Volume 159, Issue 8- March 9, 2026
Curling Up with a Good Book
Many of you are finalizing your Spring Break plans. Some students are heading to Orlando, some to Miami, and others up north to New York City. But if you have decided on a stay-cation next week, I recommend using the downtime to curl up with a good book.
When is the last time you read a book just for pleasure? No comprehension questions to answer, no vocabulary to define, no summaries to write—just you and the words on the page to keep you company.
Reading for pleasure has benefits beyond enjoyment and relaxation. Reading for pleasure improves cognitive function, reduces stress, and helps us develop empathy by allowing us to escape into different worlds and character’s perspectives. Reading also strengthens our brain connectivity, expands our vocabulary, and sparks intellectual curiosity. Some studies suggest that 12 hours of reading per week is the optimal amount of time for reaping these benefits.
What’s your favorite book? You’ll see some of the ELI staff’s favorites below:
The ELI has a large collection of both fiction and nonfiction books that have been adapted for English language learners. Ask your RW teacher if you’d like to look at the collection and borrow one!
What about you—what is your favorite book?
CIP Photo of the Week: Depot Park
CIP Weekday Activities
 Monday, March 9th – Coffee Talk – 6:00-8:30pm |
| Socialize with LAs and ELI friends at Curia on the Drag! Play games, speak English, and get coffee, or get dinner at their cafe! Check out their fun outdoor space as well. Take bus 6. The location will change each week. Address: 2029 NW 6th St, Gainesville, FL 32609 |
 Tuesday, March 11th – Volleyball – 6:30-9:00pm NEW TIME! |
| Play volleyball and hang out at Lexington Crossing Apartments Phase 2 Volleyball Courts with us! No experience necessary! You can also watch, socialize or play other games if you don’t want to play volleyball. Take bus 35. Address: 3700 SW 27th St, Gainesville, FL 32608 |
 Wednesday, March 12th – Depot Park Soccer and Karaoke – 6:30 – 9:00pm |
| Explore Depot Park with ELI friends every Wednesday! Play soccer, check out the restaurants and then end the night with free karaoke at the Boxcar! Meet in the grassy area in front of the Boxcar. Address: 201 SE Depot Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601 |
 Thursday, March 13th– CaribSA Pageant – 5:30 – 8:30pm |
| Our very own LA, Shawn, is directing an amazing show for the Caribbean Student Association! Let’s go support him and see all his hard work at this performance featuring fashion, talent, cultural displays, food and more! The event is free. Meet outside the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom. Try to arrive on time so we can all get seats together. Seats are first come first served. Address: Reitz Union Grand Ballroom, Second Floor |
 Friday, March 14th– Reitz Game Room – 6:30 – 9:00pm Hang out with friends in the Reitz Game Room! You can go bowling, play pool, and play board games! Bring your Gator1 ID for cheaper rates. Some Fridays, the Reitz plans Gator Nights! Check out the fun themed activities they may have this week. Address: 655 Reitz Union Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611 |
| Call Tate or Paola if you have any issues finding the ELI at an activity. Their numbers can be found on the signups. |
Weekend Activity: NO WEEKEND ACTIVITY–Spring Break
Selling 4/4 St. Augustine Trip Tickets
Spend a full day with the ELI exploring St. Augustine on April 4th! We will spend time at the beautiful beach before heading to the historic town of St. Augustine. Tickets for transportation are 25 dollars exact cash on sale now from Tate in the CIP office Monday through Thursday from 9am to 1pm. Get your tickets before spaces sell out.
CIP Recommendations
Get different recommendations from your LAs and CIP friends each week! This week is useful items!
Useful Items
Aurora: Need-oh – Great for stress relief!
Elijah: Shoe Horn – I never have to tie or untie my shoes.
Kemarah: Lint Roller– I love wearing black and it looks great…except for when dust/lint gets in the way! My lint roller gives my outfits that extra shine.
Lexa: Collapsible Fan– Living in Florida means dealing with heat for 13 out of 12 months – I am never too hot with my fan!
Paola: Oura Ring – Smart ring that tracks your sleep, activity, and recovery while blending with your everyday jewelry.
Sam: Portable Brush and Comb Set – As someone with bangs, there is no greater horror than getting hit with rain or wind. My comb set has saved my life on more than one occasion!
Shawn: Portable Projector – Instead of a big or expensive TV, I use a projector that can be easily carried around and is great for watching soccer or a show with friends.
Tate: Dutch Oven – My Dutch oven makes cooking easier, and the taste and texture always turn out better when I use it!
Talk to LAs and the CIP Office to learn more about their favorite helpful items and tell them about yours!
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. Sign up here!
Returning students, you will not automatically be paired again if you had a CP last semester. Please make sure to sign up again here for the Spring semester if you did not request a /spring partner in your end of term evaluation from last semester.
Please email Elijah at conversationpartners@eli.ufl.edu for any issues, questions or concerns or visit him 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.
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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
Spring Break Travel: As a reminder, all people in the US on a visa should always have their I-94 with them. The I-94 is proof that you are a registered alien in the US and shows that you are here on a non-immigrant visa. You can access your I-94 at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/home. Contact Daryl if you cannot access your I-94.
Also, you should also always have access to copies of other important documents, like your I-20, visa, passport, letter from USCIS, or other government issued documents related to your status in the U.S.
Before you travel, you should check your I-20! You should make sure your I-20 is signed and check the expiration date. You can make an appointment with Daryl to sign your I-20 or to renew your I-20 before it expires.
Spring Break Main Office Hours: The main office will be open from 9am – 3pm during spring break. Min will be in the office. Daryl will be in the office from 10am – 2pm Monday through Thursday.
People out: Christine will be out March 15-20. Daryl will be out March 24-27.
Birthdays
| ThiXuan Le | March 9 | Aurora Lai | March 10 |
| Catalina Cruz | March 10 | ||
| Daeun Gu | March 11 | ||
| Marian Coppola | March 14 | ||
| Hector Delgado | March 17 | ||
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Student Questions: Culture
Q: Does Florida have any hot springs?
A: Florida has a lot of natural springs (somewhere between 700 and 1,000), and most are the same temperature all year round (about 72o F/22o C), which feels great on a hot summer day!However, if you’re looking for something a bit warmer, you’re in luck! Warm Mineral Springs in North Port, FL boasts a year-round temperature of 85 o F/29 o C. According to its website, Warm Mineral Springs has the highest mineral contents of any natural springs in the U.S. and is known for its therapeutic properties!
Joke of the Week
Q: Why can’t leopards hide?
A: They’re always spotted!
Student Voices
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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 27th.
From the Editor
An invitation to contribute:Would you like to see your own writing published in the ELI Weekly? Here are some ways to contribute to our newsletter:
- Write a paragraph about your experiences this semester. You could write about an ELI activity, a Gainesville event, a fabulous local restaurant, or tell us about a place or event in your country that we should visit.
- Send me grammar questions for me to put in the Weekly.
- Send me manners and culture questions for me to put in the Weekly.
- Send me jokes to put in the Weekly.
Send your paragraphs and/or questions to Jen Ramos (jenramos@ufl.edu) Use the subject heading: ELI Weekly.