The ELI Weekly
Volume 161, Issue 4 – September 21, 2026
Out and About: Lake Wauburg
One of my favorite things about Gainesville is how much nature is right here in and around the city. There are parks, trails, springs, and lakes to explore, and you don’t have to travel far to find them. One of those places is Lake Wauburg, located about eight miles south of UF campus. The lake has been part of the University of Florida for more than 100 years, and today it is a great place to spend an afternoon with friends.
Lake Wauburg’s North Shore has a sandy beach and plenty of opportunities to enjoy the water, including swimming, kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboarding. Anyone in the UF community can visit to have a picnic, relax by the lake, or simply enjoy a break from studying and being on campus.
The lake has an interesting connection to UF history, too. In 1918, the University YMCA purchased 20 acres on Lake Wauburg to create a recreation center for students. Getting there was not quite as easy as it is today! In the early 20th century, there was not a paved road across Paynes Prairie, so University of Florida students would spend half a day walking just to go swimming there. Eventually, a road was built, and in 1938 the property became part of the University of Florida. According to the Gainesville Sun, by 1951, as many as 500 daily visitors went Lake Wauburg each day.
More than a century later, UF students are still heading to Lake Wauburg to swim, paddle, relax, and spend time with friends. So, if you have a free afternoon and want to see a different side of Gainesville, grab a friend, pack a picnic, and head to the lake. Better yet, join the ELI there this weekend for our CIP activity!
CIP Weekend Activity
Saturday September 26th – Lake Wauburg – 11:00am-3:00pm
Visit beautiful Lake Wauburg, North Shore this weekend. Play sports, swim and jump off the dock, socialize, and enjoy Florida nature with friends. Meet at Norman Parking Garage to drive there together.
What to Bring:
- Chair or blanket to sit on
- Bathing suit and a change of clothes (if you plan to swim)
- Sunscreen
- Towel
- Packed lunch and snacks
- Sports balls/games
- Water
- GatorONE ID
Entrance to the park is free with your GatorONE ID. Boating has a small fee.
You must sign up to attend this activity, even if you plan on driving yourself. We need to make sure we know who is going. Friends and family are welcome to join this event. Sign up here!
Please note, no smoking or vaping is allowed anywhere at this location, even if you are outside. There is no alcohol allowed at ELI events.
CIP Photo of the Week: St. Augustine
CIP Weekday Activities
| Monday, September 21st – Coffee Talk at Maude’s Cafe – 3:30-6:00pm | *Note that we will start early this week Socialize with LAs and ELI friends at Maude’s Cafe! This downtown coffeehouse has a cool, arty vibe with light bites, board games, and a spacious patio. Take bus 1 or 10 from Matherly Hall to get there. You can walk, but it will take about 30 minutes. If you drive, pay attention to the paid parking signs. The location for Coffee Talk will change each week. Address: 101 SE 2nd Pl, Gainesville, FL 32601 (in the Sun Center East) |
| Tuesday, September 22nd – 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, September 23rd – Karaoke at Depot Park – 6:30-9:00pm | 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 |
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 for the Fall semester if you did not request a Fall partner in your end of term evaluation from last semester.
Please email Aurora at conversationpartners@eli.ufl.edu for any issues, questions or concerns or visit her 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!
Find the Pineapple! The CIP Pineapple will be hidden in the ELI Main Office this semester! It will be in a new place every Tuesday morning. Stop by and find it for hole punches. The first person to find the pineapple each week will be featured on the CIP board!
Notes from the Office
Instructor Workday: Monday, September 28th is an ELI Instructor Workday. There are no ELI classes. The ELI main office will be open from 9:00am-3:00pm.
People Out: Christine will be out of the office September 28th
ELI Student Voices: There will not be a new edition of Student Voices this semester. Some of you might be excited to publish your writing, so we welcome you to submit a short article for the ELI Weekly. You can write about your experience in the US, tell about going to an ELI activity, or explain something about your country or culture. All student writers who are published in the Weekly this semester will be recognized at the Commencement Ceremony in December.
Birthdays!
Students
None this week
Faculty/Staff
None this week
Manners & Culture
Q: I’m homesick and sad. What can I do to feel better?
A: Don’t worry! This is natural when you move to another country. The best thing you can do is to keep active: participate in class, go to the CIP activities, and chat with friends. You can also talk to someone about how you feel. New students are going through the same thing and probably need your support, too. Returning students went through the same thing in their first semester and will have good advice for you.
Your teachers and Language Assistants are also there for you. The person who talks most, adjusts the best. Make local connections, with your own culture and the host culture. Did you know that UF has many student organizations including international student organizations?
If you need any help joining a student organization, come see Christine in the ELI office! She can also help you find a professional counselor to talk to if you are feeling more serious homesickness or depression.
Grammar
Q: Why do you need so many words to ask a question? Why do you have to say, Did you eat? Why can’t you just say, You ate?
A: You’re right—often English grammar requires us to put in extra words to ask a question. These words are called auxiliary verbs. These words help the listener know that we are looking for information or a yes/no response. Sometimes you can ask a question without these words, for example Who ate all the cookies? We don’t need the auxiliary verb in this case because we are asking about the subject.
One thing we do to make the question sound shorter is blend the sounds of “Did” and “you.” We say something that sounds like Didju eat? or even Dja eat?
Note from the Editor: Calling all student authors!
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. Come by my office if you’d like to chat about topics or get help writing.
Send your paragraphs and/or questions to Christine Voigt (christinevoigt@ufl.edu) Use the subject heading: ELI Weekly.