The Weekly Newsletter of
the English Language Institute
Volume 151, Issue 6
July 3, 2023
The ELI Weekly
Fanfares and Fireworks
Special event Monday July 3rd – Fanfares & Fireworks – 7pm to 10pm TONIGHT
Please follow these instructions (the ELI weekly had some errors this morning, this is the correct version!)
Meet the ELI on Flavet Field to celebrate the 4th of July with this annual Gainesville tradition!! See an amazing firework show at the end of the night and grab food from the food trucks and listen to live music and performances on the field beforehand! Hang out and play games and socialize with ELI friends and LAs! We will try to claim a spot on the stage side of the field in the back near the food trucks and parking lot. Meet us there! Call Sophia if you have trouble finding us. No Coffee Talk on Monday.
Address: Woodlawn Dr, Gainesville, FL 32603
The CIP Weekday Activities
Tuesday July 4th – No Activity – Independence Day
Wednesday July 5th – Soccer- 5:30pm – 8:00pm
Come play Soccer on campus at Maguire Field on campus. No experience necessary! Please come on time so we can secure a good spot on the field.
Address: Bledsoe Dr, Gainesville, FL 32611
Thursday July 6th – Coffee Talk – 6:30 – 9:00pm
Socialize with LAs and ELI friends at the Starbucks on Archer Road. Play games, speak English, and drink a coffee or get dinner at the restaurants nearby. Take bus 1, 12, or 34.
Address: 3524 SW Archer Rd #160, Gainesville, FL 32608
Friday July 7th – Gator Nights – 6:30pm – 9:30pm
Hang out with ELI friends and see all the fun activities Gator Nights has planned. There are snacks, activities, photo opportunities, and more! Make sure to bring your Gator1 ID card.
Address: 655 Reitz Union Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611
WEEKEND EVENT
This weekend we have two events. Feel free to sign up for one or both. Both are on the same signup.
Haile Farmers Market – 9:30am to 12:00pm
See the cute neighborhood of Haile and explore their Saturday market. Bring some money to spend on things like fresh flowers, food, coffee, and crafts!
Meet at Norman Parking Garage. Please sign up to attend this event.
Cabana Beach Pool Party – 12:30pm to 4pm
Soak up the sun and enjoy the summer vibes with ELI friends. We have floaties and water toys along with other games. Bring your snacks to share if you’d like and make sure to wear your bathing suit. Bring a towel and sunscreen. Meet at Cabana Beach Apartments Pool. Take bus 20 or 21. Please sign up to attend this event.
Address: 1601 SW 51st Terrace, Gainesville, FL 32607
Sign up here for both activities! https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA9A823A02-haile
Other CIP Reminders
Don’t forget to get your CIP Passport hole punched from the activity leaders AT the event (not after). We will no longer hole punch passports after the event. 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
Sign up for a CP here: https://forms.gle/HeU3v2P9xUTqyW15A
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 or stop by the CIP office to see Will during his office hours.
Summer Meals for Kids
Free summer meals for children 0-18: Beginning June 5 at most locations, the Free Summer Meals program provides free, nutritious meals to kids and teens 18 years old and under during the summer break. No registration is required. Students do not have to be enrolled at a location to participate, and the program is open to any child regardless of family income. For details on free meal sites and serving dates and times, please call 352-955-7539 or visit www.yourchoicefresh.com and search for the summer meal program.
Bags in the Hallway
Why shouldn’t I leave my bag in the classroom or hallway?
Theft in the USA is an unfortunate problem. College campuses can be a common target. There are lots of people, lots of bags, and lots of expensive equipment. Bags left behind in classrooms and hallways are easy to take. UF is a public university. That means anyone who wants to can walk through the buildings, including our hallway. As the fall semester approaches, more and more people will be arriving in Gainesville and potentially walking our halls. The best way to protect your bags and belongings is to keep them with you at all times!
What do I do if I lose something?
If you do lose something in Matherly Hall, go to the ELI Main Office (MAT 223) and ask about our lost and found. Also, if you find something you think someone lost in Matherly Hall, please bring it to the lost and found in the Main Office. If you lose something somewhere else on campus, the UF Police Department has a list of the lost and found offices on campus here: https://police.ufl.edu/contact/. The RTS Bus system also has a lost and found in case you forgot something on the bus.
Santa Fe Workshop
Representatives from the Santa Fe College will speak to ELI students on Thursday, July 13th , at 3:15pm in Matherly Hall, room 107. 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.
Notes from the Office
Independence Day: Tuesday, July 4th, is Independence Day. There will be no ELI classes and the ELI Main Office will be closed on this day. There will be reduced RTS bus service this day.
B-Term Countries Represented
Welcome to our new B-Term students! The following are the countries represented:
| Brazil
Ecuador France Guatemala |
Haiti
India Saudi Arabia United States
|
Birthdays
The following are ELI birthdays from June 3-9:
Students:
July 5: Renato De Nicola Campos
July 9: Manal Almalki
Staff:
None this week, but we missed one from last week! Happy late birthday!
June 28: William Speer
Manners and Culture
Q: Why isn’t tobacco banned everywhere in the US?
A: Tobacco itself isn’t banned in the US. Smoking in enclosed public places like restaurants, however, is banned. Florida has smoking bans in enclosed places except bars, private houses, and a few other places. In addition, the University of Florida has a campus-wide smoking ban, whether inside or outside of buildings. Currently, there are only 29 states that have smoking bans in all enclosed public spaces. One of the reasons that smoking hasn’t been banned everywhere is because of the strength of the tobacco lobby. There are also a lot of arguments in favor of personal choice and personal freedom that are against smoking bans.
Q: With so many people killed by drunk drivers, why don’t Americans ban alcohol?
A: The US banned alcohol from 1920 to 1933, which we call Prohibition. However, Prohibition also caused organized criminal activity to increase. In addition, many citizens saw the law as unfair to the working class because they were the ones who got in trouble more often. The government also saw an opportunity to tax alcohol sales to increase money. For these reasons, the law became very unpopular and it was reversed. Now, all states have the same minimum law: You can’t drive if your blood alcohol level (BAC) is over 0.08. Some states have much stricter laws to protect against drunk drivers.
Grammar
Q: How is it possible to talk about something in the future that will be past before the future comes?
A: You will have learned a lot of English by the time you graduate. We call this Future Perfect.
Q: How would I punctuate this sentence?
One morning I shot an elephant in my pajamas.
A: One morning, I shot an elephant in my pajamas.
Just add a comma to separate the time expression from the rest of the sentence. However, it’s unclear who is wearing the pajamas. You would have to rewrite the sentence to make sure the elephant was not dressed in your PJs:
One morning, I shot an elephant while I was wearing my pajamas.
Quote of the Week
Everything you want is on the other side of fear.
Jack Canfield
For a PDF Copy of the Weekly, go here: SS2306