holiday: UF homecoming is on Friday, October 7. Homecoming is a special football game with a lot of special activities. There are no classes and the ELI office is closed on Friday, October 7.
Research Corner
https://ufl.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aVOjwCQEMT6TBQO
If you have any questions, please email Montserrat Carrera Seoane at carreraseoane.m@ufl.edu
Photo of the Week
Birthdays!
Students: 9/27–Eun Hye Lee
Staff: 9/26–Amy Kessler
Manners & Culture
Q: I want to try some real Florida food, but when I think of US food, I only think of fast food, like McDonald’s. Can you suggest real Florida food?
A: When you start looking for Florida food, start with the seafood. Clams, stone crab, shrimp, oysters, scallops, grouper, mullet, and snapper are some of the seafood coming from around Florida. One restaurant in Gainesville that has fresh local seafood is Northwest Seafood. Try the fish tacos or fried shrimp. You can also buy fresh raw seafood from Northwest Seafood to cook at home. The town of Cedar Key is well-known for Florida-style seafood. ELI Director Megan Forbes recommends a restaurant called Annie’s, where you can find a delicious fried mullet breakfast or a soft-shelled crab sandwich.
Besides seafood, Florida has a lot of southern US influences on food, also called soul food. Fried chicken with greens, biscuits and gravy, fried okra, grits, and BBQ are some of the tastes of southern food. Chain restaurants like Sonny’s BBQ or Cracker Barrel have been successful in spreading these southern traditions. For a more local BBQ experience, try Mojo Hogtown Bar-B-Que, David’s BBQ, or Adam’s Rib Co. For soul food in Gainesville, try Lucille’s Southern Kitchen. Many of the small towns around Gainesville also will have restaurants that embrace the southern food traditions.
Another specialty of Northern Florida and Southern Georgia is the boiled peanut. Typically, people set up a small stand by the side of the road with a sign that reads, “Boiled P-nuts.” When you go to order, you might get to pick a flavor like salted or hot. You will receive a warm bag full of peanuts boiled in their shells that make a fun snack. I’ve been told that you can see boiled peanut vendors especially on game days to get as you are going to a football game, so look for boiled peanuts on game day! I have also often seen a more permanent stand at the corner of SE 15th Street and SE 8th Avenue.
As you travel southward in Florida, you will begin to see “Floribbean” food, which combines Puerto Rican, Cuban, Jamaican, Haitian, and South American dishes. Some of these food trends have reached Gainesville. Restaurants like the Latin American Bakery and Cafe, Tinker, and La Cocina De Abuela are examples of “Floribbean” food.
You can’t live in Gainesville and not try gator! Many restaurants around Gainesville have alligator on the menu. You can try gator tail at Gator’s Dockside and gator bites at the Swamp Restaurant.
Desserts are a category on their own! If you are looking for Florida desserts, try key lime pie, Dole Whip, banana pudding, and strawberry short cake. Any dessert with fresh Florida strawberries, blueberries, or oranges will also be fantastic!
I would love to hear from LAs, instructors, and staff about favorite Florida foods and where to find them. Let’s convince our students that we don’t just eat McDonald’s!
Notes from the Editor
Thanks to the students in RW31 for being the first guest writers for the Out and About column. I look forward to hearing from other classes soon and faculty/staff about Florida foods! Email Maya Shastri (mshastri@ufl.edu).