Hispanic Heritage Month, a celebration of Hispanic and Latino cultures and their societal impact, will kick off today at noon.

The celebration is observed from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, and Iowa State will be celebrating it through a variety of events on campus.

Opening ceremonies will be held at the Border Crossing statue southeast of LeBaron Hall at noon, where Rose Vasquez, director of the Iowa Department of Human Rights, will speak about the issues that Hispanics face in the United States.

Veronica Villagomez, program assistant for Minority Student Affairs, stressed the importance of bringing celebration to the community and teaching about what Latino culture has contributed to society.

“There are two main purposes for the month. We hope first to bring awareness to the Hispanic-Latino culture and to celebrate what they have brought to the culture here,” she said.

Yaira Gonzalez, sophomore in microbiology, said she believes educating society is very important.

“There are a lot of people who don’t know about Hispanics. They think that they are only Mexicans. They should know that Cubans, Puerto Ricans and other Latinos are Hispanics, too,” Gonzalez said.

Other activities planned for the month include a MAYAS fun run around central campus September 18.

The MAYAS Fun Run is a 5K run or 2.5K walk from 9:30 to noon. Registration for the race will be $3 in advance, $5 on the day of the race.

YWCA will be sponsoring a program on Saturday, Sept. 18, called the Weekend Voyagers, aimed at educating elementary school children about Latino culture through such activities as traditional dance and games.

There also will be several speakers throughout the month, including Gonzalo Escudero.

Escudero worked with LucasFilm and Industrial Light and Magic in the making of “Star Wars: Episode One” and will be speaking Sept. 23 in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union.

Villagomez urged the campus community to participate in any of the events throughout the month, especially the closing event on Oct. 15 at MacKay Auditorium, Room 117, that will feature a fashion and talent show.

“We are trying to celebrate the contribution made by various Hispanic and Latino Americans and bring awareness to Latino culture and some of the issues faced today,” Villagomez said.