Kentucky Kernel: August 24, 2020

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Monday, August 24, 2020 est. 1892 | Independent since 1971 www.kykernel.com @kykernel @kentuckykernel

ONE WEEK DOWN Reopening? Check. Staying open? TBD.

UK vs. shutdown schools, by the numbers

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Total student cases 405

408

415

UK as of Aug. 22

Notre Dame as of Aug. 3

UNC as of Aug. 13

Students reflect on first week back on campus

Opinion: Students need more for mental health

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Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2020

Kernel staffers predict when UK will move to remote learning Natalie Parks: September 7 “I picked Sept. 7 because I want to be home (and out of quarantine) in time for my birthday. But realistically speaking, Sept. 7 is about two weeks from now, which is how long I think it will take UK to admit that rising cases are a trend. The first results of COVID-19 on campus (instead of testing on arrival) are going to start showing up this week with the retesting for Greek life members.

I think we’re going to see case numbers jump from that - so factoring in this week to test and get those results, then a second week to do some random testing and see if the jump is a trend or a fluke, gives us a two-week time frame until the proof is undeniable and we go to remote learning.”

Braden Ramsey: August 29 or September 29 Why? Both days are right after deadlines in UK’s re-

fund schedule. If students withdraw by Aug. 28, they get an 80 percent refund and still owe 20 percent. But if students withdraw. after Aug. 28 but before Sept. 21, their refund drops to 50 percent and they owe the other 50 percent to UK. “If they don’t do it by next Saturday, they’ll push it to the September date to maximize the money they get because people will be less likely to withdraw at that point.”

Sarah Michels: September 2 The earliest date picked by a staffer, Michels thinks the upcoming retesting of Greek life will force UK’s hand into remote learning.

“They’ll have a lot of the sorority/fraternity results, which will be terrible and the pressure will force them to go back online.”

Haley Blackburn: September 10 Similar to Braden, Haley picked a day right after an important deadline - the last day to drop a class without a W is Sept. 8.

“It’s not the day after add/drop but it’s the day right after, which would look less obvious.”

Lauren Campbell: October 1 “UK was one of the last schools to shut down in-person classes last spring semester and they will try to maximize the money they can get from student housing before they will close due to overwhelming COVID-19 cases.

Gillian Stawiszynski: “All I know is it will be much earlier than Thanksgiving.”

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Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2020

LOOKING BACK, MOVING FORWARD

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CONTACT Editor-in-chief: Natalie Parks editor@kykernel.com

UK RETESTING MEMBERS OF FRATERNITIES/SORORITIES On Friday, Aug. 21, UK announced that it would begin Phase II of its testing program by retesting 5,500 members of Greek life.

UK said they chose this student demographic to begin retesting because members of fraternities and sororities had a higher positivity rate of 3 percent, compared to the student body’s positivity rate of 1 percent, according to baseline data from the mandatory testing upon arrival for all students.

In the announcement, UK said that 30 students who tested positive for COVID-19 are in isolation in two fraternity houses.

“We believe FSL houses have some challenges around communal living space and arrangements that may make it more difficult to mitigate the risk of spreading the virus. We want to examine the numbers even further to determine next steps,” wrote Capilouto in the announcement.

On Thursday, UK’s fraternities announced that they would be continuing their rush week all online, instead of the hybrid format they had planned due to COVID-19 concerns, reported the Lexington Herald-Leader.

Retesting began on Sunday, Aug. 24 and will continue through the week from 8 a.m. to noon at the testing site by the 90 and William T. Young library.

After retesting FSL members, UK will select other student demographics to retest. Randomized pool testing was recommended in UK’s reopening playbook.

The retesting announcement also said that 600 employees have been tested for COVID-19 and fewer than five have tested positive.

DATA FROM COVID-19 TESTING WAS ACCESSIBLE ONLINE A spreadsheet used by UK’s COVID-19 contract tracing team to track negative test results was temporarily accessible by anyone with a UK email address over the weekend.

