The ELI Weekly
The Weekly Newsletter of
the English Language Institute
Volume 148, Issue 5
June 13, 2022
Summer Break
Relax! Enjoy!
This coming weekend, Saturday, June 18th , there is no scheduled ELI activity. Next week, June 20th to June 24th, there are no ELI classes since it is Summer Break. If you do not have any plans for Summer Break yet, we have some suggestions for you. It’s probably going to be very, very hot, so we recommend that you try to stay cool.
Try the local restaurants:
- Boca Fiesta (Mexican inspired food)
- Reggae Shack Café (Jamaican food)
- Mark’s Prime (fancy food)
- Satchel’s Pizza (local pizza!)
Visit the local museums:
- Florida Museum of Natural History
- Harn Museum of Art
- Cade Museum
Do something unique to Gainesville:
- Paint the 34th Street Wall
- Ride your bike on the Gainesville Hawthorne Trail
If you want to brave the heat, you can:
- Go tubing at Ginnie Springs
- Visit Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo
- Visit Kanapaha Botanical Gardens
- Visit other places on the UF campus
You can also visit Miami, Atlanta, Savannah, Orlando, Tampa and many other cities within no more than a 5-hour drive. If you’re planning on renting a car, be sure to call all of the companies in town to check on the available rates—also note that most require drivers to be 25 or older.
Reminders:
- Missing any classes on the Friday before Summer Break or the Monday after does count toward total absences.
- Get your I-20s signed if you plan on leaving the country–Canada, Mexico, anything involving the Caribbean, and your home countries all require a signed I-20 and your passport.
The Next Weekend Activity
Our next weekend activity will be our Midterm Activity, which is also our B-Term Welcome Picnic, on Saturday, June 25th. 12-2pm. Come meet new ELI students and familiar faces too! Spend time on Norman Lawn socializing and playing games! Free food!
The Weekday Activities
Monday June 13th– Cabana Beach Pool Party – 6:00 – 8:30pm
It’s pool season! Come hang out with us at the Cabana Beach pool area and swim in their spacious pool! Feel free to bring a bathing suit to swim, a towel, and your friends! If you don’t want to swim, there will be plenty of games and socializing! Take bus 20 or 21 to Cabana Beach Apartments!
Address: 1601 SW 51st Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32607
Tuesday June 14th – Volleyball – 6:30 – 9:00pm
Come play volleyball and hang out at Lexington Crossing Apartments Phase 2! No experience necessary! Take bus 34 or 35. No experience necessary!
Address: 3900 SW 27th St, Gainesville, FL 32608
Wednesday June 15th– Soccer – 6:30 – 9:00pm
Come play Soccer on campus at Maguire Field! No experience necessary!
Address: Bledsoe Dr, Gainesville, FL 32611
Thursday June 16th – Coffee Talk – 6:30 – 9:00pm (Day change for this week only)
Socialize with LAs and ELI friends at the Starbucks on Archer Road next to Burger Fi! Play games, speak English, and drink a coffee or get dinner at one of the restaurants nearby! Take bus 1.
Address: 3524 SW Archer Rd, Gainesville, FL 32608
Friday June 17th – 4th Avenue Food Park – 6:00 – 8:30pm
Listen to live music in the fun unique outdoor space! There are lots of places to get food, like pizza, waffles, and ice cream! Take bus 46 or 1.
Address: 409 SW 4th Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601
Conversation Partners
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! If you are a returner and still want a CP, you should still sign up here.
CP Signup: https://forms.gle/D4bEFETqnKDJ6AYe6
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.
Reminders from the Office
New Students: The Summer B Term will begin soon, and new students are arriving in Gainesville during Summer Break. Come meet the new ELI students at the midterm welcome activity on June 25th and be sure to make them feel welcome when you see them in your classes, at activities, and in the hallways!
July 4th Holiday: Monday, July 4th is US Independence Day. On this day, there will be no ELI Classes, and the ELI office and the university are closed. Also, there will be reduced RTS Bus service. You can check the schedules at go-RTS.com.
Student Voices
Just another reminder! At the ELI, we love to read your writing. Do you want to share your writing with the ELI? The ELI Student Voices is a great opportunity!
Every semester, the ELI publishes a collection of student writing. You can send a piece of your writing to be published for everyone to read. You can send paragraphs, essays, stories, recipes, poetry, and even photos. For inspiration, you can find previous editions of The ELI Student Voices on the ELI website.
To submit your writing, please email Thomas Dolce at tomdolce@ufl.edu. Please include your name and class. The last day to submit a piece of writing is July 16th. We can’t wait to read your writing!
Birthdays
The following are ELI birthdays from June 13 to 26:
Students:
June 15: Andres Melgarejo Galvis
June 16: Valeria Quispe Vidal
June 18: Abdulrahman Almutairi
June 21: Maria Florio Nohra
June 24: Maria Canela Perozo
June 25: Abdullah Alammari
Staff:
None for these two weeks!
Enjoy your birthdays!
Manners and Culture
Q: Is it safe to drink water from the water fountain?
A: Yes, if they are touchless. The US federal government passed the Safe Drinking Water Act in 1974. This act makes sure that the water that comes out of the tap, including the faucets in your apartments, is safe to drink. In fact, tap water in the US is so tightly regulated that many studies have shown that it’s cleaner than bottled water. If you must physically touch a water fountain to turn it on, though, the CDC recommends washing your hands well afterwards to avoid transmitting COVID-19.
Grammar
Q: What’s the difference between be used to and get used to?
A: Be used to means that you are already comfortable with that thing. Get used to means that you’re in the process of getting comfortable with it. Here are some examples:
- I’m used to hot weather since I’ve lived in Florida my whole life.
- The students are getting used to the daily rain showers.
Quote of the Week
Good friends, good books, and sleepy conscience; this is the ideal life.
–Mark Twain
You may find a PDF copy of the Weekly here: SS2205