Introducing Cole

It's our first episode of Season 6! 

Join us as Brooklynn (she/they) introduces our newest Violence Prevention Educator, Cole (he/him). Learn more about what brought Cole to the PCA, his go-to karaoke song, and learn song describes them during the fall season!

If you are in crisis and need immediate support, please call our 24/7 interpersonal violence helpline at 303-556-2255.

Request an Appointment with an Advocate at
https://www.thepca.org/online-appointment-request

Request a Violence Prevention Presentation at
https://www.thepca.org/prevention-education

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Transcript

Brooklynn Blue  00:00

Hello and welcome to the Phoenix cast. Hi everybody. Welcome back. My name is Brooklyn, and today we are going to be interviewing one of our newest VPE interns, Cole, Cole, if you want to go ahead and introduce yourself with your name, pronouns and what school you go to.

Speaker 1  00:24

Hi, my name is Cole. I use he, him, pronouns, and I go to CU Denver,

Brooklynn Blue  00:31

awesome. And what is your role at the PCA?

Speaker 1  00:34

So I am a VP intern, so I basically help out with events, do tablings And anything that they need help with. And like the other advocates, just like spread awareness about what we do here on campus

Brooklynn Blue  00:48

Very nice, alrighty. And how did you hear about the PCA?

Speaker 1  00:54

My best friend actually used to be a VPE, and so she would tell me about the work that she did, and I would see her at tablings sometimes, and I thought it would be something that I'd be good at.

Brooklynn Blue  01:04

Shout out. Carolyne Lanyero, she's doing great things now. Alrighty. Do you have any future aspirations, either in this field or other aspirations that you'd like to follow after this?

Speaker 1  01:15

Yes, I'm planning on going to grad school for social work, and so I think that this job that I have now, I think, is good experience, which is why I'm grateful that I have it. And so that's my that's my goal, to work with, probably children, just for and social work aspects, and I think other things that involve the work that I'm doing now,

Brooklynn Blue  01:36

nice, and I mean to ask this earlier. But what are you in school for?

Speaker 1  01:41

I'm majoring in psychology.

Brooklynn Blue  01:44

Excellent. We love the social sciences. Alrighty. Now we kind of want to get to know you. For you. What are some like, hobbies or passions that you have right now? I know used to do crochet club. Are you still in that?

Speaker 1  01:58

I am we haven't started yet this semester, but I'm planning on doing that. I go to Asa, I go to LSA on campus. I love watching movies and I love music. Music is my favorite thing. I love going out with my friends or staying in with my friends, going to concerts, hence liking music. Yeah!

Brooklynn Blue  02:21

very fun. All right, we've got some extra questions for you just to get you know you better. Would you rather be able to speak any language of your choice or talk with animals?

Speaker 1  02:34

I would say probably talk to animals, because I think that would be very interesting.

Brooklynn Blue  02:40

Do you have any animals you would talk to specifically, once you had this ability?

Speaker 1  02:44

Probably raccoons. I feel like they have a lot to say, and they are smarter than I think they think they are

Brooklynn Blue  02:55

interesting. All right, if you could have anyone's wardrobe, who would you pick?

Speaker 1  03:00

Um, currently, I would probably say any, any member of BTS, because I love them and they have great clothes, or Sabrina Carpenter, because obviously,

Brooklynn Blue  03:15

shout out, Sabrina. Yeah, I hope you're listening. Queen. We love you. What is your go to karaoke song?

Speaker 1  03:25

My go to karaoke song has pretty much always been one last time by Ariana Grande or again by Ariana Grande Santa Tell me, even if it's not Christmas time, because I feel like it's those two are very good, very hard, but very good character songs.

Brooklynn Blue  03:43

I agree, very nice. If you could be famous in any capacity, either like sports or like a celebrity or a singer, what would you choose? And why?

Speaker 1  03:55

I've always said that I would choose to be an actor. I think that's kind of like my like, if you could, what would you be, if anything? And I've always said actor, because I think it's very interesting to like be someone that you're not and get paid for it, and get decently paid for hopefully, and I think it's just really fun. And again, I love movies, so I love dissecting actors in the sense of like their work. But yeah, I think that's what I would be.

