College students scramble as internships dry up
Plus: Meck Co. residents stream into tennis courts and smoke shops; Realtors prepare for a flurry of sales; Health director gives a rosier outlook; April rezonings; UNCC honors shooting victims
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As college internships cancel or go virtual, universities relax their requirements and students adapt
Queens University senior Nick Aparicio was enjoying his internship with the Wells Fargo Championship this spring until Covid-19 canceled the championship. He’s now back home in San Francisco.
By David Griffith
Nick Aparicio had it all figured out.
The graduating senior from Queens University of Charlotte was rocking a spring internship assisting with social media analysis and ticket operations at the Wells Fargo Championship, a PGA Tour stop in Charlotte.
Then the coronavirus struck.
The Wells Fargo Championship, initially scheduled for this weekend, was cancelled in mid-March. Aparicio returned home to San Francisco shortly thereafter.
The cancellation threw a wrench into Aparicio’s plans, as his internship was slated to be 300 hours, and he had not yet reached that mark. He worked out an agreement with his supervisor to transition to an online internship with greater emphasis on social media work.
“I had to go through all the data with social media and kind of put it into this comprehensive report,” over recommendations, statistics, and numerous other forms of online engagement, he said.
Many spinning their wheels: Aparicio’s situation is hardly unique. As the coronavirus has shuttered businesses and led to millions of furloughed employees, many potential spring and summer internships were suspended or fully canceled.
College students, some in desperate need of the experience, were left spinning their wheels.
At the Vandiver Center for Career Development at Queens, assistant director of employer relations Travis Wright is helping guide anxious students whose internship plans have taken a nosedive.
“We’re building up our resources to help those students, but we’re advocating for students to ... keep their options open and just keep pushing forward,” Wright said.
Requirements relaxed: Queens, like many other universities, has an internship requirement for graduation. Queens requires every student to complete 172 hours of an internship, with variations based on factors like type of degree or whether or not a student transferred in. The Vandiver Center assists students with services like finding internships, offering networking events and portfolio workshops.
Even as Queens cancelled classes and sent students home in March, the Vandiver Center initially tried to help students continue with their internships as normal. “It was full steam ahead,” Wright said.
But as more companies were forced to close their doors, Wright and the other advisors at Vandiver realized many students would be left without internships.
Queens leaders felt maintaining the internship requirement was a necessity, but they did adjust requirements to try and make life easier for students. Volunteer experience and part-time jobs were added as acceptable criteria for internships, and they’ve been working with seniors who may have been backed into a wall with the graduation requirements.
Besides needing an internship to graduate, internships can be critical to getting the experience and contacts needed to land a first post-graduation job.
Some 70% of Queens students who complete an internship have their first job by graduation, Wright said. And 97% of Queens’ 2018 graduating class had a full-time job or were in graduate school within six months of graduation, he said.
Some internships still on — virtually: Some companies have had an easier time than others in keeping their internships rolling.
Take Meredith Dean, CEO of The Dean’s List, an online marketing and digital branding firm that helps job-hunters network and find jobs online. The Dean’s List offers three or four social media internships per semester, with interns largely chosen from Charlotte-based colleges.
Those internships can now be done from interns’ homes, Dean said.
She’s had to make special effort to keep connected with her interns. She usually has face-to-face meetings with every intern on Mondays to check their progress and offer mentorship, but she’s moved those meetings to video calls.
“(I’m) just making sure they know that I am there for them at any point,” she said. “This is such a scary time for a lot of college students, and I want to make sure that they feel as prepared as possible.”
New focus: Many students have been forced to re-adjust their search to find opportunities like the ones Dean is offering. Others, like Aparicio, adjusted their work online or had to stop doing it entirely.
Aparicio was initially frustrated by the changes, hoping to have a job by the time he left Queens, but he has since adjusted to focus more on how he can make the best of the situation.
He had been in contact with a few Major League Soccer teams about jobs in their business departments, notably the upcoming expansion team in Austin, Texas.
“I think I’m a good spot just because those teams did say that they were still hiring,” he said. “My plan for the summer is just keep in touch with those teams that I’ve been talking to.”
Dean encourages students to do what they can to be ready to enter the internship or job market when opportunities return.
