Colton Jaquith

SPEAKERS: Julia Barnwell, Colton Jaquith

BARNWELL: I'm Julia Barnwell with the Covid oral history project at Wells College. Today's date is Monday, April 11th, 2022. I'm in Main building with Colton Jaquith. This is an unrehearsed, recorded interview. Thank you for joining us today.

JAQUITH: You're welcome.

BARNWELL: So, I'm just gonna ask you a little bit about yourself. Could you start by telling us your full name?

JAQUITH: Colton Pirez Jaquith.

BARNWELL: Date of birth?

JAQUITH: October 26th, 2000.

BARNWELL: And where you were born?

JAQUITH: I was born in Niskayuna, New York.

BARNWELL: And where did you live growing up?

JAQUITH: Also in Niskayuna, New York.

BARNWELL: Okay, what was it like there?

JAQUITH: Basically like this but a lot worse because there wasn't lake effect, but it is right by Albany if anyone knows where that is. It gets brutally cold. Like, worse than here.

BARNWELL: Yea, that's miserable. So, is it similar or different from Aurora?

JAQUITH: I mean, the lake definitely has an effect in terms of the wind it brings.

BARNWELL: Interesting. Would you be interested in sharing a childhood memory?

JAQUITH: So, one of the childhood stories that I remember the most was, I mean, sort of when I was a child. I was 12 years old. My sister- older sister, was going to the bathroom, and it was her time of the month. I had no idea what that meant. So, my older sister Olivia was in the bathroom, and she yells my name. So I come running up the stairs and I'm like 'what, what do you need?', and getting all antsy. She was like 'I need a pad' and I was like 'it's weird that she would need that in the bathroom', so I ran back downstairs. She was very confused at what I was doing. I ran downstairs, grabbed her a pad of paper and a pen, and came back up, and stuck my hand through the door, and I was like 'here', and she was like 'what in the hell are you doing?' And I was like 'well you said you wanted a pad'. So then she had to explain to me what that was. That was my first interaction the female body. And she was like 'no go right there'. And I said 'well, what the hell does this do?', and she was like 'you'll get there eventually.

BARNWELL: Oh, that's kind of cute. I love that. Okay, well let's jump ahead in time to when you started thinking about college. So when did you first start thinking about going to college? Was it something you always thought you were going to do?

JAQUITH: Uh, well I didn't really have a choice. A lot of my siblings and my whole family went to college. My mom and dad put themselves through college. All of my siblings went to college. There was never an option of 'oh maybe I don't go to college. That was just never an option. So I didn't really start looking at colleges until junior year. Luckily, I visited so many colleges between my older sister Olivia, and my middle sister Isabelle, cuz Isabelle is two years older than me and Olivia is five years older than me, so I had been to a bunch of colleges but also none that I could get into because my sisters are very smart. So I didn't start looking until my junior year, and that was kind of a broad movement. I think the one thing I regret though, is that I only applied to colleges I knew that I could for sure get into. And most of them I knew I could play soccer at. That was my main focus.

BARNWELL: Okay, did you have any expectations of what college would be like?

JAQUITH: Not a chance. I feel like everyone has that moment in high school of like 'oh I need to get my shit together, um so my expectations of freshman year especially were 'oh I don't have to do shit' like, they assign me a project that's due in two months.. well I guess I'm chilling for a month and a half. An it wasn't until the end of freshman year that I realized 'oh I need to do my shit'. I also expected the cliche college party movie scene, but when I got to Wells, they didn't have that.

BARNWELL: Nope, not here.

JAQUITH: Yea, so if it weren't for soccer and the good business program here, I probably wouldn't have stayed.

BARNWELL: Yea we do have a good business program. One of our most developed. So when did you first hear about wells?