Brooklynn Blue  04:20

 Good. And I know you're big on kind of media literacy. Can you kind of, like, describe to us what that is and why you're interested in it?

Speaker 1  04:27

 Yeah, I am very interested in media literacy. I think I've always been very intrigued after watching movies, kind of like, you know, dissecting the plot or, like, the characters. And why did this person do this? And why? What are the tropes? And I think it's just basically, it's just like being aware of certain things or certain stereotypes that are portrayed in movies, whether it comes to, like, race, gender, etc. And I think that's what's been really interesting. I think it's also hence me doing psychology, which is it just comes natural.

Brooklynn Blue  04:57

Yeah, of course, I'm also super interested. So keep an eye out for a media literacy podcast from Brooklyn and Cole. All right. Describe your ideal day in terms of meals and snacks.

Speaker 1  05:11

In terms of meals and snacks, I would say probably I usually like a lighter breakfast, just because it's just what I'm in the mood for, and then I feel like something with healthy, I guess, if you want to stay healthy for lunch, like a sandwich or just like something light again. And I feel like, usually, I'll snack throughout the day. So like, I love, I love, like, fruit snacks, granola bars, grapes, like fruit and then, like, I guess dinner probably like, I love chicken and rice. It's my favorite. I feel like you can do anything with any kind of chicken, any kind of rice, and then I love sprites. So probably a cold Sprite from like the can out of the fridge,

Brooklynn Blue  05:52

excellent. The McDonald's Sprite. Are you a fan of that?

Speaker 1  05:55

I am, I am.

Brooklynn Blue  05:58

We're sharing a microphone. Sometimes we're quieter than usual. I'm sorry. Alrighty, what is the best compliment someone could give you?

Speaker 1  06:08

The best compliment someone can give me would be that I smell nice. I think it's my favorite compliment ever, because I try really hard to smell nice so I can whenever someone hugs me and they're like, Oh, you smell so nice, I think it's because I love when people smell nice too. So I'm like, I think it's a great compliment to give and to get.

Brooklynn Blue  06:24

 I agree. I also love being totally smell nice. Um, do you have like, a signature scent that you like to use?

Speaker 1  06:30

Yes, my favorite one is, uh, cloud by Ariana Grande. I think it just smells very nice. Or also, Sweet Tooth by Sabrina Carpenter, because I just, I've been told that when I wear it,  I smell like a sugar cookie, and I think that's a good compliment

Brooklynn Blue  06:44

Absolutely. Alrighty, I know you talked a lot about, like, your love for music and how passionate you are about that and going to concerts. If you could have VIP tickets to every show for the rest of your life, which band would you pick?

Speaker 1  06:58

BTS, I've already seen them one time, but for the rest of my life, if I could see them every show, I definitely would.

Brooklynn Blue  07:05

even if it meant traveling around the world all the time with them, going on tour.

Speaker 1  07:09

Yes! obviously, of course, of course.

Brooklynn Blue  07:13

Alrighty. And then, do you know what the Purge is? Have you seen those movies?

Speaker 1  07:18

The Purge is actually like my favorite, like one of my favorite horror Trilogies for a movie. I love, I love the purge.

Brooklynn Blue  07:27

Okay well then you and I are going to do a media literacy podcast on that, because it's also my favorite. Um, if you had a purge day, what would you be doing? 

07:36

Like a real, real purge? Um, I What would I do? I would probably, like, steal, but like, from like, Target or WalMart, like, big companies, corporations. I would steal or, like, find a way to get anything I could off Amazon, but like, not have to pay. Or, like, I don't know how you steal from Amazon, but probably that or, or just like, I don't know, like, I think that. I think that might be it actually just steal from there.

Brooklynn Blue  08:11

yeah, what are we stealing? Are we seeing? Like, clothes, fun stuff, Sabrina, carpenter vinyls,

Speaker 1  08:19

definitely vinyls, because the target has good vinyls, but clothes, snacks, candles, perfumes, because perfumes are hella expensive. Yeah, nothing too. It's like very specific, very niche things to me. I think

Brooklynn Blue  08:38

I agree that sounds like an excellent purge day. I'll have to join you. Do you believe in aliens and what do you think they look like?