The Lexington-Herald Leader first revealed the data breach, which was then confirmed in a campus-wide email on Sunday afternoon.

The spreadsheet contained the names of several hundred students and some employees.

The contact tracers used a file sharing platform to notify those who received negative COVID-19 tests in part of UK’s Phase 1 testing, which was visible to anyone with a UK email address.

“As soon as we realized this issue, the files in question were moved to a private and secured location,” said UK spokesperson Jay Blanton.

Some personal information, including names, birthdates and negative COVID-19 test results, could have been viewed.

“Only those with active UK credentials would have been able to view the files. We are able to determine who accessed the files in an unauthorized manner and plan to follow up with each individual,” said Blanton.

None of the information accessible is considered protected under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). However, some of the available information for students is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

UK will be reaching out to those who were impacted this week.

Those with questions on this issue can email coronavirus@uky. edu or visit UK’s COVID-19 information site.

UK MEN’S BASKETBALL ADDS FOUR-STAR POINT GUARD TO 2021 CLASS On Saturday, Aug. 22, four-star point guard Nolan Hickman committed to the Wildcats, becoming the first member of Kentucky’s 2021 class. The news took many fans by surprise, as the Washington native wasn’t known to be on the radar for the Cats prior to the past 24 hours.

Hickman announced his commitment on Twitter.

According to Rivals, the 6-foot-2 Hickman is the No. 13 point guard in the nation and No. 76 player overall in the 2021 class. The 247Sports Composite has him as 2021’s No. 51 overall player, No. 7 point guard and the top player from Utah.

In his junior season with Eastside Catholic High School, Hickman averaged 17.3 points, 3.4 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game. He also shot 38% from three. He has decided to attend Wasatch Academy in Utah for his senior year.

Many outlets first predicted Hickman would stay out west for his college career, but the tune started to change Friday night.

That’s when multiple analysts, starting with Travis Graf of Rivals, mentioned Hickman being a target of the Cats. Shortly after, recruiting websites began shifting their predictions in favor of Kentucky.

In an interview with 247Sports, Hickman called Kentucky his “dream school.” He also mentioned his relationship with assistant coach Tony Barbee, a factor that’s believed to have played a large role in his decision.

Hickman chose the Cats over several high-profile colleges, including Kansas, Oklahoma, Arizona and UCLA. Fans are hopeful that he’ll get the ball rolling on top recruits announcing they’ll be headed to Lexington.

Managing editor: Michael Clubb editor@kykernel.com News/features editor: Lauren Campbell news@kykernel.com Asst. news editors: Haley Blackburn Emily Girard Sports editor: Braden Ramsey sports@kykernel.com Opinions editor: Sarah Michels opinions@kykernel.com Asst. Opinions editor: Gillian Stawiszynski Photo editor: Tori Rogers Designers: Mya LaCLair Ryder Noah From Social media manager: Sarah Simon-Patches KENTUCKY KERNEL OFFICES 340 McVey Hall University of Kentucky Lexington, KY 40506

On the cover: Students in Timothy Taylor’s Intro to Construction Engineering sit socially distanced in the Grand Ballroom on the first day of in-person classes on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, in the Gatton Student Center in Lexington, Kentucky. Photo by Jack Weaver | Staff

— STAFF REPORT

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Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2020

How do UK’s COVID-19 numbers compare to schools that have gone online?

By Haley Blackburn news@kykernel.com

The University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill moved to remote learning after just one week of classes, citing clusters in dorms and a growing positivity rate as causes for the shutdown.

A day later, the University of Notre Dame suspended in-person instruction for at least two weeks after 147 students tested positive for COVID-19.

UNC and Notre Dame were two of the first major universities to attempt reopening and then pull the plug; some, like Michigan State University, decided last week to switch to remote learning ahead of their semester’s planned start date.

