INDIANOLA, Iowa — As the smell of popcorn filled the Principal Black Box, so did voices of feminism.

Simpson College’s Zeta Gamma cast of Alpha Psi Omega, an honorary theater fraternity, hosted its second annual Pieces About Women event Tuesday as part of Women’s History Month.

The event revolved around this year’s International Women’s Day theme: #BeBoldForChange.

“It’s really just all about being bold to create change in the workplace and within everyday life to just encourage equality,” junior Britteny Johnson, one of the event’s main organizers said.

Thirteen students and groups presented an art form of their choice in a talent show-like fashion, including one painting, original works and a song. Naturally, APO kicked off the night with a multipart set created by its members focusing on topics like feminism, vaginas and “locker room talk.”

Sophomore Audrey Kaus helped write the feminism segment.

“We looked up a ton of stereotypes about feminism, and we wanted to talk about a lot of them and just kind of destroy all of them,” she said.

And destroy them they did, with the help of groups such as the Simpson College Feminists. Members read tweets from @NoToFeminism, some serious misconceptions about feminism, others obviously outlandish.

While some acts were light-hearted and greeted with laughter, others were more serious and personal. Students wrote poems and prose exposing their identities, insecurities and fears.

Regardless of their content, all of them aimed to empower women.

Liz Nimmo, president of the Simpson College Feminist Club, said she believes it’s important to learn about the strides women have made and how far there still is to go.

“We need to acknowledge all of the women who have come before us and have made tremendous efforts to get us to where we are now,” she said. “That history can’t be ignored, and we need to learn more about it because if we forget it, we’ll not really know why it’s so important to fight the fights we’re fighting right now.”

Nimmo and Maria Kosovich performed a slam poem titled “Collapse the Economy” by Olivia Gatwood and Megan Falley. The poem pointed out that if every woman in the world stopped buying cosmetic products and services, every economy in the world would crash overnight. This representation of the power that women had fueled the women’s empowerment in the room.

But all this empowerment and fun didn’t come without a good cause. Attendees were encouraged to bring feminine hygiene products to donate to the Bidwell Riverside Center in Des Moines, a nonprofit organization that helps relieve the strain of poverty on families.

Johnson was pleased with the way the night went.

“I hope that people left feeling like they have a support system here on campus,” she said. “That they have more people out there that are willing to speak out about the same things they are. People that will be with them if they are interested in talking.”