Speaker 1  08:49

 I do not believe in aliens, sorry to the fans, but I do not believe in aliens if I if they're but I always say I don't believe in aliens, and I don't believe in ghosts, but I believe in people who believe in them, like, if you say I believe in aliens or I've seen a ghost, I feel like period. And I, personally, I thought about this a lot, actually, if they were real, and if they are real, I think they would, I feel like they would look like us, just like, maybe a little advanced or maybe less advanced, I don't know, but I don't think they're like, big, big eyed, big headed, green like, I don't think that's true, but I think they probably look not very different from us.

Brooklynn Blue  09:30

That's so sweet of you to believe in people. That's hilarious. I know you lived in Las Vegas for a little bit before you moved here. Can you tell us a little bit about that?

Speaker 1  09:41

Yes, I lived there from, I think I was, we moved when I was 12, so it's been about like eight and a half years, but it was good. I think I was, I was, like, I was a kid. So I think that was, like my main childhood. So even though it wasn't super safe, I would like walk around my neighborhood, or there's like there's pretty good parks. I would, I mean, I don't know, I couldn't really go downtown, obviously, because I was a child, but it was nice. It's so hot, which made it nice because there's a lot of pools. And so I would swim a lot in the summer, go over to friends, places and swim, run outside, riding my bike, water balloon fights in the summer, anything. But you could also do that in like the winter, the fall, because, again, it's like 56 at the lowest in the fall. But it was nice for it was a good place, I think, to have a childhood

Brooklynn Blue  10:37

that's so good, that's so sweet. I'm glad you made it out safe. But follow up question, if you had to, like, design a hotel that was, like, coal themed, like, what would we see? What would be featured

Speaker 1  10:51

for a hotel? There would definitely be a pool. And I think a pool like, I've always thought it was, like, cool, like the pools that have the slides that start on the inside, and then half of the slide is on the outside, and then it comes back to the inside. It's like an indoor pool, an outdoor pool. Definitely, like cute little like cafes of different themes, like, I don't know, just like anything that you could think of, for any kind of esthetics. Definitely like a concert party type lounge where you could listen to music, kind of like they have on, like, cruise ships, I guess. And then a lot of places to get food, obviously. And different kinds of food very spacious too, like their owns would be very spacious. You would have a lot of privacy, yeah. And there would be a lot, like a lot of plants and a lot of greenery. And very like nature, risk,

Brooklynn Blue  11:44

very cool, very cool. Do you have any like color schemes, you think, like fun lights

Speaker 1  11:52

I think definitely, definitely different kinds of colors, but very like greenery, purple is my favorite color, blues and all like different hues of like those colors. But I think especially if they're just different cafes, I feel like they all have their different like, color scheme esthetics,

Brooklynn Blue  12:11

very nice. Alrighty. Um, do you watch reality TV

Speaker 1  12:16

sometimes?

Brooklynn Blue  12:18

Okay, do you have a favorite reality TV show, or should we skip this question? 

Speaker 1  12:22

I do have one. I I guess there's two, like, versions of it, but I think, like, keeping up with Kardashians, or the Kardashians, I think during like, COVID, I think I, like, started watching clips on YouTube, and then I was like, Oh, this is kind of fierce. So I started watching it because I think they're so funny, and I know they're people think whatever of them, but I honestly think they're funny, like it entertains me because I think they're, I don't know they're I just like, I like the idea of, like, wow, they have so much money. And I just like, live vicariously through them.

Brooklynn Blue  12:58

Honestly, that's real valid. Why else would we watch reality TV? Alrighty, what do you think signifies the start of fall, and what are you most looking forward to during this fall season?

