The ELI Weekly
Out and About: Bolen Bluff Trail
by Natalie Claytor
A couple weekends ago, I went to Bolen Bluff Trail at Paynes Prairie State Park. It was a beautiful 2-mile loop through the woods. At the end of the loop, you can walk out onto the prairie. There are usually bison hanging out and grazing along this part of the trail. I also saw a variety of birds such as sand cranes, great blue herons, even a bald eagle! In addition, a herd of wild horses frequents the woods. One of the horses was super friendly and came up right behind me! I highly recommend this trail to all nature lovers, wild animal observers, and photographers! It is hard to get to without a car, but definitely worth the effort!
CIP Weekday Activities
Weekend Event
February 18th – Sweetwater Wetlands Nature Park – 10:30am-1:00pm
Come and join us on our nature walk down Sweetwater Wetland Trail! On our walk, you can look for gators, snakes, flowers, beautiful old trees, and so much more! Bring a snack (if you want), water, and wear good walking shoes. Enjoy this typical Florida nature with ELI friends and take lots of pictures!
Rides are limited, so make sure to sign up. If you have your own ride, you can meet us at Norman or directly at Sweetwater Wetlands Park.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA9A823A02-sweetwater
Upcoming Event
Selling Busch Gardens Bus Passes THIS Week!
We are going to Busch Gardens theme park in Tampa on February 25th! You won’t want to miss the amazing rollercoasters, zoo animals, shows and more that Busch Gardens has to offer! Tate is out this week but you can put your name down on the list with Sophia and Will to save your place and then purchase your bus pass on Tuesday 2/21. We will hold your space until then! Bus Tickets are limited! CIP Staff will help you learn how to purchase your Busch Gardens entrance ticket online. Busch Gardens Tickets are currently on sale online for 108 dollars plus taxes and fees (125 total) and an unlimited pass for the whole year is only 26 dollars additional. Buy your bus and Busch Gardens tickets early before the prices change!
Other CIP Reminders
CIP Passports
Don’t forget to get your CIP Passport hole punched 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 for hole punches!
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 returning student 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/8nDmxEbrzaSP92Cj8
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
Santa Fe Workshop
Representatives from the Santa Fe College will speak to ELI students on Wednesday, February 15th, at 5:10pm in Matherly Hall, room 10. 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 – February 20th -9:00am-4:00pm
Santa Fe College is hosting an ELI Day at Santa Fe on Monday, February 20th. Any current ELI student can visit Santa Fe College to finalize the steps for their admission, 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 20th and discuss their summer or fall classes. February 20th is an ELI teacher workday, so there are no ELI classes that day.
ELI students should sign up for a slot to meet with a SFC Advisor on this electronic sign-up form using Signup Genius.
Tobacco-Free Campus
You are not allowed to vape, smoke, or use any tobacco anywhere on UF campus. This includes bathrooms, parking lots, and outdoor areas of campus. It includes Lake Wauburg, Matherly Courtyard, the Plaza of Americas, and every outdoor space on campus. This policy is for all faculty, staff, students, and visitors. ELI students should NEVER vape or smoke ANYWHERE on campus. If you need help quitting, you can visit https://tobaccofree.ufl.edu/.
Manners & Culture
Q: What is the difference between cursive and print writing?
A: Essentially, cursive writing is handwriting that joins the letters of a word together while print writing separates every letter, similar to typing. Long before computers and typewriters, cursive was really the only form of writing. Then in the 20th century, educators realized they could teach younger students a more simplified writing style, and that was the beginning of print writing. Now with computers and typing so important for communication, cursive writing isn’t as important in the US. In fact, only 21 states in the US require students to learn cursive writing. You can read about the cultural debate around cursive writing in this CNN article: Cursive vs. Typing: which should schools teach? by Rachel Rodriguez.
Grammar
Q: I get the prepositions confused! Can you explain study in vs. study at?
A: It depends on what you are trying to express with the full sentence. If you are answering this question:
Where are you a student?
Then you can say:
- I am studying at the University of Florida.
- I am studying at the ELI.
If you are answering this question:
What are you studying?
You can say:
- I am majoring in engineering.
- I am studying engineering.
You can combine ideas like this:
- I am majoring in engineering at the University of Florida.
- I am studying engineering at the University of Florida
Here are some other examples:
- Matt teaches English at the University of Florida.
- She is studying English at the ELI.
Birthdays!
Students:
- Juliana Kaercher 2/15
- Subeen Ju 2/16
- Reinaldo Vilchez 2/16
- Fatema Alqallaf 2/19
Staff:
Anand Chundi 2/16
Notes from the Editor
The ELI Weekly needs you! Send me stories about your life in the US or about nice places and events in your country. I also need questions about grammar, manners, or culture. Email Maya Shastri (mshastri@ufl.edu).