1 Navigating the New Norm TABLE OF CONTENTS Vasiliki Gkoulgkountina EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Madison Dobrzenski 3 How and where to get tested for COVID-19 [email protected] Megan Bird EDITORIAL Olivia Lawless MANAGING EDITOR 4 Changes to CAPS sessions Tyler Trudeau COMMUNITY EDITOR Megan Bird NEWS EDITOR Olivia Lawless Hiral Patel OPINION EDITOR 5 Parking this fall Julianna Peres LIFESTYLE EDITOR Anders Hare A&E EDITOR Who’s your Niner Times Bradley Cole SPORTS EDITOR 6 COVID companion? (Quiz) Max Young COPY EDITOR Niyathi Sulkunte PHOTO EDITOR Olivia Lawless María Solano VIDEO EDITOR Feels like fall Nic Jensen LAYOUT EDITOR 8 ASSISTANT EDITORS Julianna Peres Milo Cain, April Carte, Jessica Ceballos, Emily Kottak, Beth 10 Bake it fall McGuire, Brandon Mitchell, Miles Ruder, and Reuben Sanchez Jaret Arneson CONTRIBUTING STAFF 11 Move-in amidst coronavirus pandemic Vasiliki Gkoulgkountina, Jaret Arneson, Arik Miguel María Solano COVER PHOTOGRAPH Nic Jensen 12 The pandemic as an international student CREATIVE DIRECTOR Bradley Cole James Bourke 13 A long road back [email protected] MARKETING STAFF Arik Miguel Ridge Grant & Luisana Gonzalez 14 Songs to get you in the fall spirit April Carte 16 Mask Market: Good places to buy masks Jessica Cabellos LOCATED ON THE LOWER LEVEL OF THE STUDENT UNION 18 Are students wearing masks in the library? Niner Times • Uptown Audio Sanskrit Literary-Arts Magazine Max Young Media Marketing • Technical Quarantine 15: UREC THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE 19 Kelly Merges NINER MEDIA ADVISER during the pandemic Laurie Cuddy BUSINESS MANAGER Joshua Wood GRAPHICS & Julianna Peres 2 PRODUCTION 20 Socially Distanced Relationships How and where to get tested for COVID-19 by Vasiliki Gkoulgkountina Intern As UNC Charlotte most COVID-19 tests are returns to some in person covered by health insurance classes, students need ac- providers and are no cost. cess to available testing sites This includes tests conduct- with quick results to ensure ed by the Student Health overall safety. Center. If a patient is not ex- How do I know if I need hibiting symptoms, not in to get tested? a high-risk category and The Centers for Disease has not been exposed to Control and Prevention someone with COVID-19, (CDC) recommends that however, insurance may not if you have been in contact cover the costing of testing. with someone who has COVID-19 or if you are Is the test experiencing any of the uncomfortable? below symptoms to imme- The most accurate diately reach out to health Photo of Student Health Center mobile testing site, by Sophia Fernandez test administered for services. COVID-19 is called a naso- • Fever CVS Minute Clinic provides your body now has antibod- pharyngeal swab in which • Shortness of breath testing sites and contactless ies against it. These antigen the healthcare professional • Cough self-administered nasal swab tests are offered at Better inserts a 6-inch cotton swab • Muscle or body aches tests with results in two to Med Urgent Care, Novant up both nostrils for 15 sec- • Loss of taste or smell three days. Walgreens offers Health and CVS Minute onds. Although this process • Nausea drive-thru tests with results Clinic. is slightly uncomfortable, it within 3 days. does not hurt. UNC Char- Where can I go for a test? How can I make an lotte’s Student Health Center, Students who have been If you’re seeking a more appointment? however, does not use this exposed to COVID-19 or are intimate consultation with a Many testing sites accept technique, and a shorter cot- exhibiting symptoms have medical professional, Tryon walk-ins for COVID-19 tests, ton swab is used instead. the convenient option of Medical Partners provides but it is always safer to plan heading down to the mobile medical team evaluations ahead and make an online Extra considerations: unit parked outside of the and offers tests at their two appointment by checking If you do decide to get Student Health Center to get available testing sites with re- the designated website. Each tested for COVID-19, the tested. Due to high-volume sults in 30-48 hours. Novant website has step-by-step CDC suggests you make sure lab testing, the time it takes Health Urgent Care is also guidelines which request that to “self quarantine at home to receive results may vary. offering testing from your you register online, bring pending test results.” While The Student Health Cen- car with available results in your insurance card and this process is uncomfortable ter is open until 5 p.m. on five to seven days. identification, and follow and inconvenient, precau- weekdays and until 3 p.m. on proper health precautions tions must be followed in or- weekends. There are also some places when arriving at the testing der to ensure