Companies are going to need to restock the labor they were forced to let go during the height of the pandemic, she said, and they’ll have had time to vet applicants.
“All of these different companies that have furloughed their employees or have had to let some of them go, they’re going to have to hire them back, and there’s going to be a big hiring surge,” Dean said. “I think it’s really important now to make sure you’re using this downtime to learn these new skills.”
David Griffith, a Queens University student, is a reporting intern for The Ledger.
Mecklenburg residents relish a few new freedoms
As we start to stretch our wings and blink into the coming-out-of-quarantine sunlight, it’ll be the little things that make our lives start to feel normal again.
With Mecklenburg’s stay-at-home order lifted Thursday, county residents got a few new freedoms they hadn’t had in more than a month: Playing tennis. Shopping for mattresses. Touring a home. Test-driving a car.
The Ledger found a few spots where people were enjoying pleasures they couldn’t partake in the day before.
Tennis, everyone? Courts fill, but it’s singles-only play
Tennis courts at Olde Providence Racquet Club were filling up by mid-day on Thursday — the first day in weeks that tennis was allowed in Mecklenburg. Tennis players are expected to follow U.S. Tennis Association guidelines that discourage doubles, sharing towels, handshakes and high-fives. Players say deer are frequently spotted at the club, especially since there’s been no activity lately. “She thinks she owns the place,” one player observed.
Fans of e-cigs breathe relief with vape shops back in action
Vape shops like this Madvapes in Pineville reopened across Mecklenburg Thursday. Business was steady at midday, with walk-up customers who made purchases from a table in the store’s doorway. The store manager told The Ledger (between puffs of his e-cigarette) that his phone had been ringing with customers verifying that the store had re-opened.
Realtors expect blitz of activity from pent-up demand
Prospective homebuyers can once again tour homes for sale in Mecklenburg County, like this one in the Cardinal Woods subdivision in Pineville that’s priced at $324,000.
Realtors were able to show homes again in Mecklenburg County starting Thursday — and many said they expect a surge of interest from buyers.
The Ledger reached out to several local real estate agents this week. Here’s what they had to say:
Ashley McMillan, Dickens Mitchener: “I’ve noticed a pick up in demand/urgency of buyers in the last two weeks. I attribute it to seeing a potential end to the quarantine and possible solutions on the horizon. There is a lot of concern from sellers who live in their homes. Should they allow showings? How do we, as Realtors, keep them safe? Lots of questions about this — we are working through it with our office on established best practices.”
Chip Jetton, Cottingham Chalk: “There was unmet demand prior to the shut down, and thus far it seems that most buyers have kept their jobs and/or plans of moving here. … Right now, it seems as though locally our market remains in a strong position.”
Jessica Eudy, Allen Tate: “This situation separates the serious buyers from the ‘shoppers.’ If they’re serious and ready to make an offer, then we will schedule a showing. If they have an extended timeline, there’s no need in jeopardizing them or the seller at this point. Agents have done great with video tours with their listings lately to make sure the buyer likes what they see before even considering going into the home.”
Missy Banks, Allen Tate: “We were planning on May 8, but now with the county restrictions lifting, we can start the marketing process sooner. I’ve spoken to agents all over the city and we feel prices will remain high due to the low inventory and neighborhoods that were hot before will still see high demand.”
Callie Kelly, Cottingham Chalk: “I have appointments to show about 10 homes on Saturday to several different clients.”
Catharine Pappas, Dickens Mitchener: “We are currently experiencing very low inventory and with the number of buyers waiting in the wings for the order to lift we anticipate a flurry of activity next week.”
For additional comments from local Realtors, see the full article on The Ledger’s website:
—TM
New tune for Gibbie Harris: Mecklenburg ready for fewer restrictions
Mecklenburg health director Gibbie Harris held a news conference on Thursday — and she seemed to carry a much different message than in the past. She said Mecklenburg County is making encouraging progress toward flattening the curve, residents are largely obeying the “stay at home” order and the numbers show that it’s appropriate to loosen some restrictions.
That’s a new pose for Harris, who has spent much of the last month warning of impending surges of coronavirus cases, urging residents to do a better job of staying home and advocating for restrictions to remain in place.