Speaker 1  13:11

I think for me, even though it doesn't feel like it right now, when it kind of gets to that temperature, like weather, where it's like, it's not cloudy and like, gloomy, but it's still sunny, but it's like, 60, maybe high 50s, but there's like, a slight breeze, or maybe even high, maybe even, like, 70, but the breeze makes it feel a lot less like, when I get that little like, ooh, that little chill, I feel that little breeze, I'm like, okay, fall is Coming, hopefully soon. And then also, I think especially on our campus, like when the leaves start turning, like, orangey and red, I think that's definitely, like, a very tell, a very telling sign of fall. And then what I'm looking forward to do is want to go to pumpkin patch, like put my patches, and just like, make, I don't know, maybe like, cute little treats, or just like, dress nicer, just kind of cute. And then just like, be outside more. I think I'm gonna appreciate walking to class more just being outside instead of, like, feeling like I'm dying or in the equator. So I think that I'm just, I'm just, I'm just being outside, doing cute things, going out more. And I think, I don't know, I think fall also, like encapsulates change, and I think kind of manifesting that change for me in a lot of other aspects, along with the weather

Brooklynn Blue  14:39

very nice. I know I'm excited to walk to class and not be boiling all the time. Oh, I think 90 degrees in October is a hate crime, alrighty. What is something that scares you in the mood of spooky season?

Speaker 1  14:53

Spiders, they've always scared me. I really hate them. I. I think this is, like, such a, like, a very niche thing, but just like, forever, like me, for like, personally, like, the thought of, like, being in the middle of the ocean, like, like, square in the middle of the ocean, usually, probably at night, and just like being stranded and then, like, huge waves, just, I can't like it, like, it's so like, the thought of that is so scary. And so that's like, my biggest like, I guess irrational fear, or maybe it's rational, I don't know, but spiders, I don't like spiders. I don't like bugs. I don't know. I don't like that. They're everywhere, and you can't always see them. Yeah,

Brooklynn Blue  15:35

very interesting. Yeah, no, I'm also afraid of spiders, and your fear of being alone in the middle of the ocean is not irrational at all. That sounds terrifying. Back on the topic of music, if you had to pick a song to describe you like relatively around this time in your life, or just like in general, what song do you think

Speaker 1  15:59

you'd pick that is such a good and hard question. I think, my gosh, I'm gonna have to, there might be a glitch, because I'm gonna have to think about this a song like, then come sees me. Now I would, this is really hard. Like, currently, like me currently. Now, I would probably say it's gonna probably be my superna carpenter. Let's be real. That's who I'm listening to. She has a song called, I think it's called exhale, and it's just about her, like, I don't know, exhaling and just like, like, kind of just being at peace with things, and like understanding her own self. And just like, not and like, I guess, advocating for herself more, and just like letting herself exhale and like, I guess, exhale out of exhale out all the negative things. And just like being her own person, more and growing. I think, as a person, I think that's what I got from the song. So I think where I am now, in the season of life, in the season of maybe even fall, I think that's a good one that I could think of off the top of my head, because I didn't

Brooklynn Blue  17:13

know that was a really sweet explanation. I really like that. Thank you. And then just to wrap it up, kind of as the semester is picking up everyone's busy and going through stuff, how do you practice self care?

Speaker 1  17:28

Music, I think has been for as long as I can remember, my number one form of self care, like listening to it constantly, whenever I can, in whatever mood I'm in, because there's music for every mood that you're in, taking naps. I think I try to take a nap like, at least once a day, like I have to for my physical and mental health. And then I think drinking lots of water. I know that's very like typical, but I think for me, it generally makes me feel good when I'm like, even the thought of like, knowing that I'm drinking water, and just like, I don't know, like taking time for myself, especially in the mornings before class or, like, after class, and just making sure that I'm prioritizing, I think the most important relationship that I have, which is with myself, because then I can nourish the ones that I have with others. So that's always been a big one, especially during the semester, especially during school, even though it's so hard to find the time to do it now, but I think when I do find the time, it's very beneficial.

Brooklynn Blue  18:28

Thank you so much for sharing that everyone that has been Cole thank you so much for joining me today. You all can expect to hear them on more of our future podcasts, and so keep an eye out for those and we will see you next time on The Phoenix cast you.