The ELI Weekly
Out and About: Upper Crust
by Valentina Gabino and the students of RW51
Upper Crust is a French bakery in Gainesville. It has two locations; one is in the Northwest part of town by the Fresh Market, and the other is in Haile Plantation. The bread and pastries are fresh and baked daily. My favorite pastries are the almond chocolate croissant and the raspberry cream cheese Danish. In addition to pastries, they have a large selection of bread. They also have drinks like Starbucks. Pastry prices range from $2 to $6, which is a good value for the quality. The first time I visited, they gave me a free croissant. Maybe they will give one to you, too.
CIP Weekday Activities
Weekend Event
Saturday, October 29th – Micanopy Fall Festival – 11:00am-3:00pm
Celebrate the Fall season at this festival – a cultural and seasonal tradition! Walk around the historic small town of Micanopy and shop for food, crafts, and other Fall items at this event! See music performances and a live auction! Admission is free, but bring money for lunch and shopping! Meet at Norman Parking Garage
You must sign up to attend this event and rides are limited. Please sign up for ONE slot: “I need a ride” if you need a ride in an LA’s car OR “I have my own ride” if you do NOT need a ride from us. Self-drivers are encouraged to meet us at Norman Hall.
Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA9A823A02-micanopy
- Norman Parking Garage Address: Parking Garage 8 (Norman), Gainesville, FL 32601
- Micanopy Address for self-drivers: 703 NE Cholokka Blvd, Micanopy, FL 32667
Special Activities Next Week!!
Monday, October 31st – Boo at the Zoo at Santa Fe College – 3:45-6:00pm
Celebrate Halloween at the Santa Fe Teaching Zoo! See the animals and all the amazing Halloween decorations throughout the small zoo!! Admission is one canned food item for donation. Wear costumes and see lots of people dressed up for the holiday! If time and conditions allow, stop by a nearby pumpkin patch after the Zoo! Finish before 6pm so you still have time for all your other Halloween plans!
Remember there are NO ELI classes this day.
If you are doing Santa Fe International Center advising, it is a short walk to the activity from your advising session! Make a Santa Fe day out of both the activity and advising with your day off!
Address: 3000 NW 83 St Building Z, Gainesville, FL 32606
Other CIP Reminders
CIP Passports: Don’t forget to get your CIP Passport Stickers from the activity leaders AT the event (not after). Redeem your completed passport for a small gift and photo for the ELI Instagram! Remember the CIP Pineapple is hidden in a new place every Monday in the CIP office. Stop by and find it!
Conversation Partners (CPs): Want to make a friend and speak English? Sign up for a conversation partner! Wait two weeks to be paired and then meet your new partner for one hour a week to practice conversation and make a friend! If you are a returner and still want a CP, you should still sign up here, even if you had a partner last semester.
Sign up for a CP here!: https://forms.gle/h5NyWTrkpE331zzS7
Remember, if you sign up, you must meet your partner at least once a week and respond to their messages. Email conversationpartners@eli.ufl.edu if you have any questions or problems.
Notes from the Office
New Student Life and Special Programs Coordinator
Goodbye Victoria! Remember that this week is Victoria’s last week in the ELI office! Her last day at the ELI is Thursday, October 27th. After that you will need to go to the UF International Center in the Hub to visit her. Be sure to stop by to say thank you and goodbye before she leaves!
Thank you, Christine! Our own core faculty member Christine Voigt is stepping up to serve as Student Life and Special Programs Coordinator for the ELI. Please join us in thanking her! Christine’s first day will be Wednesday, November 2nd. Christine is still teaching her classes for the rest of the fall semester, so you will find her in the Student Life Office (in 223 Matherly Hall) Monday through Thursday from 9:00am – 12:30pm and 3:30pm – 4:00pm. On Fridays she will be there from 9:00am – 10:00am and 12:30pm – 4:00pm. Thank you, Christine!
Santa Fe College Workshop and ELI Day at Santa Fe!
Santa Fe Workshop: Representatives from the Santa Fe College will speak to ELI students on Tuesday, October 25th, at 5pm in 214 Matherly Hall. This is great opportunity to learn about SF and their admissions process. If you are thinking about attending Santa Fe College, this is a great opportunity to get information and meet their International Student Services team.
ELI Day at Santa Fe: Additionally, Santa Fe College is hosting an ELI Day at Santa Fe. On Monday, October 31st, any current ELI student can visit Santa Fe College to finalize the steps for their admission in the spring, review their pending application, or start a new application to the College. ELI students will meet one-on-one with an Advisor at Santa Fe. ELI students will also be able to take the Santa Fe College placement exam on the 31st and discuss their spring classes. October 31st is an ELI teacher workday, so there are no ELI classes that day.
October 31st is Halloween, so everyone at the SFC ISS office will be dressed up in Halloween costumes. ELI students can also attend ELI Day at Santa Fe in Halloween costumes and will be able to win prizes for the best costumes! Later that afternoon, the ELI activity will be Boo at the Zoo at the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo, so you can make a day of it!
ELI Day at Santa Fe will be on October 31st from 9am to 4pm. Students should sign up for a slot to meet with a SFC Advisor on this electronic sign-up form using SignUpGenius.
Other Notes from the Office
Teacher Workday: There are no ELI classes on Monday, October 31, so that your instructors can have a planning day.
Check your I20s: If your I-20 is expiring soon, make an appointment with Daryl in MAT 223 to renew your I-20 before it expires.
Student Voices: Don’t forget to send your original writing to Student Voices so that the ELI can celebrate your writing. You can submit any 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, November 18th.
Photo of the Week
Birthdays
Students:
- 10/27-Veronica Herlinda Lima Bornas
Staff:
- 10/28-Grace Johnson
- 10/30-Christine Voigt
Manners & Culture
Q: When I go to the bakery and pay with a credit card, the machine asks if I want to leave a tip. Am I expected to leave a tip in that situation?
If you are ordering, picking up your order, and cleaning your own table, you are not obligated to leave a tip. If a server brings you your food and cleans up after you, you should leave a tip of 15-20%. In the bakery, you probably ordered and took your food with you, so you do not need to leave a tip. However, if you think the service is fantastic, you can leave a tip even if it is not expected.
Q: Should I tip an Uber driver?
It is standard procedure to tip Uber drivers in the US. You should tip between 10-20%. You can use the in-app payment or pay a cash tip directly to the driver.
Q: Am I expected to tip on a delivery?
Tipping for food delivery is standard in the US. It is standard to tip about 15-20%, or no less that $5.00.
Notes from the Editor
- Share your special experiences of campus, Gainesville, Florida, and your country by sending me your stories for the Weekly.
- Do you have grammar questions? Do you have manners and culture questions? Share them with us!
- Send stories and questions to Maya (mshastri@ufl.edu). Use the subject heading, ‘ELI Weekly.’