The ELI Weekly
Out and About: Salsa
by Rolande Yahano Pagoui, RW 50 and Jake Lasi, RW40
The Gator Salsa last Thursday was so fun! There were a lot of people, including many ELI students. In fact, there were three classes, and two of them were mostly composed of ELI students.
The classes were organized in a circle, and each teacher was inside the circle with a partner to show the example of the dance moves. After practicing each step, the student dancers changed partners in the circle by rotating in the circle to the next person. Then you did the steps with the new partner. This was so fun!
We learned 2 types of dances: Salsa and Bachata. They were both enjoyable! Not only was the dancing good exercise, but it made you feel peaceful inside.
CIP Weekday Activities
Saturday, March 9th – NO WEEKEND EVENT– Spring Break Starts!
Spring Break: March 11-15
There are no ELI classes March 11-15 for Spring Break. This is a great time to rest, travel, and prepare yourself for the rest of the semester.
Saturday, March 16th – Midterm Welcome Picnic – 12:00 – 2:00pm
Join us in welcoming our Spring B students as you come back from Spring break! Play games and socialize with old and new friends. Lunch provided! Meet outside Norman Hall. Make sure to sign up so there is enough food for everyone.
Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA9A823A02-48284809-midterm
Other CIP Reminders
Sign Up for the Talent Show
The ELI will be having a talent show on April 5th in the beautiful University Auditorium! Anyone is welcome to perform!! Please sign up if you have a talent to share, or even something simple to share. Some ideas are: singing, playing an instrument, showcasing your art, doing a dance, reading poetry, doing a skit – anything you like! You do not need to be amazing to perform, there is no winner! This is a great way to connect with ELI friends and share your interests in a supportive environment. Signing up for the Talent Show involves coming to a few practices.
Sign up to perform here (and share with your friends!): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA9A823A02-47954719-elitalent
Rehearsal March 6th from 5:15pm to 6:30pm in the Language Studio. All performers must attend this rehearsal. Please remember to submit a bio about your act to Tate by March 11th.
Conversation Partners
Want to meet with a fluent English speaker and make a new friend? Sign up for a CP! If you choose to sign up, you must meet with your partner for one hour a week. It can take up to two weeks to get a partner from when you sign up. Please sign up at this link: https://forms.gle/Vs8dgX3R8qGvT1Ed7
Please email Will at conversationpartners@eli.ufl.edu for any issues, questions or concerns or visit him in the CIP Office during office hours.
CIP Passport
Don’t forget to get your CIP Passport hole punched from the activity leaders AT the event (not after). We don’t hole punch passports after the event. Redeem your completed passport for a small gift a photo for the ELI Instagram, and your name published in the ELI weekly!
Need a new CIP Passport? Stop by the CIP Office?
Remember the CIP Pineapple is hidden in a new place every Monday in the CIP office. Stop by and find it for hole punches!
Completed CIP Passports
Congrats to students who completed their CIP Passports! Thank you for being so involved with the CIP!
- Mohammed Alharbi
- Rolande Pagoui
- Yureidy Chinchilla Romero
Notes from the Office
People Out: Daryl is out of the office on March 8, and Christine and Daryl are both out March 21-23. Please plan around those dates if you need to speak to Daryl or Christine.
Homework and CIP Activities: There are two great ways to improve English after classes: homework and CIP activities. When you make your evening plans, please remember that homework is a requirement, and you must do it. We hope you will use your time management skills so that you can do both. Also remember that there are times during the day, like the free grammar hour, when you could complete homework and leave the evening free.
Time Change: Daylight Savings Time begins at 2:00am on March 10th, so remember to “spring forward” by changing the time on the clocks in your house. Your cellphone should update automatically, but most electric and battery-powered clocks will not. You can check www.time.gov to make sure your time is correct.
New Students: B Term is about to begin, and you will see new students coming to the main office, in the hallways, and at activities. Please welcome and help new students as they begin to settle at UF and in Gainesville.
Student Voices: Every semester, we have amazing student writers, so we take your writing and publish it in an online collection called Student Voices. In past semesters, students have written paragraphs, essays, creative stories, recipes, letters, obituaries, poetry, and more. You can see past editions of Student Voices (https://eli.ufl.edu/news-publications/, scroll to the bottom of the page) for inspiration.
We encourage you to submit anything 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, March 29.
Taxes: International students that were in the U.S. in 2023 need to file tax forms with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Tax forms are due on April 15th this year. As a UF ELI student you can use a free international student tax filing program called Sprintax. Talk to Daryl (studyenglish@eli.ufl.edu) if you need more information.
Photo of the Week
Birthdays!
Manners & Culture
Q: Why are potatoes so popular in the US? People eat many kinds, including mashed potatoes, French fries, and potato chips.
A: Potatoes originated in South America and have been in the US since 1691. It is undoubtedly one of America’s favorite vegetables! And what is not to like? It is filling and nutritious- a medium potato provides 110 calories, 26 grams of carbs, and plenty of vitamin C. It is also versatile- it is delicious baked, boiled, or fried. It can replace bread or rice or be used more as a vegetable. If you don’t like mashed potatoes, French fries, or potato chips, try potato salad, loaded baked potatoes, or tater tot hot dish!
Grammar
Q: When can I use “many of the people,” and when can I use “many people”? I don’t know why it’s ok sometimes and not other times.
A: Good question! This exact topic just came up in my reading/writing class. Let’s look at these examples:
- Many of the people in my class went to the Gator Salsa activity. (There is a specific number of people in the class, so we can talk about the part of the total number)
- Many people like dancing. (We are talking about people in general, and not as part of the total)
Can you see the same rule in these examples?
- Most young people like computer games.
- Most of the young people in the library like reading books.
Notes from the Editor
I still need your help with the ELI Weekly. Send me a paragraph about fun activities you have tried in Florida or send me a story about an interesting place in your country. Send me grammar questions, culture questions, or even jokes. Send them to mshastri@ufl.edu. Use the subject heading ELI Weekly.