The ELI Weekly
Out and About: San Pedro Festival in Colombia
by Yureidy Chinchilla, RW60
In Colombia, a traditional festival called Bambuco in San Pedro is celebrated every year in June. San Pedro is a festival that all people from different parts of the country enjoy for seven days. Every day there are parades that show different candidates for Queen of “bambuco Huilense.” Each candidate comes from different parts of the country, and their dream is to come back to their hometown with the crown of “Miss Huilense.” All people go out to the street to appreciate the floats and banners of each candidate, and the candidate gives candies to the people who are watching the parade. At the end of the day there are some musical gatherings where people can dance and enjoy themselves.
There is also a parade exclusively for women, which means only women can ride a horse this day and participate of the parade. The most popular food is “Asado Huilense.” It is a dish composed of pork, potatoes, plantain, arepa, and guacamole. Then on the last day of this festival is the big meeting of all candidates who want to be Miss Huilense. They are going to compete, and the best candidate that dances “El Bambuco,” the traditional dance of the Huila, is the person who wins the crown.
I like this festival because the little girls and older girls can participate as a candidate of “Miss Huilense.”
CIP Weekday Activities
Weekend Event
There is no weekend event this week so that you can study for finals. Your teachers have some study tips for you:
- Melina-“Organize and review the handouts that your teachers gave you and practice exercises with your classmates.”
- Patrick-“Start early and find classmates to study with. Don’t lose motivation!!”
- Zoe-“My grammar students–review my tests. All students, pay attention to your teachers and make sure you know the objectives for your class.”
- Lynne-“Get plenty of sleep the nights before your exams.”
- Jen-“Ask the teacher if there is a study guide. Review all past tests and quizzes.”
Other CIP Reminders
Conversation Partners
Want to meet with a fluent English speaker and make a new friend? Sign up for a CP! If you choose to sign up, you must meet with your partner for one hour a week. It can take up to two weeks to get a partner from when you sign up. Please sign up at this link: https://forms.gle/Vs8dgX3R8qGvT1Ed7
Please email Will at conversationpartners@eli.ufl.edu for any issues, questions or concerns or visit him in the CIP Office during office hours.
CIP Passport
Don’t forget to get your CIP Passport hole punched from the activity leaders AT the event (not after). We don’t hole punch passports after the event. Redeem your completed passport for a small gift a photo for the ELI Instagram, and your name published in the ELI weekly!
Need a new CIP Passport? Stop by the CIP Office?
Remember the CIP Pineapple is hidden in a new place every Monday in the CIP office. Stop by and find it for hole punches!
Notes from the Office
Jellybean Winner: Congratulations to Carmen Clavier who won the ELI office jellybean guessing contest. Carmen guessed 900 jellybeans and was the closest to the real number of jellybeans which was 663.
Solar Eclipse: On Monday, April 8, Gainesville will experience a partial eclipse of the sun. Do not look directly at the sun during the eclipse. One cool way to indirectly see the eclipse is to watch the shadows of the tree leaves on the ground. You will find that the sunlight becomes crescent-shaped, just like the sun.
Immunization Appointments at the Health Center: Your immunizations are very important. If you miss your appointment at the health center, you will have to pay a fine to the health center and you will be barred from class until you get your immunizations.
People Out: Natalie is out of the office on April 8-10. Tate is out of the office from April 8-12. Daryl is out on April 12. Please plan around those dates if you need to speak to Natalie, Tate, or Daryl.
Apartment Leases: As the semester draws to a close, keep in mind that your lease might be ending soon. It is important to know the exact date that your apartment lease ends so you can make plans. If you’re not sure when it ends, ask your apartment office.
If you need help finding a hotel to stay in short-term (you should ask your friends first!), someone to take over your lease, or a new apartment, talk to Christine in Matherly 223.
Taxes: International students that were in the U.S. in 2023 need to file tax forms with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Tax forms are due on April 15th this year. As a UF ELI student you can use a free international student tax filing program called Sprintax. Talk to Daryl (studyenglish@eli.ufl.edu) if you need more information.
Charges Due: Every ELI student should log in to ONE.uf.edu and look at the “Campus Finances (Bursar)” tile to see if you owe any fees to the university. For example, you may need to pay for services you received at the Student Health Care Center or printing in a library. If you have a scholarship, it will not pay these charges.
Check your I-20s: If you are traveling during the break (for example, leaving the US and coming back), make sure your I-20 is signed. Also check the expiration date. You can make an appointment with Daryl to sign your I-20 or to renew your I-20 before it expires.
Financial Guarantees for Summer: Dear scholarship students, we hope to see you again in the Summer! Therefore, we have sent you an early reminder to request your new financial guarantee letter for the Summer semester, if you plan to return. If you need an enrollment letter or if you have any questions, please email Natalie Claytor at fiscal@eli.ufl.edu.
Photo of the Week
Birthdays!
Manners & Culture
Q: Why do Americans sometimes speak so indirectly? For example, when a student comes late to class, teachers don’t usually say, “Why are you late!?!” Instead, they say to the whole class, “Let’s all remember to be on time.”
A: Indirect speech can be a way to be polite. In your example, indirectness from teachers is politeness. On the one hand, teachers do not want to single out the one tardy student, but in reality, they want everyone to be on time so class can start on time. They are hoping that the general reminder to be on time will be polite, but also get the tardy student to do better.
Grammar
Q: What is the difference between ‘find out‘ and ‘figure out‘?
A: The phrasal verb ‘find out’ means to learn or discover something that you did not know, and this can include learning something in a passive way, like by chance. The phrasal verb ‘figure out’ means to solve a problem, and this implies that you needed to use some brain power to get to the solution. Here are some examples:
- I found out where Weeki Wachee is by looking at the map of Florida. (I learned the information by a quick look at a reference.)
- I overheard ELI students talking and that’s how I found out about Thomas’s new baby. (I learned the information by chance.)
- Can anyone figure out why the classroom computer isn’t working? (We won’t find the answer in a reference. This is a problem that will take some effort.)
- Before we can have a talent show, Tate has to figure out where we can have the show, which students want to perform, who is going to be the host, how to have rehearsals, how the program will look, etc. (We won’t find the answer in a reference. Tate has to solve a lot of problems before we can have a talent show.)