Seeing other, similarly-sized universities pivot to remote learning after outbreaks has led many students to wonder: could the same thing happen at UK? In an interview with the Kernel, President Eli Capilouto said that while he can’t speak to the specifics of the other schools’ shutdowns , he is encouraged by UK’s response.

“I will say that I’m encouraged by what we implemented, our mandatory testing, staying at around that one percent positive rate. I’m encouraged by our isolation of people who tested positive. I’m encouraged that in our contact tracing we’ve worked to make aggressive,” Capilouto said.

According to the Lexington Fayette County Health Department, 405 UK students have tested positive for COVID-19 through Aug. 22.

UK’s COVID-19 reporting site, from which the positivity rate is calculated, runs on a three-day lag. As of Aug. 19, the site reported 245 positive results for students, with a positivity rate of 1.1 percent.

UNC shut down after the positivity rate on campus rose from 2.8 percent to 13.6 percent in one week, according to a message from Chancellor Kevin M. Guskiewicz and Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Robert A. Blouin.

As a flagship public university with a student population of just over 30,000, UNC provides a similar demographic to UK’s campus.

But unlike UK, UNC did not test students upon their arrival on campus. According to UNC’s Testing and Tracing webpage, “testing every member of our community could create a false sense of security.”

Similar to UK, UNC published a “roadmap” for reopening that had a required masking policy, physical dis-

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Michael Clubb I STAFF University of Kentucky students get tested for COVID-19 at a drive through a UK testing site on August16, 2020.

tancing, a shortened academic calendar, multi-modal instruction, and a care kit for students.

UNC did not implement a required daily wellness screening, though it was suggested. UNC also made violations of the social distancing policies subject to disciplinary action, similar to UK’s enforcement of the Student Code of Conduct.

Since announcing a move to remote learning, UNC has

also taken steps to de-densify campus by having students move out of dorms and canceling classes for two days to provide time for move-out.

According to UNC’s COVID-19 dashboard, 78 students are in isolation or quarantine on campus.

See NUMBERS on page 5

Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2020

NUMBERS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

At UK, 49 students are in isolation on campus because of a COVID-19 positive and fewer than five faculty have tested positive, according to an Aug. 21 announcement from the university.

Notre Dame did require testing for all enrolled undergraduate and graduate students, which yielded 11,836 total tests and 33 positive cases for a positivity rate of .28 percent before classes.

According to Notre Dame’s COVID-19 dashboard, the positivity rate jumped to 17.9 percent after classes began.

Notre Dame is about half the size of UK with around

University of Kentucky* Positivity rate: 1.1% Total number of students tests: 21,981 Positive tests among students: 245 *Above is from UK’s COVID-19 reporting page, which runs on a three-day lag, so this graph is numbers as of August 19

14,000 undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty.

According to a message from two of their vice presidents, Erin Hoffman Harding and Mike Seamon, Notre Dame announced their decision to go online for the next two weeks following an announcement that the growth in cases came mostly from off-campus undergraduate students and failure to comply with the school’s physical distancing and masking policies.

Notre Dame adopted a masking and physical distancing policy and installed hand sanitation stations at the entrance of all buildings. Failure to adhere to social distancing policies can result in disciplinary action, according to Notre Dame’s campus restart website.

Both UNC and Notre Dame ran contract tracing systems to follow up on positive cases.