Some of Harris’ highlights on Thursday:
What the data shows: “Our trends in our daily case counts remain stable. They are not increasing or decreasing. Our trends in hospitalizations and the percent of individuals testing positive are showing some signs of improvement. There have been slight declines in both of those trend lines over the last 7-10 days.”
Abiding by the ‘stay at home’ order: “It does appear that our residents are largely adhering to the ‘stay at home’ order. That again is good news. We need those things to continue.”
Ready for Phase 1: “Their belief at the state level is that as long as our trends are staying stable or decreasing that we’ll be ready to move into Phase 1, and that’s what we’re seeing here in Mecklenburg County right now. I feel confident that unless there is some drastic change in the next couple of days, which we don’t anticipate, that we’ll be ready to move into Phase 1 next week.”
(She also said local hospitals are running between 60-70% capacity, which we explore in greater detail in a separate post in the Charlotte Ledger Covid-19 Data Room.)
The state’s “stay at home” order runs through May 8. —TM
UNCC marks anniversary of shooting with online service
UNC Charlotte on Thursday marked the one-year anniversary of a campus shooting the claimed the lives of two students and wounded four. The day began with an early-morning wreath-laying at the Kennedy Building, where Riley Howell and Reed Parlier died, and ended with an online memorial service.
“Today’s virtual remembrance will not be the last time we talk about April 30, 2019. It’s part of our essential history, no matter how painful,” said chancellor Philip Dubois at the start of the service.
The service included remarks by student body president Chandler Crean, CBS News correspondent Don Dahler (UNCC class of 1991 alum), and musical performances by Water From Fire, a band made up of UNCC alums. —CB
New from the Charlotte Ledger Covid-19 Data Room:
New hospital capacity figures suggest Atrium and Novant have 700+ empty beds
Mecklenburg’s share of N.C. coronavirus cases is declining
Testing surges; state hospitalizations remain at near all-time high
In Brief:
Grounded: Spirit Airlines and JetBlue are asking the U.S. Department of Transportation to temporarily halt flight service to Charlotte Douglas International Airport because so few people are traveling during the coronavirus pandemic. Frontier Airlines recently received federal approval to halt flights to CLT. (Biz Journal)
Airplane food: American Airlines is restoring food on certain flights. “Effective May 1, on flights 900-2199 miles (typically 2.5 – 4.5 hours), we are excited to begin offering customers a snack bag containing a bottle of water and a snack as they board the aircraft,” the airline wrote in an internal memo. (View from the Wing)
Sharing streets: With driving traffic so sharply reduced, Charlotte’s Department of Transportation is rolling out a program called Charlotte Shared Streets, which will close some streets to vehicles so people can walk and bike on them while maintaining social distancing. Phase 1 of the plan starts May 9 and affects streets in Myers Park, Dilworth and Plaza-Midwood. You can find the list of streets and details here.
Pizza confusion in Gaston: Gaston County Commissioners Chairman Tracy Philbeck sure did cause a lot of confusion with his political stunt Wednesday, when he said Gaston businesses could open in defiance of the state’s stay-at-home order and then basically took it all back. Caught in the muck was a pizzeria owner named Giuseppe Losavio, owner of Enzo’s Pizza in Gastonia, who heard Philbeck’s announcement and then posted on Facebook that he was opening back up. Losavio got a visit from police, who told him not to open, and by the evening he was back to doing takeout and delivery. A Cherryville consignment store called De Ja Vu opened briefly before being shut down by the Cherryville P.D. (WFAE/Gaston Gazette)
Goggle donation: Ballantyne-based national swim charity Swim Across America, which hosts charity swims with proceeds going to cancer research, teamed up with Speedo to donate 2,000 pairs of goggles to hospital medical staff. The effort was recently recognized by Forbes.
To-go cocktails debated: A proposal in the General Assembly to allows bars and restaurants to sell to-go cocktails during the pandemic is hitting opposition. The provision was included in a House bill that passed the chamber on Thursday but is not in the Senate version. Several lawmakers in each chamber raised concerns: “It gives access to open containers providing better access to drinking and driving,” said Rep. John Torbett of Gaston County. Rep. Pat Hurley of Randolph County said she worried about the effect on child and spousal abuse. The N.C. Restaurant and Lodging Association supports the change. (The Insider) Charlotte Agenda examined the issue this week.
