The ELI Weekly
Out and About: Krishna Lunch
by Soehee (Jenny) Han, Dahyoung (Sandy) Kim, and Sultana Khirun Naher, RW50
Have you ever tried or even seen Krishna lunch at the Plaza of the Americas? It was on a sunny Wednesday, February 6th when I was taking a walk and first spotted sun shades followed by a huge line. Turned out, it was the first “free lunch give-out day” of the semester. The reviews I leave for the first Krishna lunch I had was that it was very fresh, light, delicious, and a bit new to my taste.
Curiosity about the new idea, Krishna, made me eager to learn about it and found out that Krishna lunch originated from Hinduism. Also, in 1971, Srila Prabhupada visited Gainesville and inspired his students to distribute prasadam (karma free food) at the UF. This was the start of Krishna lunch. The menus base on vegetarian food such as tofu, beans and vegetables and it is different every day. The most astonishing and surprising food was Halava, which turned out to be made with sesame.
There are some tips to give about the Krishna lunch served in UF. First tip is that sometimes when they are sponsored, we can get free lunch, so you should keep your eyes on their Instagram (@krishnalunch) for posts. Another tip is that paying with cash lets you buy with a discounted price. Lastly, don’t forget to bring your container because you can get another meal, which will become your dinner.
Like I mentioned, the menu differs every day, but Wednesday is the most popular for students! There is a reason to this. According to my friend’s experience, Wednesday food is the pick of the bunch. The menu for Wednesday coming up this week is vegan mac and cheese, barbecue tofu, chips, pumpkin spice halava, salad with Krishna dressing, and tea. I would totally recommend you to try it on anytime, but especially Wednesday if it’s your first time!
CIP Weekday Activities
Weekend Event
Saturday, March 1st – Midterm Welcome Picnic – 12:00pm to 2:45pm
Welcome new B-term students and make new friends! Grab some free food and spend a nice day outside with your classmates, LAs and ELI instructors! Meet in front of Norman Hall.
You must sign up to attend this event. Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA9A823A02-55221951-midterm
Other CIP Reminders
Conversation Partners (CPs)
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 here!
Please email Joey at conversationpartners@eli.ufl.edu for any issues, questions or concerns or visit her in the CIP Office during office hours.
CIP Passports
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
Find the Pineapple
Remember the CIP Pineapple is hidden in a new place every Monday in the CIP office. Stop by and find it for hole punches!
Notes from the Office
People out: Daryl is out of the office on Friday, February 28. Please plan around this day if you need to talk to Daryl.
New Students: B Term is about to begin, and you will see new students coming to the main office, in the hallways, in your classes, and at activities. Please welcome and help new students as they begin to settle at UF and in Gainesville.
Course Evaluations: Soon we will be doing midterm course evaluations. This is your opportunity to provide feedback for your classes. Please go to this link https://bit.ly/4048gmH to review the evaluations so that you know how to fill them out when they are distributed in class. Your teachers and Language Assistants will use this information to plan the class for the rest of the semester.
US Federal Tax Forms for International Students
International students that were present in the U.S. in 2024 have a responsibility to file tax forms with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Tax forms are due on April 15th this year. They are filed for the previous calendar year, which in this case is 2024.
You must provide required tax forms even if you did not earn any money in the U.S. in 2024. All F and J visa students (including dependents) must submit IRS form 8843. You can get the form 8843 from the ELI main office. Instructions for completing the form are also in the main office.
You cannot submit this document electronically. You must physically mail it to this address by April 15th:
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service Center
Austin, TX 73301-0215
Come talk to us if you have questions about how to mail the form. You can get an envelope from the ELI main office.
If you had on-campus employment in 2024 as an international student, you will receive a form from your employer reporting your income and tax withholdings called a W-2. Because you earned reportable income, you must submit a federal tax return to file your W-2. Talk to Daryl if you had on-campus employment last year and have questions about filling your taxes.
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 28.
Photo of the Week: UF Basketball Game
Birthdays!
Manners & Culture
Q: Sometimes when I say, “thank you,” Americans say, “uh huh.” Isn’t this rude?
A: This response is not meant to be rude. Americans use this when the favor seems so small (or part of their job) that it was not necessary to thank them in the first place. Imagine that “uh huh” has the same meaning as “no problem.”
Example 1: In the grocery store, the cashier gives you change:
- You: Thank you.
- Cashier: Uh huh! (No problem. This is part of my job. There is no need to thank me.)
Example 2: You drop your book and your friend picks it up.
- You: Thank you.
- Your friend: Uh huh! (No problem. This was a small favor. There is no need to thank me.)
Of course, it is still correct to say ‘you are welcome’ in both examples!
Here is video that helps explain the American ‘uh huh.’
Grammar
Q: What is the difference between ‘me either’ and ‘me neither’?
Both phrases are used to agree to a negative statement and have the same meaning as ‘neither + (verb) + I’ (neither have I, neither do I, neither am I). Both are more informal than ‘neither + (verb) + I’. Here is an example:
If your friend says:
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You could say:
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How would you agree with these negative statements?
- I don’t like Valentine’s Day.
- I am not happy with the weather today.
Joke of the Week
Q: Why couldn’t the little boy go see the pirate movie?
Because it was rated “Arrrgh!”
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.