University of North Carolina Positivity rate since August 3: 10.7%* Total tests for students: 1,308* Positive tests among students: 140* Total all-time positive cases amoung students since February: 279** Total all-time number of tests administered to students: 2,620** *All numbers for students, from COVID-19 dashboard ** All numbers from UNC - Chapel Hill CV-19 Dashboard

Notre Dame* Positivity rate since back on campus August 10: 17.9%*

New cases, most recent seven days per UNC dashboard

Positive tests since back on campus: 218 New cases, most recent seven days per UK dashboard

Total tests since back on campus: 1,221 Positivity rate since Aug. 3: 17.2% Total positive cases since Aug. 3: 222

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Total tests since Aug. 3: 1,287 *All numbers come from Notre Dame’s COVID-19 Dashboard

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New cases, most recent seven days at Notre Dame

Seven day totals of student cases, according to Lexington Fayette County Health Department

Total student cases 405

408

415

UK as of Aug. 22

Notre Dame as of Aug. 3

UNC as of Aug. 13

300

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Monday, August 24, 2020

news

JACK WEAVER I STAFF A student in Timothy Taylor’s Intro to Construction Engineering sits at a desk in the Grand Ballroom on the first day of in-person classes on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020.

JACK WEAVER I STAFF A UK student works on her computer on the first day of in-person classes on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, in William T. Young Library in Lexington, Kentucky.

Students, staff reflect on first week of reopening

By Barkley Truax news@kykernel.com

Classes for the fall semester at the University of Kentucky resumed one week ago, ushering in a new normal for everyone on campus. The semester began with mandatory COVID-19 testing for all students, daily health screenings and virtual K Week events.

Every student is reacting to the changes in their own way.

For freshman engineering major Jackson Poynter, keeping himself safe has been the main priority while on campus.

“I always have my mask, wipes in my bag. I only come here twice a week so I try to stay home the rest of the time,” Poynter said.

Other students have made note of how different this semester is than previous years.

Senior ISC major Jake Patneau is back on campus for the first time since leaving in March.

“It’s been chaotic, but not too bad.

Seeing all these people, it’s kind of cra-

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zy,” Patneau said. “Last semester I was going to at least three classes a day, now it’s maybe one or two. The biggest change is online and getting use to all of the new software.”

Part of UK’s reopening plan was a three-modality system, with classes offered in-person, online and a hybrid between the two.

Every student’s course breakdown is different. In a Facebook statement, UK said that “about two-thirds of all class sections involve in-class, in-person instruction. More specifically, almost every first-year student will have at least some in-person instruction.”

Brianna Gunter, a freshman majoring in social work, said online classes are a struggle for her.

“It’s really important for me to have face-to-face contact with my teachers,” Gunter said. “It’s just easier for me to learn, trying to do stuff online with Zoom and all that gets confusing.”

Gunter believes the steps that UK has taken to stop the spread of COVID-19 have helped keep numbers down through-

“For some, it’s their freshman year probably, so like I had a great freshman year, but with COVID going on, I hope they can too.”

- JAKE PATNEAU

out campus, despite her feelings toward the online classes.

“I know UK is doing a lot by having you wear masks, offering a lot of sanitation for every student.” Gunter said, “They’re offering resources for people who forget their mask so that they can be in class. It makes me feel like we can finish out the semester in-person with the whole system UK has going on.”

Some universities around the country – like UNC, Michigan State and Notre Dame - have already reverted back to on-

line courses for undergraduate students.

Students acknowledge the reality that, like other universities, UK could shut down because of rising case numbers.

“I have heard that there’s been party groups that have been forming on the second day that have already started making plans for parties,” Poynter said. “Things that would be normal in college, are just not at this point.”

Patneau was also concerned about the normalcy of the college experience, especially for students who are just beginning their college years.

“I’m worried for the people living in the dorms. I hope that works out for them because they just moved in,” he said. “For some, it’s their freshman year probably, so like I had a great freshman year, but with COVID going on, I hope they can too.”

UK reopening hasn’t just affected the students; faculty and staff have had to adjust their work, making plans for teaching on an altered schedule and with new technologies.