public safety. If However, alternate options which offer rapid tests with site. it is necessary to go out into include a wide array of results in 15 minutes. This public, always wear a proper pharmacies all over Char- antigen test requires a sam- How much does it cost? mask and keep a distance of lotte with returned results ple and if positive, means In an effort to increase six feet from those around in two to seven days. The that you had the virus and safety and lower outbreaks, you. A Student Niner Media Publication 3 CHANGES TO CAPS SESSIONS Counseling and Psychological Services limits individual counseling sessions due to increased demand by Megan Bird Photo of Christine F. Price Center for Counseling and News Editor Psychological Services, by Niyathi Sulkunte UNC Charlotte’s Center students during the first Despite increases in student counseling has always been for Counseling and Psycho- two weeks of this semester demand, the counseling goal-oriented and brief logical Services (CAPS) is compared with 270 during center’s operating budget in nature. When students rolling back the number of the first two weeks of last from the State has remained were able to attend up to 12 individual therapy sessions year’s fall semester. The aver- at $42,000 for the past 15 appointments, she says, most allotted to students each year age wait time, however, has years, according to CAPS only utilized 4-6 sessions. in an effort to serve more decreased to 2.19 days, likely Director Dr. Paula Keeton. “Our hope is that we people. Previously, stu- due to the smaller number The remainder of the budget have expanded the amount dents were allowed up to 12 of sessions allotted to each (salaries) is paid by student and types of offerings that sessions per year; now, that student and the stronger fees. Their overall budget we can provide students to number is capped at 4-6. emphasis on group therapy. decreased between 2019 and address their goals related to According to CAPS’ Lennon attributes the 2020 by about $68,000. their well-being and mental Assistant Director for increase in student demand Still, CAPS is finding new health,” said Lennon. “While Outreach Dr. Erica Lennon, to reduced stigma for mental ways to meet demand with- we recognize the changes the decision was made to health resources, a height- out increasing waiting times. in how we are approaching address the long wait times ened awareness of CAPS’ They expanded the number individual counseling, the caused by increased demand. services, recent tragedies of group workshops from 20 expectation is that this will CAPS experienced a 20% like the campus shooting in to 29 and removed restric- allow us to continue to serve increase in student demand April 2019, increased media tions on how many work- all students who initially seek during the fall semester of attention to race-based vio- shops students can attend. us out by connecting them 2019 compared to the pre- lence, and the coronavirus They are also devoting more with the service that will be vious year, resulting in wait pandemic. According to a time to initial consultations best suited to attending to times of 3.78 days on average study by the Center for Dis- and crisis services. their needs and reducing the between scheduling requests ease Control conducted in Keeton says group therapy time they will need to wait in and appointments. Demand late June, 25.5% of surveyed is the treatment of choice for order to be seen.” has stayed high this semester, 18-24-year-olds report- one of the most prevalent even with CAPS operating ed seriously considering concerns among students: virtually and many students suicide, and 75% reported at anxiety. living far from campus. The least one adverse mental or Lennon added that CAPS’ counseling center saw 264 behavioral health symptom. approach to individual 4 Navigating the New Norm Niner Times file photo of cars parked on campus Parking This Fall Basic parking guidelines along with coronavirus restrictions by Olivia Lawless Managing Editor With a high population of permits you can buy are limited to certain decks, 2020, to account for the fall commuting students, UNC Resident, Commuter, Greek, while football-designated move-in period. This page Charlotte parking rules are Night, and Two Day. decks require a new permit has been updated to reflect thorough and stringent. In addition to these gen- of up to $20 per vehicle. the new permit proration Every type of parking pass eral permits, there are also However, due to COVID-19 schedule for fall 2020.” coordinates to certain times several lot-specific park- restrictions, scheduled The schedule includes a and certain parking lots. ing passes, such as North football games currently do detailed plan of discount What is important to keep Deck, Lot 27 and 6FS.