JAQUITH: So, my head coach of my club team was the coach for SUNY Cobleskill men's soccer team. He still is to this day. Um, I had first gotten an email from the old coach, Jim Clemente, September of my senior year, so right during my fall season, and I ignored it. I thought it was a scam to get your money. And then Clemente had reached out to Michago, who was my head coach, and that's when I first heard about it. And I first started talking about it and found that so many other people had been to wells. When I go out in public with wells gear, someone always stops me and talks about someone they know who went to Wells. So, I didn't realize how big of a connection Wells has, especially in New York, until I actually went and visited.

BARNWELL: And then, what made you decide to come to Wells officially?

JAQUITH: Officially, probably.. and this sounds horrible, but soccer.

BARNWELL: Yea I don't think that's horrible. That makes sense.

JAQUITH: I knew that I was going to have a fighting chance. I didn't think I was gonna start when I came in my freshman year of soccer. I didn't think so. There was a senior goalie here. He was way more athletic than me. I've always been a big kid. He ended up getting injured in the first game of the season and I never sat on the bench again, for my freshman year. Yes, so that was definitely an interesting time for me. But then also when I came to visit I looked at the business department, and I met with Kevin Miles, head of the business department 00:06:00and that really took a turn on where I was deciding. But also the guys that were around me. But the best part was I didn't declare to Wells until July. And I moved in in August.

BARNWELL: oh wow. Just in time to move in. No such thing as a late policy here. So, what did you plan on studying while you were here? I know you said business, but did you jump around at all?

JAQUITH: well um, growing up there was the astronaut and the cop and whatever. I used to love cops. No, not anymore. And then I switched over and wanted to do interior design.

BARNWELL: Oh that's fair:

JAQUITH: because I love HD TV. I love watching house renovation shows. And what's funny, on a side note, as I went to my grandmother's on my mom's side and she's a realtor. She used to work at a bank but is now a realtor in Miami. I went and visited some houses with her and then started spewing out ideas of what I would do with the place. And this lady came up to me, mind I was 16 that the time and asked where I was studying for interior design. I was like, I'm in high school.

BARNWELL: It's a sign!

JAQUITH: yeah, I really wanted to do that at first, but then I realized that you have to draw for interior design. I cannot draw. I can barely trust shape. I can barely draw a heart.

BARNWELL: Oh god.

JAQUITH: so then I was like, what can I do that involves me talking. I'm very good at talking to people.

BARNWELL: I agree.

JAQUITH: so I picked business. A know it all just comes naturally at this point.

BARNWELL: So is that your current major?

JAQUITH: It is. I will also be getting a minor in hospitality management. Ironically I took all of the classes that I needed for the minor unintentionally. They were all business classes except for one psychology class, which I took because I almost got an education minor. Potentially if I wanted, I could graduate with a bachelor's in business, and minors in hospitality and management, sports management, and education. But I haven't declared sports management or education, now that I think about it I haven't declared the hospitality either. I should really do that.

BARNWELL: At some point. Maybe after this interview.

JAQUITH: Yep. Yeah probably.

BARNWELL: Um, so do you have any plans for after this year..? Because you are a senior.

JAQUITH: Yeah. The plan is to move to Ithaca. My sister's boyfriend's brother has offered to rent me out of space in his apartment complex for a couple months so I can build up some savings to get my own place. I will be working as a car dealer. I actually have to tell them whether or not of excepted their offer by 00:09:00Friday. I'm not sure as for anything else though. Otherwise, I don't really know. People always ask mean interviews what my plan is in five years or where I see myself in 10 years. I know for sure I can never answer the ten year question. In five years I at least hope to be successful in whatever I'm doing, but I don't know what I wanna be doing. I haven't experienced my view of what my life is going to be. So it's definitely gonna be an undertaking of me figuring out what I like, and what I don't like. But that's for me to decide and for me to figure out because it's my life.

BARNWELL: Yeah I get that. Everyone always says that you figure your life out in college, but man, I still don't know what I'm doing.

JAQUITH: You've got some time.

BARNWELL: Hopefully. So, let's turn to the pandemic now. When did you first start hearing about COVID-19?

JAQUITH: right. It was spring break my sophomore year. I was in Florida at the time.

