Interview with Devin James
InterviewerInterviewed by
Felicia Pilewski
Date2023 February 23
Mediumborn digital audio file
DimensionsDuration: 18 Minutes, 6 Seconds
ClassificationsInformation Artifacts
Credit LineCommunity History Project Collection
Object number2022.20.56a-b
Description(a) Audio file of interview with Devin James. He was interviewed by Felicia Pilewski on February 23, 2023 in New Haven, Connecticut. (b) Photograph of Devin James taken at his interview. He was interviewed as part of the Connecticut Historical Society's Community History Project discussing his experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
At the time of the interview Devin James was a 17-year-old high school student living in New Haven, Connecticut. In March of 2020, Devin was in 8th grade. He described the transition to online learning as very difficult, and at first, he struggled with the motivation to complete his work. However, at some point he decided he might as well try to keep up, and by the time of his 8th grade graduation, he had won an award for his academic improvement.
Devin recalled struggling with weight gain at the start of the pandemic, but upon entering high school, discovered a love for sports. He started playing football during his freshman year and lost a lot of weight from exercise. He described this period as meaningful because he was getting a “new start to a new life of being an athlete.”
Devin described the increase in violence in his community, which he attributed to the pandemic and people being “locked up.” He noted that it was especially affecting young people and attributed this partially to the impact of social media as well. When asked about his mental health and whether his approach to mental health changed, Devin responded that he became much more aware of it. In fact, he discovered a love of psychology and expressed the desire to study psychology in college and one day become a therapist.
NotesSubject Note: The Connecticut Historical Society’s Community History Project (CHP) is a public-facing initiative, focused on contemporary collecting, gathering items of the recent past as well as from events happening today. This program developed community historians to identify, document, and preserve their experiences as residents of Connecticut, and to share these experiences during a series of community presentations. The project focused on the impact of Covid-19 on Connecticans, particularly on Black and Brown communities, funeral homes, and on nursing home and elder care populations.At the time of the interview Devin James was a 17-year-old high school student living in New Haven, Connecticut. In March of 2020, Devin was in 8th grade. He described the transition to online learning as very difficult, and at first, he struggled with the motivation to complete his work. However, at some point he decided he might as well try to keep up, and by the time of his 8th grade graduation, he had won an award for his academic improvement.
Devin recalled struggling with weight gain at the start of the pandemic, but upon entering high school, discovered a love for sports. He started playing football during his freshman year and lost a lot of weight from exercise. He described this period as meaningful because he was getting a “new start to a new life of being an athlete.”
Devin described the increase in violence in his community, which he attributed to the pandemic and people being “locked up.” He noted that it was especially affecting young people and attributed this partially to the impact of social media as well. When asked about his mental health and whether his approach to mental health changed, Devin responded that he became much more aware of it. In fact, he discovered a love of psychology and expressed the desire to study psychology in college and one day become a therapist.
Cataloging Note: This cataloging project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services MA-249472-OMS-21.
Status
Not on view
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