The Weekly Newsletter of
the English Language Institute
Volume 151, Issue 4
June 13, 2023
The ELI Weekly
Summer Break
Relax! Enjoy!
This coming weekend, Saturday, June 24th , there is no scheduled ELI activity. Next week, June 26th to June 30th, there are no ELI classes since it is Summer Break. If you do not have any plans for Summer Break yet, we have some suggestions for you. It’s probably going to be very, very hot, so we recommend that you try to stay cool.
Try the local restaurants:
- Boca Fiesta (Mexican inspired food)
- Reggae Shack Café (Jamaican food)
- Mark’s Prime (fancy food)
- Satchel’s Pizza (local pizza!)
Visit the local museums:
- Florida Museum of Natural History
- Harn Museum of Art
- Cade Museum
Do something unique to Gainesville:
- Paint the 34th Street Wall
- Ride your bike on the Gainesville Hawthorne Trail
If you want to brave the heat, you can:
- Go tubing at Ginnie Springs
- Visit Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo
- Visit Kanapaha Botanical Gardens
- Visit other places on the UF campus
You can also visit Miami, Atlanta, Savannah, Orlando, Tampa and many other cities within no more than a 5-hour drive. If you’re planning on renting a car, be sure to call all of the companies in town to check on the available rates—also note that most require drivers to be 25 or older.
Reminders:
- Missing any classes on the Friday before Summer Break or the Monday after does count toward total absences.
- Get your I-20s signed if you plan on leaving the country–Canada, Mexico, anything involving the Caribbean, and your home countries all require a signed I-20 and your passport.
The Next Weekend Activity
Our next weekend activity will be our Midterm Picnic, which is also our B-Term Welcome Picnic, on Saturday, July 1st 12-2pm. Come meet new ELI students and familiar faces too! Spend time on Norman Lawn socializing and playing games! Free food!
You will need to sign up for this activity as a C-Term student so that we will know how much food to order:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA9A823A02-midterm4
The Weekday Activities
Monday June 19th – No activity – Juneteenth Holiday
Tuesday June 20th – Volleyball – 6:30 – 9:00pm
Play volleyball and hang out at Lexington Crossing Apartments Phase 2! No experience necessary! Take bus 34 or 35.
Address: 3900 SW 27th St, Gainesville, FL 32608
Wednesday June 21st – Skate Station Funworks – 6:00 – 9:00pm
Come roller skate with the ELI! Skate Station has great music and lights and LOTS of fun to have with all your ELI friends. There are also other activities like go-Karts and more! Bring 5 to 15 dollars for skating, other activities, or food. Meet at Skate Station Funworks. Take bus 23 and then walk 10 minutes. Don’t want to skate? Come watch and socialize!
Address: 1311 NW 76th Blvd, Gainesville, FL 32606
Thursday June 22nd – Soccer- 5:30pm – 8:00pm
Come play Soccer on campus at Maguire Field on campus! No experience necessary! Please come on time so we can secure a good spot on the field.
Address: Bledsoe Dr, Gainesville, FL 32611
Friday June 23rd – Reitz Game Room – 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Hang out with ELI friends and play pool or go bowling! Pool and bowling are at a discounted cost with your Gator ID but board games and socializing are free!
Address: 655 Reitz Union Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611
Poe Springs Activity:
Here’s a great photo from last weekend’s Poe Springs Activity.
Special event Monday July 3rd – Fanfares and Fireworks – 7pm to 10pm
Meet the ELI on Flavet Field to celebrate the 4th of July with this annual Gainesville tradition!! See an amazing firework show at the end of the night and grab food from the food trucks and listen to live music and performances on the field beforehand! Hang out and play games and socialize with ELI friends and LAs! We will try to claim a spot on the field on the side that has the stage but towards the back nearer to the food trucks and parking lot. Meet us there! Call Sophia if you have trouble finding us. No Coffee Talk on Monday.
Other CIP Reminders
Don’t forget to get your CIP Passport hole punched from the activity leaders AT the event (not after). We will no longer hole punch passports after the event. 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 for hole punches!
Conversation Partners
Sign up for a CP here: https://forms.gle/HeU3v2P9xUTqyW15A
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 or stop by the CIP office to see Will during his office hours.
Reminders from the Office
New Students: The Summer B Term will begin soon, and new students are arriving in Gainesville during Summer Break. Come meet the new ELI students at the midterm welcome activity on June 1st and be sure to make them feel welcome when you see them in your classes, at activities, and in the hallways!
July 4th Holiday: Tuesday, July 4th is US Independence Day. On this day, there will be no ELI Classes, and the ELI office and the university are closed. Also, there will be reduced RTS Bus service. You can check the schedules at go-RTS.com.
Student Voices
Just another reminder! At the ELI, we love to read your writing. Do you want to share your writing with the ELI? The ELI Student Voices is a great opportunity!
Every semester, the ELI publishes a collection of student writing. You can send a piece of your writing to be published for everyone to read. You can send paragraphs, essays, stories, recipes, poetry, and even photos. For inspiration, you can find previous editions of The ELI Student Voices on the ELI website.
To submit your writing, please email Thomas Dolce at tomdolce@ufl.edu. Please include your name and class. The last day to submit a piece of writing is July 21st. We can’t wait to read your writing!
Birthdays
The following are ELI birthdays from June 20 to July 3:
Students:
June 24: Maria Canela Perozo
Staff:
June 29: Natalie Claytor
Enjoy your birthdays!
Manners and Culture
Q: Is it safe to drink water from the water fountain?
A: Yes. The US federal government passed the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974. This act makes sure that the water that comes out of the tap, including the faucets in your apartments, is safe to drink. In fact, tap water in the US is so tightly regulated that many studies have shown that in some places it’s cleaner than bottled water.
Grammar
Q: What’s the difference between be used to and get used to?
A: Be used to means that you are already comfortable with that thing. Get used to means that you’re in the process of getting comfortable with it. Here are some examples:
- I’m used to hot weather since I’ve lived in Florida my whole life.
- The students are getting used to the daily rain showers.
Quote of the Week
Good friends, good books, and sleepy conscience; this is the ideal life.
–Mark Twain
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For a PDF copy of the Weekly, go here: SS2305