BARNWELL: Oh. There was a big issue in Florida I remember.

JAQUITH: Yeah, so we started going out last while we were in Florida. I was with my grandfather at the time he was in his 80s. So it wasn't really the best idea to go out.

BARNWELL: No.

JAQUITH: but, we were on vacation, at that point we had two weeks left of school so they just put everything online. My parents found out that both my sister and I were going to be online so we all decided to stay in Florida for another week. We actually stayed in Florida for two weeks. And then when I traveled back home, I was in virtual learning. That was the first-ever, like, school was closing down.

BARNWELL: Yeah, that's scary. So what were people around you saying about Covid at the time?

JAQUITH: my mom was freaking out at the time, of course, because of her father. I thought it was fake. My sister believed it, but looked at it more as something of the flu. I was in complete denial. I didn't think anyone here was going to get it.

BARNWELL: Oh my gosh. Hm. Let me think of what else I can ask. When did you finally realize Covid was turning into something serious?

JAQUITH: that was probably when we had to start wearing masks on campus.

BARNWELL: and that was when you came back your junior year?

JAQUITH: Yeah. The start of Junior year was when mass kind of became a thing.

BARNWELL: that was my freshman year, so all I've ever experienced is masks on campus for college. No matter what.

JAQUITH: That sucks. You can't see anybody's face. In some cases, you don't want to, but in other cases you do. But, coming to school with a mask for moving day, I thought that was stupid. Like, I don't wanna do this. But then, as we went 00:12:00through my junior year I was really starting to realize that people were getting cases. Cayuga County was really bad at one point, and I was like this isn't good. And, yeah. It was definitely an undertaking for some people because I didn't have a soccer season my junior year. No one had a fall sport.

BARNWELL: Right. That's miserable.

JAQUITH: I felt horrible for the seniors, more than I did for the freshman because it was their last season.

BARNWELL: Yeah, that stinks. I'm gonna rewind back for a second back to when the lockdown started. So this is maybe when you return back from Florida, but we're still stuck at home. So, where were you in lockdown started? Was it right from Florida to your own house?

JAQUITH: So for lockdown, I was home at that point. That was horrible. I don't like being home. I like visiting. Don't get me wrong I like visiting home, but being the baby of the family, my mom was very protective, and she cares. It's not a bad thing that she cares about people, but it gets a bit annoying. So, I'd be doing my classes, and I get done with my classes, and then my mom would be like hey come empty the dishwasher. No. I have homework to do. I didn't have homework to do I just didn't want to empty the dishwasher.

BARNWELL: That's fair, yanno.

JAQUITH: If it was my dishes, id do it. That's around the time when I started doing my own laundry. My mom was like, well throw this in there, and I was like that's not my laundry. She was like this is my house. And of course, I put it in the basket.

BARNWELL: Yeah, we've all been there. Who did you spend lockdown with? Was it exclusively your family?

JAQUITH: It was.

BARNWELL: And then, who was in that household with you?

JAQUITH: It was my mom, my dad, and just Isabelle, because Olivia lived in Elmira at the time, with her boyfriend. She worked at WENY News. She was an anchor there. So, that was so much fun.

BARNWELL: And now, what was a daily routine for you during the lockdown?

JAQUITH: probably wouldn't go to bed until 4 AM.

BARNWELL: Oh my god.

JAQUITH: it's a daily routine now. Wake up at like 10, probably log on and do some homework, eat some breakfast, sleep again, eat some food, do some more homework, and then later in the night when it got towards dinner, I'd have a massive dessert, because like, I like ice cream. Chocolate chip cookie dough. And then I would stay up and play Xbox with my friends from school until like 4 AM again.

BARNWELL: yeah, that's fair. What challenges did you and the people in your household face during the lockdown together?

