Other Fun Stuff

Join Cheryl Gowing from the University Libraries, in partnership with UThrift, for a hands-on opportunity to transform your used t-shirts into functional and fun carry-all totes. Bring a much-loved, but no longer worn t-shirt, a festival or concert tee you want to remember, something grandma brought you from her vacation, or take your pick from one of the t-shirts donated by UThrift. Leave with a tote bag, and save one more item of fast fashion from the landfill!

Join Johnny Lamb Jr., a maintenance mechanic at the University of Miami who earned a Certificate of Apprenticeship in Horticulture and Landscape from the United States Department of Labor, for an insightful presentation on bonsai trees. Discover the art, history, and science behind bonsai tree cultivation, including species selection, pruning, wiring, soil, and watering essentials. Learn strategies to tackle pests, prevent diseases, and ensure proper care. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned gardener, this session will inspire and guide your bonsai journey.

Craft vibrant and delicious fruit kabobs while exploring the nutritional perks of eating a rainbow on a budget! In this hands-on session led by Dr. Rhonda Trust, a lecturer in the University of Miami School of Communication, participants will assemble colorful, nutritious kabobs. Discover the health benefits of vibrant fruits and gain practical tips for preparing budget-friendly meals with ease. This interactive workshop combines a guided demonstration with creative kabob-making, sparking conversations about balanced diets, nutritional literacy, and culinary creativity. Health in the Hood will provide the fruits and kabob supplies.

Climate change is an existential threat, but Mary Benton of Bound by Beauty will show how you can fight back through gardening. By cultivating native plants, you can create a haven for wildlife, reduce your carbon footprint, conserve water, and protect essential pollinators. Discover the transformative power of butterflies to inspire community connections, nurture nature, and combat climate change—plus, enjoy the bonus of beautiful songbirds!

Join Dr. Christopher A. Searcy, professor and director of Graduate Studies, and Ph.D. candidate Aidan O’Brien, both from the Conservation Ecology Lab at the University of Miami, for an engaging presentation on the complex stressors that are contributing to the global decline of amphibians. The Santa Cruz long-toed salamander, a federally endangered species in California, is threatened by habitat loss, human activity, and rising sea levels. Despite federal protection, gaps in ecological knowledge persist. The Conservation Lab’s research focuses on larval habitats and post-metamorphic behavior, offering critical insights for effective conservation efforts.

Join us in celebrating Earth Day with a beach yoga session followed by a marine debris clean-up at Historic Virginia Key Beach Park! Amazing community organizations will be joining, and there will be food (provided by PLANTA), refreshments, music, and more!

Join us in the Kislak Center at the University of Miami for the inaugural presentation of the Kislak Talks series. The event will feature an engaging conversation with Dr. Miguel Valerio and Dr. Daniel Arbino about Valerio’s recent publication, “Sovereign Joy: Afro-Mexican Kings and Queens, 1539-1640.” “Sovereign Joy” explores the performance of festive Black kings and queens among Afro-Mexicans between 1539 and 1640. This fascinating study illustrates how the first African and Afro-Creole people in colonial Mexico transformed their ancestral culture into a shared Afro-Mexican identity. It particularly focuses on how participation in public festivals expressed their culture and subjectivities, while also redefining their colonial condition and social standing. By analyzing this previously understudied aspect of Afro-Mexican Catholic confraternities in both literary texts and visual culture, Dr. Valerio reveals the deeply ambivalent and contradictory meanings behind public processions and festivities, which often re-inscribed structures of race and hierarchy. Were these festivities markers of Catholic subjecthood, and what types of corporate structures did they create to project standing and respectability? “Sovereign Joy” examines many of these possibilities and, in the process, highlights the central role of Africans and their descendants in colonial culture. Through performance, Afro-Mexicans affirmed their existence: the sovereignty of joy and the joy of sovereignty. The presentation will conclude with a question and answer session with the audience. This event is presented in partnership with the Museum of Art and Design at Miami Dade College.

Join Barry University's Institute for Immigration Studies for its 2nd Annual Conference, "South Florida: The Hub for Immigration Innovation and Integration" (April 9-10, 2025). Featuring keynote speakers David Lawrence Jr. and Chef Juan Chipoco, cultural performances, expert panels, and the exhibition "The Whole World is Churning" curated by Rosie Gordon Wallace. Continental breakfast and lunch provided. Free to attend with registration via bit.ly/IIS-2025 .

____________________________________ 20 de marzo del 2025 Puertas Abren y Recepción | 6:00 p.m. Programa | 6:30 p.m. ____________________________________ UN PANEL DE DISCUSIÓN CON Emilio Cueto - Abogado, Coleccionista, y Autor María de los Ángeles Torres - Profesora Distinguida de Estudios Latinoamericanos y Latinos, Universidad de Illinois en Chicago Javier Figueroa - Profesor Emérito de Historia, Universidad de Puerto Rico, Recinto de Río Piedras Lisandro Pérez - Profesor de Estudios Latinoamericanos y Latinos, John Jay College, City University of New York MODERADO POR Michael J. Bustamante, Ph.D. Profesor Asociado de Historia y Catedrático Emilio Bacardí Moreau para Estudios Cubanos y Cubano-Americanos, Universidad de Miami ____________________________________ Fundado en 1969 en Washington, D.C., por María Cristina Herrera (1934-2010) y un grupo de académicos cubanos fuera de la isla, El Instituto de Estudios Cubanos (IEC), se dedicó al diálogo académico sobre la problemática cubana y jugó un papel crucial en la promoción de los estudios sobre Cuba en la academia estadounidense y global. Este panel, organizado en la Cuban Heritage Collection, que conserva el archivo administrativo del IEC, examinará la labor llevada a cabo por la organización durante más de 30 años y su legado para el campo de estudios cubanos contemporáneos. Este evento será presentado en español. El panel de discusión será seguido por una sesión de preguntas y respuestas con la audiencia.

The month of March is the time to welcome spring, celebrate colors, enjoy the warming weather - perfect time to celebrate Holi- the festival of Colors. Put on your white outfits and come celebrate with the full family! Ticket price includes 2 color packets and a bottle of water. Experience a day filled with cultural show, electrifying Bollywood music by DJ Tanveer, and FREE 360 videos by Pixify 360 Available for purchase: Food, Henna Tattoos, Water Gun, Holi T-Shirt, Water gun.