The ELI Weekly
Love Bugs Everywhere!
There is no doubt you have noticed love bugs flying everywhere these days. These black bugs fly tail to tail as they mate, traveling everywhere with their partner. If you are a new student, you might be alarmed that these bugs are a ‘normal’ part of life in Florida. Well, in a way, they are, but only for a few weeks of the year.
Love bugs make their appearance each year in the spring as their mating season begins with the warm, wet weather. Because of their unique mating behavior, love bugs are also called ‘honeymoon bugs’ or ‘kissing bugs.’ Their life cycle is very short, just a few days, and males often die in flight, leaving the female to lay her eggs before she dies.
The swarms of love bugs you see everywhere might be annoying, but they are not dangerous. Love bugs do not bite. The biggest risk they pose is to cars. The residue they leave behind on cars can damage the paint. Drivers are advised to regularly wash their cars during love bug season. Other than that, love bugs are a sign that the spring has arrived in north central Florida and the long, hot summer is right around the corner.
* swarm: a large or dense group of insects, especially flying ones
Notes from the Office
International Educators Conference: Next week, May 24th – May 30th, there is a large conference for International Educators taking place in Orlando. Christine, Daryl, and Megan will all be attending the conference, so you will not see them in the ELI office or teaching classes next week. Be sure to speak to them before this Friday (May 22nd) if you need help. Christine, Daryl, and Megan will be back in the office on Monday, June 1st.
Class Attendance: Your attendance is important. Your teachers are taking note of both your absences and your tardies in every class every day. Please remember that this also includes time spent in the hallway instead of the classroom.
Lost and Found: Have you lost your car keys, student ID card, driver’s license, wallet, or some other important item? Many times, when people find an item, they bring it to the office for safe keeping. When you lose something, please come by the ELI Main Office (MAT223) and see if it is in the lost and found.
Hallways: Many UF faculty and staff have offices in classroom buildings, just like Matherly Hall. Please remember to speak softly in the buildings. Please do not block the hallways or staircases by sitting in them.
Getting Extra Help in the Classroom (Accommodations)
Do you have special learning needs due to a personal medical condition? If you do, it is important that you get in touch with Christine (christinevoigt@ufl.edu) as soon as possible so we know how to help you. Christine will help you talk to the UF Disabilities Resource Center about accommodations for your classes.
Some examples of accommodations are:
- extra time on exams due to a reading disability
- providing PowerPoint Presentations to students who need more reading time
- permission to leave the classroom to take medication
- eating or drinking in class for a specific medical condition
- an audio version of a textbook for students who have limited vision
We want this to be a great learning experience for all our students!
Here are a few safety reminders for staying safe on campus: Gatorsafe: You should download the Gatorsafe App on your phone so you can get UF alerts. Gatorsafe has useful safety information about weather, a quick link to UFPD, and other safety services.
Staying Safe on Campus
- Personal belongings: Do not leave backpacks, computers, phones or other personal belongings in the classrooms or hallways when you are not there. Also, if you use a mobility device like a bike, electric scooter, or skateboard, you should lock it outside at one of the racks. Take the time to register your property with UFPD, especially your mobility devices.
- ELI Emergency Cell Phone and 911: The ELI has a special phone number that you can use if you have a medical or legal emergency outside of normal office hours. The ELI emergency phone number is 352-672-0144 that is available from 4:30pm-8:00am when the ELI office is closed. You should store this number in your phone in case you have an emergency. An example of an emergency is if an ELI student needs to go to the hospital or gets arrested. Please do not use the emergency number for anything that can wait to be answered by email or when the office is open. If you need the police, fire department, or an ambulance for an extreme emergency, call 911 before you call the ELI emergency number.
CIP Friday Event
Friday, May 29th – Ichetucknee Springs Tubing and Swimming – 8:30am to 1:30pm
Explore one of Florida’s most famous forms of nature, the natural springs! Begin the trip by tubing down the Ichetucknee River starting at Dampier’s Landing. Rent a tube for 10 dollars (or bring your own, but it must not have glitter nor be larger than 60 inches). Let the natural lazy river carry you down and then take a short nature walk back up to the cars. After that, we will go to the north entrance of the state park to swim in the clear, blue water of the headsprings! If you are a self-driver, car entry is 6 dollars. Given the logistics of this trip, it may be easier to ride with an LA so we can all stay together. If you are not a good swimmer, you must have a life jacket with you in addition to a tube. You can also rent those. Please let Tate know if you are concerned about swimming. Meet at 8:30am at Norman Parking Garage on campus.
What to bring:
- Sunscreen
- Drinking water
- Towel
- Wear a bathing suit
- Bring snacks or a lunch if you might get hungry (there is a café at the tubing location)
- If you have any waterproof phone case or bag, bring it! There are no lockers at this space to hold your things while you tube.
- Water shoes if you have them
You must sign up to attend this event: Sign up here!
Other CIP Activities
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 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 Summer semester if you did not request a Summer 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 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!
The CIP Pineapple is hidden in a new place every Monday in the CIP office.
Stop by and find it for hole punches!
Photo of the Week: Welcome Picnic
CIP Weekday Activities
| Monday, May 25th—No Activity—Memorial Day |
| Tuesday, May 26th – Volleyball – 6:30-9:00pm 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. The ELI is usually in the volleyball court in the back of the complex next to the basketball court. Make sure to go to phase 2 of the complex! Take bus 35. Address: 3700 SW 27th St, Gainesville, FL 32608 |
| Wednesday, May 27th – Karaoke at Depot Park – 7:00 – 9:30pm Explore Depot Park with ELI friends. Start by checking out the restaurants and walking the trail, and then end the night with free karaoke at the Boxcar! Meet in the grassy area in front of the Boxcar. Take bus 1 or 5. Address: 201 SE Depot Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601 |
| Thursday, May 28th – Coffee Talk at Curia on the Drag – 6:30 to 9:00pm (Moved to Thursday this week because of the Memorial Holiday on Monday) Socialize with LAs and ELI friends at Curia on the Drag! Play games, speak English, and try this fun café’s coffee, outdoor space, and food truck! Take bus 6. |
| Friday, May 29th – Ichetucknee Springs Tubing and Swimming – 8:30am to 1:30pm See details above! |
Birthdays!
| Students | Staff | ||
| None this week! | None this week! |
Manners & Culture
Q: When I go out different places in Gainesville, I feel like I am in a movie. Everything looks just like it does in movies. Why is that?
That sounds fun! American movies reflect what American cities and towns look like. Many movies have been filmed in Gainesville and the surrounding towns. One movie filmed in Gainesville is titled “The Devil’s Advocate,” starring Keanu Reeves. Another famous movie filmed in Micanopy, a small town just south of Gainesville, is “Doc Hollywood,” starring Michael J. Fox. In fact, a film crew was recently in Micanopy once again, filming for the series, “A Land Remembered,” about life in a small town in the 1860s. Here is photo of the recent filming:
Joke of the Week
Q: What becomes wetter the more it dries?
A towel!
Notes from the Editor
| I need all of you, students, LAs, instructors, staff, and administrators, to help me write the Weekly! 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.