JAQUITH: annoyance. I mean, it kind of helped because I was an essential worker, so I had to work in a warehouse with a bunch of guys that aren't the best with hygiene. So, we had to wear a mask and that was not fun. But I also had to top that with school. So sometimes I would be in my warehouse working, while on a zoom on my phone. But luckily I got to skip out on the annoyance part sometimes. Because I'd be working like 16 hours a day. I got to skip out on that part. But, the annoyance of the parents acting like you're a teenager was not fun. Like, there were some days when I just wanted to leave, and they were like you can't. Lockdown. And I was like, shit.

BARNWELL: Were there any unexpected benefits to you being in lockdown?

JAQUITH: I got to focus more on myself I would say.

BARNWELL: Yeah, I feel like that's a pretty common one.

JAQUITH: there was a lot of things that I need to work on as a person. On a side note, going into my junior year, before that, I was in the hospital actually. It was actually right after lockdown it happened. I was in the hospital for a week, for depression. But, it wasn't so much I wanted to kill myself, as it was trying to end the pain I was feeling, or feel a different pain. I still have the scars to prove it, but I ended up taking 40 ibuprofen.

BARNWELL: And this was not because of COVID, but was because...?

JAQUITH: it didn't help that Covid was a thing. Because of Covid, I couldn't see... The whole thing happened because of a breakup, but I couldn't see the person that broke up with me, like, just to get an explanation, because of Covid. So I was sort of stuck, like, in my own thoughts.

BARNWELL: you and I were in about the same boat, at about the same time.

JAQUITH: so, I just tried to distract myself. I started working out and things of that sort, to just work on myself as a person.

BARNWELL: And now, switching to a student during the pandemic. What challenges did you face?

JAQUITH: EVERYTHING.

BARNWELL: can you go ahead and give me a comparison between school before and 00:18:00after the pandemic, specifically at Wells?

JAQUITH: Uh, before, during, and after, or just one?

BARNWELL: before, during, and after, please.

JAQUITH: before Covid, this place sucked. I'm not gonna lie.

BARNWELL: why did it suck?

JAQUITH: I mean, it's fun in the sense that there was more people on campus at the time but, there wasn't really anything to do. I was a freshman at the time, and there wasn't really much to do as a freshman. And then right around when Covid happened, it was like going through the motions in a sense, through classes. When Covid hit it was horrible, especially because I got Covid on campus, and that just wasn't fun.

BARNWELL: I recall that.

JAQUITH: I got it twice. The first time was on campus, and the second time was over winter break, this past winter break. And, I mean, I want to talk about after Covid, but I know people on campus right now who have it. So, I really can't see what Wells is like after Covid, because I might not be here.

BARNWELL: That's a good point. Uh, so, Wells has lots of traditions. How are they impacted by Covid, and everything, as far as you know?

JAQUITH: there are certain things that I don't know about, which is not what you're asking of course. ODD EVEN was really impacted and now they're switching it up this year, where it's male and female on the same team. And, my view on that is not having an issue with it being male and female as in a sense that if you want to identify as whatever, that's your opinion, but when it comes to the tradition itself, it has been that way since co-ed started at this school. That's the issue that I have with that. It's that, why all of the sudden are we changing the tradition when both male and female get to participate in it, just two different seasons. That's been fine over the years. All of the sudden, with everything that's going on in the world, we're deciding to change it. Like, a school tradition is a school tradition. Keep it that way on purpose. That's why it's a tradition.

BARNWELL: Yea that's definitely one of the big ones. And, have you noticed a difference in perception from the friends you have here, compared to the ones you hang out with at home?

JAQUITH: I guess yes, but that was more of when Covid wasn't a thing, like right now. Like, going home, nobody wears masks. Wells still is. I guess I can understand that, especially when only 67% of the campus went and got tested. It was very frustrating. But even back at home and in LA, you didn't have to wear a mask, you just had to show your vaccination card, otherwise, he did have to wear a mask. At home, the only time I had to show my vaccination card was when I went out to the bar. Being at Wells, we have to wear masks all the time. However, when I'm off campus I don't have to wear it. And it's really starting to get to the point where, at least from my perspective, if I get it again, for the third time I'm either gonna be fine, or I'm gonna be hospitalized. So, in my opinion, I don't give a shit.