Task force looking at fall school plan: N.C. Superintendent Mark Johnson has formed a task force to look at how to open schools in the fall. It’s still unclear when students will go back next year. (WFAE)
Loves me some internet: May Day
April rezoning action
The following rezoning petitions were filed in April, according to city records (Note: Monthly rezoning round-ups are available only to paying Ledger subscribers):
2020-070. Elmington Capital Group. 5.8 acres at Ashley Road at Joy Street from UR-2 (CD) to UR-2 (CD) SPA. “A rent/income restricted residential community containing a maximum of 150 multi-family dwelling units.” Rezoning agent: Alexander Ricks.
2020-071. 3G Investments and Developments. 0.76 acres at 3941 Selwyn Ave. from R-3 to MUDD-O. “Adaptive reuse of existing building to allow for commercial use and improvement of existing building in accordance with the development in the area.” Rezoning agent: Russell Fergusson.
2020-072. Bee Home Solutions. 0.48 acres at 1930 Freedom Drive from I-1 to MUDD-O. “Adaptive re-use of an existing 10,220 SF building for residential and non-residential uses.” ColeJenest & Stone.
2020-073. Blue Azalea. 4.8 acres at 3033 S. Sharon View Road (5 parcels) from R-3 to UR-2 CD. “Up to 38 single family attached (townhome for sale) dwelling units.” Lucas Forman Inc.
2020-074. Redwood USA. 21.08 acres at 3223 Harris Houston Road (3 parcels) from R-3 to R-8 MF(CD). “For the purpose of multi-family housing. Work to include 91 single-story multi-family apartment dwellings.” Bohler Engineering.
2020-075. Mattamy Homes. 19.6 acres on Ridge Road (3 parcels) at from R-3 to R-8 MF(CD). “Up to 139 Single Family Attached (Townhome) Units” Rezoning agent: Alexander Ricks.
2020-076. Urban Design Partners. 0.51 acres at 1101 Parkwood Ave. (3 parcels) from B-1 to NS. “To establish a development that provides a mix of uses including multi-family residential and commercial uses.” Up to 10,000 s.f. commercial plus up to 22 dwelling units. No rezoning agent listed.
2020-077. Diamondback Acquisition Co. 43.58 acres at 2408 Belmeade Drive (2 parcels) from MX-2 LWPA to MX-2 LWPA SPA. “Up to 165 dwelling units: a combination of single-family detached and attached dwelling units.” Rezoning agent: Moore & Van Allen.
2020-078. Charlotte Douglas International Airport. 19.5 acres at 8308 Old Dowd Road (7 parcels) from I-1 and R-3 to I-2. “To accommodate property transaction necessary to complete Aviation's North End Around Taxiway Project.”
2020-079. The Sealy Group. 9 acres at 8817 Albemarle Road (3 parcels) from R3 to R12MF-NS. “51 attached townhomes” with maximum height of 40 feet. No rezoning agent listed.
2020-080. Lat Purser. 2.38 acres at 2340 Park Road from B-1 to NS. Isaac Group. “To accommodate uses allowed in the NS zoning district utilizing parking standards specified on the conditional rezoning plan.”
2020-081. University City Partners. Text amendment. “This petition aims to reduce required setbacks in RE-1 and 2, a prevalent zoning in the University Research Park (URP) from 100’ to 40’ to better achieve the vision of the URP Area Plan adopted in June 2010.”
2020-082. Eastwood Homes. 5.1 acres at 9936 Mount Holly-Huntersville Road from R-3 to R-8MF. “30 single-family townhomes.” No rezoning agent listed.
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The Charlotte Ledger is an e-newsletter and web site publishing timely, informative, and interesting local business news and analysis Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, except holidays and as noted. We strive for fairness and accuracy and will correct all known errors. The content reflects the independent editorial judgment of The Charlotte Ledger. Any advertising, paid marketing, or sponsored content will be clearly labeled.
Executive editor: Tony Mecia; Managing editor: Cristina Bolling; Contributing editor: Tim Whitmire; Reporting intern: David Griffith