See REFLECT on page 7

Monday, August 24, 2020

opinions UK Mental Health Programs UKCC •Emergency assistance •Let’s Talk counselors around campus •One-on-one therapy sessions •Relaxation room

University Health Service •Behavioral health guidance with a certified psychiatrist. Call 859-323APPT to schedule an appointment or use MyUK •Eating disorder counseling

We need more for mental health

By Gillian Stawiszynski opinons@kykernel.com

In the fall semester of last year, I distinctly remember trying to get a spot in the University of Kentucky’s counseling center (UKCC) but at the end of my initial assessment, I was instead handed a sheet of paper with the phone numbers of multiple Lexington therapists. Frazee Hall was too full to help me.

The resources on the list the counseling center had given me were not accessible without health insurance.

The UKCC comes at no extra cost to students in addition to tuition and mandatory fees, so it is seemingly very accessible for students who cannot afford going outside UK for mental health help. For some students, it is the only option.

I was very thankful that I had just gotten a part-time job and I had health insurance, which brought down the cost of each of my sessions.

However, the privileges I hold are not the same ones all University of Kentucky students do.

Since the spring, I have been able to book sessions with Frazee via

Zoom and phone calls.

This is because students had been moved off of campus mid-spring semester, freeing up space in the counseling center in the spring rather than in the summertime after the semester would normally end.

According to their website, UKCC has done well with offering remote resources. Many of these do not require making an appointment, including a COVID support group, a meditation group and a brief one-onone conversation with clinicians.

Although the UKCC quickly adapted to online sessions, the counseling center’s website states that if you are not in the state of Kentucky, they can talk by phone to connect you to local resources.

Out-of-stae students without comprehensive health insurance may not be able to access mental health resources once we go home, whenever that may be.

According to the current plan, students are not permitted to come back to the dorms after Thanksgiving break, when instruction will move online. But if COVID-19 forces an earlier shutdown, students will be cut

off from resources sooner than we think.

UK has 13 licensed psychologists, one licensed social worker and two support staff employed

by UKCC to serve the university’s 30,545 students.

Once we go back online, non-resident students, about a third of the student population, will be without UK’s resources.

Mental health is being overlooked at UK right now, and it will become worse if UK doesn’t change something before the school closes. The University should start with employing more psychologists to work in the counseling center so that there is a more proportionate number of counselors to students and their staff is not so overwhelmed.

Also, because there are students who will soon not be able to access UK’s mental health resources, the university should put together a student mental health plan to help students prioritize their health through mindfulness tactics and other tools.

Otherwise, it will be clear that UK is neglecting the behavioral health of their students in this hard time.

every hour. every day. kykernel.com

REFLECT CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

Dr. Erik Myrup, an associate professor of history, had his own concerns about how well online courses would work going into the first day of classes.

“I was quite nervous the first day of classes with all of this technology. What if it’s not set up right, or not working properly, so I kind of eased in,” Myrup said. “I volunteered to teach in-person and am excited to teach in-person.”

His priority is to his students first, and that starts with the technology.

“I’m trying to ease in, in a way that lets me make sure that I don’t have a bunch of kids show up and not be able to get anything out of it because technology is working,” Myrup said.

“There has been a lot of footwork trying to accommodate students in the midst of this, a lot of students are very frustrated because there’s so much they weren’t aware of,” Dr. Myrup said, “In the history department we’ve really tried to do a lot of work to accommodate those students.”

Dr. Myrup decided to teach the first day of his courses all via Zoom. One of his classes has 175 students.

“The largest rooms could accommodate fifty to sixty people. Eventually next week, I’ll start rotating kids in to watch in-person and the other kids will be watching real-time, but while it’s broadcasting, but remotely,” Myrup said.

Only one week in, adjustments are still being made, even on behalf of the university. But for now, students and staff are focused on figuring out classes and doing what they can to keep themselves safe.

“There’s always that slim minority that are always going to be those rebellious types, whether it’s for better or for worse,” said Poynter.

JACK WEAVER I STAFF Students work at a desk in William T. Young Library on the first day of in-person classes on Monday, Aug. 17, 2020, at the University of Kentucky.

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Monday, August 24, 2020

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