BARNWELL: I see. And now, we're going to jump to even more controversial shit. So, government responses, right? As scientists learn more about the virus, government officials begin to impose mandates. What did you think about mask mandates when they first came out?

JAQUITH: I thought it was smart to have mask mandates in some areas, but then I also thought that it might be bad in a sense, with how they responded. Um, it was kind of hard to pick out when it was a good time versus when it was a bad time to have these out, and depending on what area you were in. The issue was that each city and each town was different and how they live their lives, so it was very hard to say oh you have to do this, or you have to do that, versus local governments setting up their rules.

BARNWELL: OK, and what did you think of the vaccine mandates when they became a thing?

JAQUITH: I thought it was dumb not to get the vaccine, just because-- I understand if it was against a religion or culture, not two, that is a different story, but in the sense of being arrogant to where they don't want it or don't think they need it, that annoyed me. Especially with being at Wells, they said that if we had our vaccinations and boosters we didn't have to get tested weekly anymore. They just did mass testing when we returned from breaks, and things like that. That makes sense. But for the people who decided that they were too good to get the vaccination, that drove me insane sometimes.

BARNWELL: Mhm. So, the government provided stimulus checks. What did you think of that decision? Where are you, like, affected by it in any way?

JAQUITH: personally, I was not. I can understand it in some cases. The difficult part about all of these questions is that they're very circumstantial.

BARNWELL: Right

JAQUITH: in my opinion, of where I was, there was some people around me who definitely needed it. Like, I understand that. But they were also still working. They needed that money plus the money they were getting from working. It annoyed me when, with especially how easy it was to get a job during the pandemic, that people were like, oh I'm getting this check so I don't need to work. And, especially when they upped it, I was like, you talk about unemployment being at such a high level, and that's why you're making those stimulus checks. People are just quitting their jobs because you're making these stimulus checks. So, at one point I was working three different jobs, because I was taking advantage of making that money, because nobody wanted to work.

BARNWELL: That's fair. So, several political protest took place during this period. Many had to do with Covid, but others were associated with the Black Lives Matter, and other social movements. Did you are the others around you protest or participate in any way?

JAQUITH: I did not personally. My mom is very vocal in our local government, so she was definitely out protesting for women's rights and Black Lives Matter. My view-- I really don't have a view on it, because I can't say one way or another. I guess it's somewhat of an unfortunate event. I haven't experienced that. I will honestly tell you, I have white privilege. That's a known thing. It's not that I'm proud of it, it's just that is a thing in the world today. And so, I never experienced what it was like. I couldn't really come up with my own view on these protests because I'm not someone who's just gonna join a group for the shits and gigs. Like, I'm not gonna join a protest that I don't know the information behind it, and haven't come up with my own opinion about it. And that's not to say that I didn't think about Black Lives Matter, and even with the president switching. It's not like I didn't think about it. And when it came to the president switching around, I didn't have a view on it. I didn't want to have a view on it, because I don't really wanna get into politics. When it came to Black Lives Matter, I understand where it's coming from, but I didn't inform my own opinion about it. I wasn't going to join that movement. It's not so much 00:27:00that I don't care it's that I don't have an opinion on it. And I can't argue or protest something that I don't have an opinion on.

BARNWELL: And now, if we switch over to Illness and Grief. I know you mentioned your personal experience with Covid and how you got it twice. Did anyone else in your family gets sick, or were there any scares at all?

