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English Language Institute

Volume 144, Issue 9-March 22

TheELI Weekly

Scholarship Nominees

Please join me in congratulating the nominees for the ELI Scholarships to study in the Summer 2021 semester:

Abdullah Alammari

Pamela Alba

Maria Maza Rivero

Yuki Yanagita

It is very difficult to be nominated for a scholarship. This means the nominees all worked extra hard this semester and achieved the following criteria:

  • Full-time C semester student
  • Academic Excellence: 4.0 GPA and high level of proficiency in at least three of the four skill areas
  • Outstanding Progress: outstanding progress in language skills
  • Excellent Attendance: no more than ten hours absences
  • Speak English: make every effort to speak English at all times
  • Successful Work Strategies: demonstrate personal initiative in and out of the classroom

Congratulations nominees! Good luck to all of you!

Notes from the Office

COVID-19 Requirements: Face to face students, remember to do the weekly COVID-19 screening by 3pm on Monday, March 22 with this link: https://uf.tfaforms.net/440

You are not required to do a saliva test this week.  Your next test must be between March 29 and April 1.

Victoria’s Hours: If you’d like to talk to Victoria Dolce in the ELI office, please note that her hours have changed.  She will be available from 9am-10:20am and 11:45am-3pm Monday-Friday.  Feel free to call her at 352-273-4394 or email at vcshelly@ufl.edu.

 Student Voices: Send your original writing to Olga Moody (omoody@ufl.edu) to publish in Student Voicesso that we can enjoy your thoughts and ideas. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April, 2nd.

UF Federal Tax Forms: Taxes are due on May 17th this year. If you don’t earn money in the U.S., you won’t owe taxes; however, all international students on the F-1 visa who studied in the US in 2020 must send a document to the IRS. F-1 students who maintained F-1 status while outside of the US should file the required form. If you do not file, it may impact future visa applications.

If you are on an F-1 or J visa, did not earn income in the US in 2020, and have been in this country for less than 5 years, you need to fill out Form 8843: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8843.pdf

Fill out the information under Part I and Part III. In 9 and 10, you need to include the information about the academic institution that you attended in 2020. You can find the address and phone number for the ELI at www.eli.ufl.edu. The name of the director of the ELI is Megan Forbes.

Mail your completed form to this address:

Department of the Treasury

Internal Revenue Service

Austin, TX 73301

If you have questions about filing form 8843 with the IRS, you should make an appointment to ask Daryl (dbish@eli.ufl.edu) or someone in the ELI administration group for help.

If you had on campus employment in 2020, you earned taxable and reportable income and must submit form 8843 and a 20209 Form 1040NR or Form 1040NR-EZ to the IRS. You will need a W-2 from your employer. Make an appointment with Daryl (dbish@eli.ufl.edu) if you have questions about filing a 2019 Form 1040NR or Form 1040NR-EZ.

You can also find answers to some questions on the UF International Center tax page: https://internationalcenter.ufl.edu/f-1-student/f-1-processes/taxes

CIP Weekday Activities

Volunteer Day, Saint Francis House, March 13, 2021

Monday, March 22nd– Game Night (Zoom) – 6-8pm

Play fun virtual games with LAs and classmates! This week we will play the Game of Things and Geography Trivia!

https://ufl.zoom.us/j/96129662095?pwd=TmdIdmgvWkFIekhBc0FwdFdOeW9NZz09

  • Meeting ID: 961 2966 2095
  • Passcode: gamenight

Tuesday March 23rd– Plaza Hangout (In-person) – 5:15–7:15pm

 Come hang out face-to-face at the Plaza! Socialize and play some contactless games.

Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA9A823A02-plaza18

  • You must be campus cleared, sign up, and wear a mask to attend this event

Wednesday, March 24th– Coffee and Culture Talk (Zoom) – 6-7:30pm

Join us this week for a discussion about fandoms around the world. A fandom is a community of people who are fans of something, like Harry Potter! Come and share about what famous fandoms exist in your country and learn about those in the US!

https://ufl.zoom.us/j/99582032927?pwd=UlFOQ1pjaiswa3huUk41cnBuMEFiQT09

  • Meeting ID: 995 8203 2927
  • Passcode: 926123

Thursday, March 25th– Movie Night (Zoom) – 6:00-8:30pm

Come vote on a movie and watch it with LAs and ELI friends as we chat in the chatbox! Stick around for a fun discussion afterward! Movie choices this week are Sherlock Holmes, Onward, and The Chronicles of Narnia.

https://ufl.zoom.us/j/92962712031?pwd=dnZhVnh5WTJxWE5FNGZaRndyOFN0UT09

  • Meeting ID: 929 6271 2031
  • Passcode: movienight

Weekend Activities

Saturday March 27th – Macramé-Making at Depot (In-person) – 12:00pm – 2:00pm

 Come make your very own plant hangers with this amazing form of art using rope! We will have someone teaching us each step and supplies are provided! Join ELI friends with the craft and soak up the outdoors at one of our favorite spots, Depot Park!

Sign up here! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA9A823A02-macramemaking

  • You must be campus cleared, sign up, and wear a mask to attend this event.

Saturday March 27th – Upcycle Night! (Zoom) – 4:00 – 6:00pm

Take trash and make it treasure! Recycle a water bottle into a coin bank and old toilet paper rolls into art!  All you need is:  toilet paper rolls, an empty plastic water bottle, paper (pink color if possible), scissors, and glue! You can also have markers and paint for more fun, but it is not required.

https://ufl.zoom.us/j/93766758663?pwd=djFCc1BXYi93aVU5ZmdQbXk0ZTVjUT09

  • Meeting ID: 937 6675 8663
  • Passcode: 633553

Conversation Partners: Want to meet with an English speaker every week to practice English and make a friend?  Sign up for a conversation partner! You can sign up by emailing Tate at conversationpartners@eli.ufl.edu.  We still have some volunteers waiting to be paired with you!  We have one CP who specifically works with students on their pronunciation, email Tate if you are interested in being paired with her for special pronunciation practice.

On April 3rd, we will be having a Talent Share on Zoom.  We welcome ANY talent from students, staff, and teachers!  You can perform live or send videos and pictures to tquinones@eli.ufl.edu.  Talents can be: singing, dancing, juggling, art photos, poetry, fashion, and more! Anything you are good at, now is the chance to share it.  If you are too nervous to perform live, prepare a video and just join the activity to watch!

Birthdays!

Students:

Abdulrahman Alablan 3/22

Thi Hue Le 3/24

Staff:  none

Notes from the Editor

Do you have something to say? Say it in the Weekly! Send your grammar questions, culture questions, and stories to Maya Shastri at mshastri@ufl.edu.

Open and download The ELI Weekly (PDF).