The ELI Weekly
Out and About
by Daniela Alarcon Guzman, RW52
My spring break vacation was incredible, I visited different places like Playa Delfines, Chichén Itzá, Cocobongo, Xoximilco, Playa Langosta and Xcaret in Cancun, Mexico. The beaches in Cancun are beautiful. They are clean, and they have a spectacular blue color and white sand. At sea, you can do different activities such as parasailing, boat driving, jet skiing and snorkeling. You can also swim with dolphins, sharks and manatees. This is a unique experience; these animals are so intelligent and beautiful. In addition, the food in Mexico is delicious. The most common dishes there are burritos, tacos, guacamole and beans. This country is characterized by including spice in almost all foods. My favorite food was beef tacos with guacamole.
CIP Weekday Activities
Weekend Event
Saturday, March 30th – St. Augustine Beach & Town Bus Trip – 8:00am – 9:00pm
See the beautiful Florida coast, swim, and soak up the sun with your friends! After, explore the historic old town of St. Augustine, one of the oldest in the United States!
Bus tickets are available for purchase from Tate in the CIP Office for 25 dollars exact cash. Spaces are limited! This week, you are welcome to purchase tickets for yourself and guests.
Bring a bathing suit, towel, change of clothes, packed lunch, and some money for spending in the town.
Talent Show
The ELI will be having a talent show on April 5th at 7:30pm in the beautiful University Auditorium! Our performers are working hard to put on an amazing show. Spread the word to guests and friends to come watch the performance for free!
For performers:
Rehearsal is March 27th from 5:15pm to 6:45pm in Matherly Courtyard. The rehearsal will be outside in Matherly Courtyard. If the weather is bad, we will move to Anderson 0134 or the Language Studio. Call Tate at 727-249-6021 if you need help finding us. All performers must attend this rehearsal. All bio and music information should already have been submitted.
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
No classes: Monday, April 1 is an instructor workday. There are no classes, but the main office will be open.
Student Voices: Every semester, we have amazing student writers, so we take your writing and publish it in an online collection called Student Voices. In past semesters, students have written paragraphs, essays, creative stories, recipes, letters, obituaries, poetry, and more. You can see past editions of Student Voices (https://eli.ufl.edu/news-publications/, scroll to the bottom of the page) for inspiration.
We encourage you to submit anything 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, March 29.
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.
Birthdays!
Manners & Culture
Q: Why do Americans say “excuse me” when they pass by you in the store?
A: It is a way to be polite and maybe to give notice that they are going to pass by you. Also, saying “excuse me” is a much nicer way to say get out of the way. Typically, the usual response is “I’m sorry.”
Q: Why do Americans care a lot about punctuality?
A: Many Americans place a lot of significance on time. When they make an appointment, they find it important to be on time. It is a show of respect. If you are late, you are saying that your time is more important than their time.
Q: Why do the bathroom doors in America have a gap? No
privacy!
A: I have no idea. Most Americans don’t realize that this is unusual compared to other places.
Grammar
Q: Is the Oxford comma really important?
A: This is a hotly debated topic in the world of punctuation! The Oxford comma is the last comma in a list of items. Let’s look at an example sentence:
- I have pencils, pens, and textbooks in my backpack.
That last comma before the word ‘and’ is called the Oxford comma. Some people argue that you do not need the Oxford comma because the word ‘and’ separates the last two items in the list. This argument is valid most of the time. However, sometimes the sentences get more complicated. Here is an example without the Oxford comma:
- I like turkey, peanut butter and jelly and ham and cheese sandwiches.
Whoa! That is an awkward sentence! How many different types of sandwiches are we talking about there? There are a lot of funny memes about how the meaning of a sentence might change when you leave off the Oxford comma. The best rule of thumb is to use the Oxford comma if there is any way the sentence would be confusing or misinterpreted.
Notes from the Editor
I still need your help with the ELI Weekly. Send me a paragraph about fun activities you have tried in Florida or send me a story about an interesting place in your country. Send me grammar questions, culture questions, or even jokes. Send them to mshastri@ufl.edu. Use the subject heading ELI Weekly.