When moving to a new place and discovering a new community, it can initially be difficult to feel included. Approaching a new challenge often only starts getting easier once you feel as though you are a part of something larger.

Pinball Jones, a local arcade and pinball bar, is doing just that. Thursday was the kickoff event for the Women, Trans and Femme Pinball Collective, formed by five women with the mission to create a welcoming environment for all women, including transgender and feminine-identifying people. 

Through a shared enjoyment for the game, Aprille Sonnier, Savannah Brown, Erika Stonebay, Andrea Exendine and Andy Roetman said they were inspired to collaborate on a project that could speak to those feeling ostracized in today’s world. By shaping the collective into a space that everyone feels welcomed and included in, the idea behind it is emphasized even more clearly.

“Everything that’s going on in the world is designed to make us feel alone, and this is to bring us together and to make us feel empowered; we can take up space, and our voice matters,” said Sonnier, an extension education graduate student at Colorado State University and WTF Collective council member.

 “That’s my favorite thing about the pinball community, is that it truly is for everyone. My community is full of weirdos; there’s not one person who shows up and is ostracized. It’s all about coming as who you are.” –Savannah Brown, WTF Collective organizer

Pinball Jones has fostered an environment surrounding the game of pinball since its founding in 2011, only expanding through things like leagues. However, the vision of the collective was shaped by a dissatisfaction with less-inclusive opportunities in current politics and society, Brown said.

“I think any opportunity for folks who have an identity that’s ostracized or something that’s just not powerful in commonplace society, … that it’s really important that everybody takes the place they deserve,” Brown said.

Sonnier and Brown emphasized their relationship with Pinball Jones’ owners Zach Zorich and Aiden Lancaster and credited them heavily in the creation of the collective.

“They have been nothing but supportive in helping us get this started, and I think, likewise, just as business owners in the community they see a value … outside of just the benefitting their business,” Sonnier said. “Stuff like this benefits the community.”

After returning to several Pinball Jones events, the council behind the league spent time putting together ideas and collaborating on designs — an aspect that Sonnier partially credited to her studies.

“It’s all about designing community-education programs for a wide variety of backgrounds,” Sonnier said. “I definitely brought a lot of that background to the table.”

This aspect has shone through in things like the league’s logo — which is pink and orange — and its strategic use of accessible colors to appeal to a wider audience. 

“The inspiration really just falls on the community I already had at this point to get accessible for other people and share the joy I find,” Brown said.

As the collective shifts, changes and grows, Brown said they aim to expand the league further into the community.

“Personally, I’m really excited to just essentially indoctrinate people into the thing I like so much,” Brown said.

With Brown’s passion on full display, the collective appears to be moving and expanding in every way it can.

“That’s my favorite thing about the pinball community, is that it truly is for everyone,” Brown said. “My community is full of weirdos; there’s not one person who shows up and is ostracized. It’s all about coming as who you are.” 

Reach Tobias Thomasson at life@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.