JAQUITH: Um, yes. There was a scare when I had seen my parents only a couple days before I got Covid the first time. It was because of a Halloween party I had with like 40 people from Wells, but we're not gonna talk about that. The second time though, I was home for winter break and the whole family got it. So we were having the issue of trying to get my niece and nephew, my nephew is two and my niece isn't even one yet, trying to get them to my sister and brother who were in DC. so they were very nervous to come to our house because of Covid, so we all had to get tested like three times before they were like OK we're gonna come. Fast forward to after Christmas. My sister Olivia went home, and so did everyone else. And then, I think it was a Tuesday or a Monday night, my parents were on the phone with Olivia, I was out. I came home and went straight to bed because I had to be up for work in the morning at 4 AM. My dad comes in my room at like 2:30 and he's like, COLTON. And I was sleeping, and was like what. He goes, Olivia tested positive, because of one of her coworkers testing positive, so she went and got tested. And then her boyfriend got tested, tested positive. Everyone in my family got it except for my sister Isabel. So, the issue was the kids, the young kids got it, and there wasn't really a protocol for younger kids with Covid, but then it was also the scared that my dad being 63, couldn't breathe very well for a couple days. So there was definitely that scare. And my mom was in the same boat. She's in her 50s. I just took it as a cold, as it was my literal second time getting it, and I still worked. I just worked from home. So I can be on the phone at 4 AM. No actually I'd be on at 2:30, and still be on by 8 PM.

BARNWELL: Jesus. Yeah, well you were able to bounce back quickly because of your age group then?

JAQUITH: yeah, and also just because it was my second time getting it, and I literally just had a stuffy nose and was tired all the time.

BARNWELL: Mhm. And now, going back to normal, so now that there's a vaccine out, and cases are slowly decreasing, things are kind of getting back to normal-- how do you think that transition is going?

JAQUITH: I think it's kind of hard. This is, again another circumstantial thing depending on where you are. I think it's kind of hard because there are people that are sick and tired of wearing masks versus the people that are like oh no I don't want to get it so I'm gonna keep wearing the mask. There's that certain scare factor to it. Like no one wants to get Covid, but few are taking the extra step to wear the mask. My perspective on it is that if I get it again, it'll either be nothing, or I'll be hospitalized. So I for one do not wanna wear a mask. I try my best not to wear a mask on campus as much as possible. I may get in trouble for it, but I still do it.

BARNWELL: yeah, that was one of the next questions. It was about how you were going to choose to go forward with masks and stuff like that.

JAQUITH: Yeah, I kind of just-- After they said all of that stuff about us possibly not having to wear masks if we all get tested, and after testing negative, only 67% of the campus showed up for tests... I can control what I can control.

BARNWELL: well, and I know that larger schools like SU have Already removed their mask mandates-- So at this point, it's really just us.

JAQUITH: yeah, it really is just Wells, and I get it. I understand. With it being a small campus and all, if one person gets it, it can spread very easily. But at this point, there's so many people, probably more than 75% of this campus they just don't wanna wear masks anymore. And they still do. They just bite down on the stick, and they do it. Me personally-- Excuse my French, but I don't give a fuck. I'm not wearing one.

BARNWELL: Okay, and for the future, what lessons or advice are you going to carry with you after being stuck in this pandemic for the last three years?

JAQUITH: Be careful. That could be-- It's a very broad term to just say be careful. Be careful riding a bike. Like, it's a very broad term of how I want to expand my life after this. But there's also the basis of, know your own body, because, as much as you want to contain you feeling sick from other people, if you know you don't feel good, you have to tell someone. Whether it's the common cold, or a concussion, you have to keep it in mind that other people around you could be affected. And you wanna be careful within your own self, but you also want to be aware of people around you.

BARNWELL: now as we conclude this interview, are there any topics that you hoped you would cover with me that we didn't discuss?

JAQUITH: No, I mean it's kind of hard to expect a question about the Covid experience itself, because everyone's gonna be different, and everyone's gonna have a different story. It's very difficult to think about the future as well, because we are still stuck in this pandemic. With the basis of all of your questions being circumstantial, it is very hard to answer them, and I try to just answer them in my own way that is possible. But, in talking about an interview about Covid and about life within without Covid, it's definitely difficult depending on the person you talk to you about it, and about what to say and what not to.

BARNWELL: Ok, and are there any topics that we discussed today that you wanna revisit, or are you all set with today?

JAQUITH: I'm all good.

BARNWELL: Perfect. Well, thanks so much for sharing your experiences with us.