The Center for Latin American Studies and the Department of International Studies present “Prohibido Decir toda la Verdad” featuring Raúl Benoit. Benoit is a broadcast journalist from Univision Network, as well as a writer and columnist for several Spanish-language newspapers in the United States and Latin America. He has worked with Univision for the past 22 years, the last eight as a correspondent of the weekly investigative show “Aquí y Ahora.” He is considered one of the most influential Hispanic journalists in the US. Raúl will be commenting on his book Prohibido decir toda la verdad, which describes his experiences covering drug trafficking in Colombia during the ’80s and ’90s. Benoit unveils the mask of both the paramilitares and the communist guerrillas. He tells of his encounters with drug dealers, guerrilla warriors, and former presidents and government officials, and shares details never revealed before. The event occurs Thursday, April 30 at 6 p.m. at the Learning Center 180.

R. Lawrence Tychsen, professor of ophthalmology, visual sciences, neurobiology, and ophthalmology in pediatrics at Washington University in St. Louis, presents “Neural Mechanisms in Infantile Esotropia in Nonhuman Primates” on Thursday, April 30 at 5:30 p.m. at Retter Auditorium.

Fans are invited to attend the 2009 University of Miami men’s basketball team banquet, to be held on the BankUnited Center arena floor on Wednesday, April 29. The 2009 senior class, including Jack McClinton, Jimmy Graham, Brian Asbury,and Lance Hurdle, will be recognized, and the team will hand out individual honors in various categories. Doors open at 6 p.m., with the dinner and program beginning at 6:45 p.m.

Individual tickets are on sale for $50 each. Fans can also purchase premier tables with seating for eight (in addition to two student-athletes) for $700. Student-athlete sponsorships are also available for $50. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Hurricane Club at 305-284-6699 or by filling out the online order form; RSVP by Friday, April 24.

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UM Surfrider Club participates in a screening of the critically acclaimed surf film Out There on Friday, April 24. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens, 2000 Convention Center Drive. Attend an evening social event and celebrate the pursuit of surf and positive change in the environment. More event information can be found at www.brownpapertickets.com/event/62320.

The University of Miami - Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (UM-NSU CARD) will host the 7th annual “Tropical Nights” celebration on Saturday, April 25 at 7 p.m. at The Biltmore Hotel. The event is the major fundraiser for the organization.

As in previous years, Miami’s elite movers and shakers will mix and mingle with local celebrities, including representatives from South Florida’s major media outlets, politicians, and community leaders.

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Brant Weinstein, deputy chief of the Program in Genomics of Development at the NIH’s National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, will present “Studying Angiogenesis and Lymphangiogenesis Using the Zebrafish” on Thursday, April 30 at 12 p.m. in the Rosenstiel Medical Science Building, Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology Conference, room 6018. For more information, call 305-243-1078.

Eduardo Negueruela, director of the Spanish basic-language program and assistant professor of  Spanish second-language acquisition at the College of Arts and Sciences, has been selected as the winner of Nuevos Valores de la Poesía Hispana 2008, a literary competition sponsored by Editorial Baquiana and the Centro Cultural Español de Miami. His book of poetry, Tropología, will be presented  on Thursday, April 23 at 7 p.m. at the Centro Cultural Español de Cooperación Iberoamericana.

Tunnel of Oppression is a multimedia tour designed to challenge peoples’ ideas and perceptions of issues surrounding oppression and hatred. The Tunnel experience enables participants to tour a series of rooms with interactive skits, various multimedia (videos, sound, images) presentations, and role-playing exercises to raise awareness of acts of oppression that exist in society. Tunnel of Oppression is in its second year at UM.

This year’s exhibit centers on the issues of oppression: tools of oppression, racism, human rights, global health issues, religion, mental/physical disabilities, violence, poverty, LGBTQA issues, and body image/sexual assault.

Tunnel if Oppression is open to the public Monday through Wednesday, April 27-29 from 4 to 9 p.m. in the Whitten University Center Ballrooms, with tours approximately every 20 minutes.

Attend a symposium on Wednesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. featuring Alfredo Martínez-Expósito, University of Queensland, Australia,  and UM professors Steve Butterman, Marc Brudzinski, and Brenna Munro, who will discuss “Queer Literature Now: A Global Perspective.”

The event is moderated by Gema Pérez-Sánchez, director of graduate studies and associate professor of Spanish, and takes place at Hardcore Art Gallery, 3326 N. Miami Avenue, Miami. The event is free and open to the general public. Presenters will talk for 15 minutes each about the state of LGBTQ literature now in their areas of expertise (Spain, Brazil, French and Spanish Caribbean, Anglophone Africa) and will participate in a general question-and-answer session with the audience.

Plastic Surgery Grand Rounds presents renowned special guest speaker Gregory M. Buncke, chairman of plastic surgery at the California Pacific Medical Center, who will present “The History of Microsurgery” on Wednesday, April 29 from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. at UM Hospital, Seminar C. For more information, call 305-585-5285.