The ELI Weekly
Summer Weather in Gainesville
You may have noticed that our days are becoming increasingly hot and humid! Summer weather in Gainesville usually starts in mid-May and lasts through September. Because of the combination of high temperatures and high humidity, thunderstorms are very common in the summer months, particularly in the late afternoon. These storms can be intense but are typically brief and provide a bit of relief from the hot, humid weather.
Mornings are generally cooler, with lower humidity levels. If you need to be outside, plan your activities for the early morning or later in the evening, once the sun has gone down.
Here is some advice for dealing with summer in Gainesville:
- Stay hydrated: Carry water to combat the heat and humidity.
- Use sun protection: Apply sunscreen and wear protective clothing to shield against UV rays.
- Plan on rain: Keep an umbrella or raincoat handy for sudden afternoon showers.
- Monitor weather forecasts: Stay informed about potential thunderstorms or tropical storm developments.
- Grab a sweater/sweatshirt: Be prepared to walk into cool air-conditioned classrooms restaurants, grocery stores, and other indoor areas. Some people find the AC too cold!
But the most important advice is stay safe during summer storms! Florida is nicknamed the “lightning capital of the country” and it’s not hard to see why! If it looks like it’s going to storm, you should go inside as soon as possible. A car is also a safe place. DO NOT stand under a tree or near anything that might be the tallest thing in the area and don’t use a metal-tipped umbrella.
Occasionally, there are tornado watches or tornado warnings. A warning is more serious. If there is a tornado warning, you should go inside. DO NOT ride your bike, wait for the bus, or even drive a car.
Another thing that you should prepare for is hurricanes. You can go to http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/ to keep informed of hurricane activity, and they also have some excellent preparation and planning tips. Also, of course, if there is any hurricane threatening Gainesville, we here at the ELI will keep you informed and make sure you know what to do and where to go.
Finally, you should download the Gatorsafe App on your phone so you can get notifications about storms or other dangerous weather near campus.
Photo of the Week: Depot Park
Weekend Event: Horse Show!
Saturday, June 6th – Horse Show at the World Equestrian Center – 4:30pm to 9:00pm
Join ELI this Saturday as we visit the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, the horse capital of the world! Explore the grounds, shops, and cafes of this amazing facility, then watch the Grand Prix horse competition! Entry is free, but bring money to buy dinner there. Meet at Norman Parking Garage.
You must sign up to attend this event: Sign up here!
CIP Weekday Activities
| Monday, June 1st – Coffee Talk at Kilwins – 6:30-9:00pm |
| Socialize with LAs and ELI friends at Kilwin’s at Celebration Pointe! Play games, speak English, and try Kilwin’s amazing ice cream or get dinner in Celebration Pointe! Take bus 33 or 75. Address: 4949 Celebration Pointe Ave ste 60, Gainesville, FL 32607 *The location will change each week. |
| Tuesday, June 2nd – 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. Take bus 35. Address: 3700 SW 27th St, Gainesville, FL 32608 |
| Wednesday, June 3rd |
| Thursday, June 4th – 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. Address: 655 Reitz Union Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611 |
Notes from the Office
- Class Attendance: Your attendance is important. Your teachers are taking note of both your absences and your tardies in every class every day.
- Beware of scams: Be careful of scam emails, text messages, and phone calls from people asking for bank account information, gift cards, credit card information, etc, even if they say they are from the police, ICE, or IRS. These messages often claim they need immediate payment or there will be some terrible result for you. These are scams meant to scare you into giving them money. If you ever get a text or call and you aren’t sure if it is a scam, come talk to Christine for help.
- Keep your I-94 with you: 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-94at https://i94.cbp.dhs.gov/home. Contact Daryl if you cannot access your I-94. Also, 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.
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!
Birthdays!
| Students | Staff | ||
| None this week! | None this week! |
Grammar
Q: What’s the difference between ‘figure out’ and ‘find out’—are they the same?
A: They are similar in meeting but not exactly the same!
Find out means to learn something new using an outside source of information—like somebody told you or you read/saw it somewhere.
Examples:
- “I found out that the meeting was canceled.”
- “She found out about the surprise party from a friend.”
Figure out is usually used when we solve a problem or situation using logic, reasoning, or analysis.
Examples:
“I finally figured out why my computer was running slow.”
“He figured out how to fix the leaky faucet.”
Joke of the Week
Q: What do you call an alligator who’s good at giving directions?
A: a navi-gator!
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.