In order to promote women’s issues and spread awareness, The Margaret Sloss Women’s Center’s annual spring open house will be held today.

“Cool Women Scooping Ice Cream” is the theme of the event. Volunteers, as well as special invited guests, will be scooping ice cream between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Women’s Center Director Pamela Thomas said everyone is welcome to come to the open house and enjoy some ice cream.

“It is part of a welcoming back to campus for the spring semester for the Women’s Center,” she said.

Among the special invited guests who will be scooping are Laura Bestler, student activities program coordinator for the Student Activities Center; Penny Rosenthal, director of Adult Learner and Commuter Student Programs; women’s head basketball coach Bill Fennelly and wife Deb Fennelly; and Stacey Eustachy, wife of men’s head basketball coach Larry Eustachy.

Classes and organizations recruit the Women’s Center to put on programs for men and women. The purpose of the Women’s Center is to share awareness of issues that impact women, Thomas said.

Thomas said the center’s goal is to create a climate that is warm and encourages women to be successful.

Bestler said the Women’s Center is a valuable asset to Iowa State students and faculty.

“The Women’s Center is a jewel at Iowa State, and more students need to find out about the resources and what the staff can do for them,” Bestler said.

A fall open house also is annually held. This fall’s theme was “Sensitive Men Flipping Burgers,” and it featured appearances by Fennelly, Eustachy, and J. Herman Black, director of African-American studies.

Jasmine Sampoornan, culture coordinator at the Women’s Center, said the fall open house “turned out really well, and there was a huge response.”

More than 300 students, faculty and staff stopped by the center during the fall program. The center also introduced its new programs, which are targeted toward men, during that event.